September 8, 2016
Saumure
Last night we decided that for dinner we would have one of those excellent prepared salads that you can buy. They come with a fork, some bread sticks, a chocolate chip biscuit. We had a bottle of sparkling Vouvray to go with it - this is the same sparkling wine we had at Mark and Janes wedding. Also of course some yummy things from the Boulangerie, altogether a really nice and relaxing meal.
The route this morning was at first beside the Vienne River on which Chinon is built and was largely on pleasant, quiet rural roads with grapes and other crops. We crossed the river just before the confluences with the Loire had a coffee watch a bac on the river and then rode along through lovely little much loved villages. The route we followed was mostly beside chalk cliffs and once more the houses were built either right up to them or into them - it certainly is very picturesque. We were led into Saumure beside the river and then into the attractive town centre beside the Castle. About twenty five years ago Jane and I were travelling through France. She was in her early twenties and we visited the castle, the ticket office insisted that she was under fifteen and charged her accordingly - Jane was not pleased, today it mightn't upset her as much!
We visited the Office de Tourisme where much to my delight I was able to get a guide book for the Velo Francette. This is a route running from Caen to La Rochelle and we will follow this from Angers. Then to Decathalon for some oil for the bikes, a poke around town and to our hotel. We were staying across the river and had chosen it because it has English TV and a lift. My knee is playing up badly and three flights of steep spiral stairs as we had yesterday are no fun. However the lift is being serviced and the English TV is not working - their Wifi works though !
Have sent a big lot of excess stuff home and spent a very long time planning our onward route - we had very much hoped that we would have had time to call into Paris to see Louise, Michael and Pantican but it looks as if we may run out of time
Today's ride: 45 km (28 miles)
Total: 1,760 km (1,093 miles)
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