NORT-sur-ERDRE to ST-OMER-de-BLAIN

WEDNESDAY,  29th MAY, 2019

The sun made a brief appearance early this morning then disappeared for the rest of the day, so it was another day of layers of clothing with rain coats at the ready.

We rode through very busy traffic which included several large trucks, back to the canal 5 kms away and immediately stopped to don the rain coats, mainly to keep the wind out but also because the sky was looking a little menacing.

The path has been good so far, graded gravel with a couple of sections of bitumen and just a few little ruts....the only nasty bit was several feet of sludge from the bottom of the canal across the path.  We had to go through it, it stank and stuck....well,it stuck like sludge to the bikes.  There was some canal cleaning going on with a strange looking machine clearing weed and another machine sucking up the sludge but why it was deposited on the path is a mystery.

We exited the path at Bout de Bois and had lunch at a bar restaurant a short distance away.  It was similar to yesterday's where for a sum (today it was 8 Euros) a buffet of serve yourself salads is available along with cheeses, dessert, red or white wine, and bread.  For another 3 Euro 80, the plate of the day which is a hot meal, is also available.  It is a very popular formula.

I resisted the temptation to stop every five minutes to take photos, though extremely pretty, they would all be much the same.

We've passed several locks now, watched a few boats go by,

passed a few cyclists and at Blain, took a little detour of the track, across the canal

 to see the impressive Chateau de la Groulais which dates back to the 12th century,

On reaching our accommodation, the lovely Dominique showed us to our room which, though small, is beautifully decorated with great attention to detail, it's a shame it won't stay that way.  The table is set for breakfast.

NANTES to NORT-SUR-ERDRE

TUESDAY, 28th MAY, 2019

Leaving the hotel in Nantes this morning was a bit of a challenge.  Mike rode in the lift from our floor down to the underground secure car park to retrieve the bikes but wasn't able to do so as the hotel staff had misplaced the remote control for the garage doors (3 of them as the car park is shared with other businesses).  One of the staff went down to help and managed to open two of the doors but not the third, so we had to squeeze the bikes in to the lift one at a time and then wheel them through reception.   Having done that and put the bags onto the bikes, we headed off through the town and to the start of the path but....the path was blocked by extensive road works so we had to ride on the road until we were able to find our way to the Erdre river and the path which would take us close to the Nantes-Brest Canal.
The path was quite rough though riding along a boardwalk section was relatively easy,

and we encountered many runners, walkers and joggers and a couple of groups of elderly people out for a stroll.  We rode through a most beautiful park which boasted a very good path

but at the end we were back to the rough stuff and I mean really rough!  We had to lift the bikes over huge tree roots on a couple of occasions and were relieved when we emerged to find a bitumen road.  Thwarted again!  That was the end of the path and there was no way through so we followed the road into a town, found a cafe and stopped for coffee and then continued along the road (in the dedicated bike lane) until we reached Suce-sur-Erdre.  By this time we were ready for lunch and found a cafe away from the river (those along the riverside are way too expensive) where we ate a delicious meal.  The cafe was full of working men and a couple of young women, long tables so diners sat together, all very jolly and most enjoyable.

On leaving the cafe, we donned our raincoats as there was a black cloud hovering, stopped at the post office (yay...we finally found one) and were on our way again.  Most of our ride today was on the road, sometimes with a bike lane, always with courteous motorists and a little way before Nort-sur-Erdre, we came across the path to the canal.

Having reached the canal, we then rode down to the first lock at Quiheix,

watched a boat begin its way through,

then started to retrace our steps but didn't get far before the huge black cloud dropped its load onto us.  We had no choice other than to carry on, past the second lock and just before the third lock, turned off the path onto the road into and through the town to our accommodation. By this time, the cloud had gone and the sun was shining!

A DAY in NANTES

MONDAY, 27th MAY, 2019

Nantes is the sixth largest city in France (pop. 290,000), grew up around the confluence of the Erdre and Loire Rivers and now occupies both banks of the Loire and an island between two arms of the river.  In the early 18th century, the city became the principal port of western France and a key part of the triangular trade that took manufactured goods to Africa, slaves to the Americas then brought sugar, tobacco and cotton back to Europe.

Today, we put on our tourist hats and visited the Castle of the Dukes of Brittany, the medieval Bouffay district, a gelato shop where we bought and devoured wonderful ice cream 'flowers', 


bought postage stamps from a tabac shop when the two post offices we found had moved to other addresses, didn't find a yellow post box where we could post letters, discovered the tunnel we were planning to travel through tomorrow is closed for repairs, visited the local bar for cold refreshments and enjoyed a relaxing, enjoyable day.

le Lieu Unique.....formerly a biscuit factory, now a cultural centre.

ANCENIS to NANTES

SUNDAY, 26th MAY, 2019

It was definitely not a shorts day today!  In fact it was quite cold so we rugged up before leaving Ancenis but had to stop along the way to don rain jackets to keep the wind from blowing right through us, though the cold didn't seem to bother the several groups of runners we passed.

The ride to Oudon was easy and enjoyable, and just as we reached the town, raindrops began to fall....great timing as we were able to park the bikes under some scaffolding and take refuge in a cafe

 where we had coffee and waited till the rain eased.

Leaving Oudon was a bit tricky as there was a large market in progress, people everywhere and traffic jams in the narrow streets so a visit to the chateau was deemed too difficult, but once out of the busy part of town we found the path and were on our way again until.....a sign saying the path was closed and we should take an alternative route.
The trouble was, as there was no indication as to which was the correct route, we went the wrong way up a very steep hill,  found a friendly local cyclist who was happy to assist us with directions and we backtracked, found the path and continued on.  The path was not a good one,

and concentration was required to avoid the major ruts, potholes, loose rocks and muddy patches.

When we reached the closed section,

on close inspection we decided it was the only way through without going all the way back to Oudon and riding on the road from there.  As it was Sunday, no work was being done so we made our way through a gap in the barrier and bumpety bumped our way along the track between the railway line and the Loire, meeting other cyclists who'd also ignored the 'closed' signs and passing a series of architectural features cut into the cliff face rising behind the railway line.

When we at last reached a clearing with a picnic table, we stopped to eat the lunch we'd brought with us, chatting to a French couple who'd become lost while on a run and another couple on bikes, one of which was a three wheeler with a large box attached to the front for their very large dog! 

We were intrigued by a picnic table, alongside the path, which was covered by an assortment of video tapes.  There was no sign or note of explanation so we're still wondering what that was all about.

Desperation stakes led us to a public WC in a park at Mauves-sur-Loire before rejoining the track and on to a quiet country road with marshy foreshore and intensive vegetable cultivation, past a vast camping area and stopping beside a football pitch at a kiosk where we bought cold drinks.

It was not far then to Nantes and after checking in to our hotel, we went walking into the old town....so much more attractive than the newer part of town and visited the cathedral,

and strolled through several of its many streets,

shared an excellent pizza washed down with wine and beer and returned to the hotel, by now turning blue as it was bitterly cold.  We'll be here for two nights so will explore some more tomorrow.

ANCENIS

SATURDAY, 25th MAY, 2019

Between our accommodation and the Chateau d'Ancenis (not open to the public) is a carpark where a small fresh food market was held this morning.  We watched the setting up of the stalls from our window and then had a wander around....there were breads and pastries, fresh fruits and vegetables, cheeses, seafood, nuts, olives etc....we bought bread and fruit for our breakfast fruit salad.

Our apartment has a laundry attached which was welcome after several days on the road. After successfully washing and drying our clothes we retrieved the bikes from the basement and rode to the Lidl supermarket for supplies, then later went for a walk around the town,

visited the church, a bar, a patisserie for desserts and were impressed by a house number fashioned from old keys.

It's been a pleasant, lazy day.

ANCENIS and ANGERS

FRIDAY, 24th MAY, 2019

Having changed our minds about visiting Angers which is now about 50kms behind us, and as riding back there is not an option, this morning we rode the 4kms from Lire across the Loire to Ancenis,

where there is a railway station.  We booked accommodation for two nights and after leaving our bags in our room and locking the bikes in the basement behind the hotel, we were about to walk to the station when the hotel manager very kindly offered to drive us there.
It was a 22 minute train ride into Angers, the capital of Anjou which sits beside the River Maine, 8kms above its confluence with the Loire, and the main reason for our visit was to see the Apocalypse Tapestry.  This stretches for over 80 metres, depicts the story of the Revelation of St John, and is on display in a purpose built gallery in the well preserved medieval castle which has 600 metres of surrounding walls with 17 bastions and saw action during the Hundred Years' War (1347-1453) when Anjou was fought over by the English and French.

After our tour of the chateau, we enjoyed strolling through the town,

had a sit-down late snack lunch while resting our weary old legs before heading back to the station for the return journey to Ancenis and a refreshing cold beer at our 'local'.

BOUCHEMAINE to LIRE

THURSDAY, 23rd MAY, 2019

It was shorts weather again today and thinking it was a gentle climb away from last night's accommodation, we were surprised to find a very steep hill almost immediately after we left.

Mike made it to the top of the hill, I could only manage about half way before having to dismount and push my bike.  I was passed by a couple of youngish male cyclists who seemed to find some humour in my plight....Mike came to my rescue and took over the bike pushing.

The view of the vineyards and town below was awesome and after a breather we continued on.
Of course, what goes up must come down and the ride down the hill, along the tree lined path to the river was a fitting reward for that nasty climb!

It was most pleasant riding  alongside the river, meeting up at one point with a French couple who live in the U.K. and chatting with them for ten or so minutes.

On reaching Chalonnes-sur-Loire, we stopped at a creperie for crepes and coffee, then visited a nearby supermarket for a few supplies for tonight's dinner before heading off again towards Lire.

Stopping at Montjean 

to see the disused lime kilns

we got talking to two French couples cycling in the opposite direction.  The ladies both spoke a little English so together with our fractured French, we were able to have an interesting conversation and

were very impressed when one of the men recognised our Australian Flag.

Passing a couple of towns on the other side of the river, we reached Lire just as raindrops began falling on our heads.  Fortunately, the heavy stuff didn't start until we were safely under cover of our B&B.  We've been travelling through farming country for much of the day and are in a rural area here, it's very peaceful so we're expecting to have a quiet night.  

les ROSIERS sur LOIRE to BOUCHEMAINE

WEDNESDAY, 22nd MAY, 2019

This is last night's accommodation, a small well equipped flat above a family home where we spent a very comfortable night.  There is a larger apartment in the grounds that accommodates up to 10 people and as we were loading the bikes, one of the occupants came over for a chat.  He had stayed there with his wife and other family members, having come from Amiens for his wife's brother's funeral on Tuesday.  We had an interesting chat with him before saying 'adieu'.

It was shorts and t-shirts today, though needing a jacket to begin with.  We crossed the bridge to Gennes-Val-de-Loire, turned right on to the cycle path and soon came to Le Thoureil, another pretty village comprising a single row of houses and offering boat trips on the river.

Listed on the UNESCO world heritage list, St Remy-la-Varenne was our next stop, for coffee at a bar/tabac opposite the church.

The church was closed but the next door priory was open and for 4 Euros each, we spent an hour or so exploring  the buildings, originally built in the 10th century and restored and updated over the ensuing centuries, including this century.

Returning to the bikes, we met a group of 6 cyclists from U.K. who'd stopped on seeing the Australian flags.  One of them was a West Australian who has a small property in Cottesloe so was excited to see a WA patch, with a black swan, on one of my bags.

We crossed the river again from St Remy to St-Mathurin-sur-Loire

where major roadworks were being undertaken, although being midday, there was no action and no-one to be seen. Going away from the river for a while, the path took us through a couple of  villages and past a flower farm,

returning to the river at La Dagueniere where we stopped to eat the ham and egg sandwiches we'd made this morning.

On reaching Les Ponts-de-Ce, we lost the cycle path signs and so rode along the dedicated bike lane on the road.  With few exceptions, the motorists here are very courteous but it is much more pleasant to ride on the paths.

Crossing the Maine River near the confluence of the Maine and Loire Rivers, we reached Bouchemaine, our stopover for tonight.  Beers at the 'Monkey Bar'

overlooking the Loire

before dinner, an evening stroll back 'home'

and a comfortable bed.