St Malo

This years cycle trip should be our easiest yet - the trip is more about seeing Chateau’s then cycling. Although we do have 500 miles to cover.

Neither of us wanted to drive in France so we decided to take the ferry to St Malo and then cycle down to the Loire.

We start our trip with the overnight ferry from Portsmouth to St Malo. Which turned out to be a very relaxing way to start a holiday. \240Much better than flying.

We ate dinner onboard in the fabulous French restaurant. Hopefully the first of many fabulous French meals. Will I ever get sick of profiteroles?

In France profiteroles are filled with ice cream - and cheese boards come without crackers.

Sue was enchanted by our suite, which didn’t look much different to any other \240hotel room we stayed in - besides the seatbelt for the bed (which we didn’t use)

Was a very early start. The boat woke everyone at 6, because it docked at 7 U.K. time - which is 8 French time.

Dinan

Today was brilliant. The weather was perfect for cycling - a bit cool.

I’d spent a lot of time planning our 🚴‍♀️ route so that we would exit St Malo on nice roads - and it paid off. We had a brilliant, quiet, cycle today.

At a little village we had our first taste of French public toilets. It was very off putting having to walk past urinals to get to the toilet cubicle 🤮- and they don’t have toilet paper.

Cycling in to Dinan you arrive at the canal.

And then have to cycle 250 feet up hill to get to the medieval town 😄

We got to Dinan by 12:00, which was great because there is so much to see here. It’s a magnificent Medieval town. Almost all the buildings were built in the 1400s

Hebrew on church doors.

Pictures on display boards brought the castle to life.

Very odd medieval helmet.

Latrines

Chimney went up forever

Had Crepes for lunch - every second shop here is a creperie 😁 - will I ever tire of crepes for lunch?

Not sick of profiteroles yet 😃

We had a stop in a small village with a church. Sue’s French is much better than I thought it was. She managed to ask someone where the toilets were. And hear ‘behind’ and ‘car’ in the answer. After looking behind a van she found the public toilets. And public urinals 😂

We had lunch in Rennes which was surprisingly lovely. It’s a big city, with many fine medieval buildings. And also graffiti and homeless people and unsavoury types hovering in the squares.

I narrowly avoided having snails in my crepe, and instead managed to get a cheese one.

A long day today, but we made good time because it’s not hilly.

A long cycle through the country side today, which we really enjoyed. It was slightly undulating, which is perfect for cycling and we made very good time.

Chateaubriant is the cutest and friendliest town you can ever imagine. At the Boulangerie I bought one pain au chocolate- but she gave me 2 because she said they were too small. 😁

This ‘shop’ sells food through the window. I’m not sure what. Pastries or sandwiches I think.

We made it to the Loire!

Dinner wasn’t perfect - but the huge bowl of chocolate mousse for dessert was 😃

It’s hot here. And there are oodles of cycle tourists. Lots of families touring by bike as well. I think the Loire cycle path could be slow going….

Orleans is amazing. We’re totally blown away by it.

This is where Joan of Arc defeated the British in the 100 years war. So everything in the city revolves around her.

Joan of Arc’s house

The Cathedral is incredible. The stained glass windows depict her life and brutal end.

The Hotel Groslot was fantastic. Inside are several rooms in their original splendour, complete with painted walls and chairs with gargoyles on the armrests.

For lunch I thought I ordered a cheese pizza. But it turned out to be made of pastry not dough. And it was goats cheese. I ate a quarter of it, but my stomach can’t handle that much pastry.

Lots of fabulous medieval buildings.

And an incredible art gallery. I think it’s my favourite out of all the galleries I’ve been to.

I’ve never seen so many cycle tourists in my life. We probably saw 100 of them this afternoon. All kinds of people. Families. Older people. Fit young people. Here cycle touring is for everyone.

Chambord Chateau was impressive from the outside. The inside was overwhelming. It is huge and there were no arrows or directions to tell you which way to go.

The chateau was opulent and decedent - I can see why the French Revolution happened. This ginormous castle was built as a hunting lodge and was hardly ever used.

Blois

French food isn’t at all what I expected. For dinner every night I’ve had a huge lump of meat with chips and lettuce and tomato. I’ve had beef, lamb and duck but all served as a huge lump with chips and salad 😁

It had fairly opulent stables though 😃. There was a whole kitchen just to make horse feed.

And the largest saddlery in France.

We were blown away by the gardens. The very best gardens either of us had been to.

The number of cyclists now is unreal. At least 30 parked with us at the cafe stop.

After we left the cafe it started to get hot and I really struggled with the last 12 miles.

The farmland has mostly had corn and sunflowers and animals. Today we started to get lots of grapes. Passing some grapes we saw a sign Chinon. Than a few hundred metres later we saw Sauvignon. Which we thought was helpful but unusual. Then turning the corner we saw a restaurant. Brilliant marketing by them 😁

When we arrived in Amboise we went straight to Leonardo Da vinci’s house. It was fabulous.

Models of all his designs were on display- including this car that worked on cogs.

His gardens were also lovely.

Then we entered Amboise. Another fantastic medieval city with a chateau

There are at least 30 bikes in the hotel garage with ours 😄

The castles apothecary was brilliant. They had a huge medicinal garden to go with it.

Tours is a proper city, not a cute town. But still has several very medieval streets.

Managed to find our first French restaurant which served French food. Coq au vin, beef bourguignon etc. 😃

I had coq au vin which was lovely - but it was served with rice, which I don’t think is very French. For dessert Sue had cheese - which was served with lettuce and tomatoes 😂

Savonnieres

We decided not to visit Villandry and instead visit Chateau Azay le Rideau

The town of Azay Le Rideau is very cute

Another magical castle today - Chateau Azay le Rideau

Then an easy cycle back to the Loire

Staying in a mini chateau tonight with a swimming pool. Which is lovely because it’s hot again now.

Just before Saumur is a village where lots of the houses are set in caves.

Medieval buildings

And in the afternoon we went on a tour of a wine cellar - which Sue really enjoyed 😄

They have purple potatoes here 😃

The pepper pot towers were built in the 1409s, and the main facade was built in the 1600s.

The chapel gorgeous - but only had room for the family. It could only seat about 5 people!

This opera house, seating 80, was in the top floor of the chateau! It is a gorgeous opera house.

Sue got to taste the chateaus’ own wine as they had free wine tasting. ☺️

Then we cycled to Angers

Tonight we are staying in this magnificent medieval house. It has a courtyard inside.

The last 20 miles were tough due to the heat. When we arrived we were desperate for a cold drink (we’d run out of water a few K back). Going through Janze there was only one place open - a pub 😁

Mont St Michel is amazing, but we couldn’t believe how many people were there.

Lunch at the lovely (and busy) seaside town of Cancule

Then on to St Malo, which was also crazy busy.

We’ve had a fabulous trip, and I would recommend visiting the Loire to everyone - you don’t have to cycle it.

I wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy cycling without the hills, but I did 😄

The food here wasn’t what I expected, but I got better at ordering something I liked. \240I didn’t get sick of crepes or profiteroles. We ate far too many desserts and cakes 😁

Almost everything on the trip went perfectly. I definitely would go cycling in France again, but not in Summer.

I loved all the Chateaux, besides Chambord. Possibly Chateau Brissac was our favourite, because of its opera house.

My favourite towns were Orleans and Amboise. Ancenis was my least favourite.

The heat was a problem - I think we’ll go back to Scotland next summer 😃