June 13, 2024
Angles sur L’ Anvin to Loches
Another Charming Town
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Today our destination was Loches, not a town I had ever heard of. We had a long ride of 70 km so we didn’t dawdle leaving Angles, after saying good bye to the dog Titov, who was sad we didn’t stop to play with him. I had identified the town of Le Grand Pressigny as our lunch stop and we had a pleasant, bucolic ride there and arrived a little 1 pm. We sat down at a casual pizza place with outdoor seating and when we said we wanted to eat, the waitress said she would have to ask the kitchen if they would cook for us - I guess 1 pm is late. They did however, and we ultimately enjoyed pizza and salad while Melinda and I had spritzes with no ice - ice in your drink not being a thing in France! Why we travel - things are different.
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After lunch we rode up the hill in Le Grand Pressigny to gawk at the outside exhibits at the Museum of Prehistory - which is this town’s claim to fame. it was a super steep 15 percent grade up which was fun and a great view of the area and town.
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While were sitting at lunch, I saw a bike sign pointing to Loches - our destination - and suggested that rather than following our Komoot route, we should follow the French Voie Verte. So we rode most of the afternoon following the signs on French cycle route 61, which we later figured out was a brand new sign-posted cycle route. It added 5 or 6 km to our day but we enjoyed it a lot. I can’t find it anywhere online on a map or on Komoot.
Our alternate route came with several pleasant surprises including meeting Lisa, who is from Belgium but has a place next door to a marvelous privately owned chateau. She was delightful to chat with. We learned that her some of kids live in the US and her husband, who still is working, commutes from Belgium. Sounded complicated.
While riding we came across this handsome boy:
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Loches was a much bigger town than I had anticipated, around 6,000, and is dominated by a large fortress and castle. The castle served as the residence of the Anjou family between the ninth and fourteenth centuries when it was seized by the king and became a royal residence after that.
Our B and B, La Little Maison, was right across the street from the fortress and we had a pleasant view of the historic old town out of our window. This was one of our best value accommodations, a small 3 room place with a gorgeous patio and everything we needed and wanted in a room while we are on the road. As you can see we enjoyed a post ride beer/wine in the garden.
For dinner we walked into town at 7 pm. Although we didn’t have reservations, we nevertheless found a decent Italian place, Amoremio, and enjoyed lasagne, fish, antipasti and Barbera d’Asti wine, just for a change of pace and a bit of a break from the French cuisine.
Today's ride: 70 km (43 miles)
Total: 1,575 km (978 miles)
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