Montpellier and the River Loire - June 2024
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Tue 04 Jun 2024: Montpellier
- Pick up hire bikes in Montpellier.
- Ride to the Mediterranean coast to check bikes OK.
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Wed 05 Jun 2024: Nimes, La Bastide-St-Laurent to Langogne
- Train to Nimes,
- quick look around Nimes.
- Train up into the Massif Central to La Bastide-St-Laurent.
- Ride to lakeside apartment at Langogne.
- Friends joined us for the Langogne to Sancerre section.
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Thu 06 Jun 2024: Langogne to Le Puy-en-Velay
- Ride out of the mountains ..
- .. and down to join the Loire trail on old rail lines
- .. through numerous tunnels
- and finish at town of Le Puy-en-Velay
- where one of the major pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela starts.
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Fri 07 Jun 2024: Le Puy-en-Velay to Retournac
- Following the route des Gorges de la Loire
- on quiet roads alongside the river,
- with high cliffs on both sides of the river,
- and climb up to rural hamlet above Retournac.
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Sat 08 Jun 2024: Retournac to Unieux
- The cycle route climbs away from the river
- although the rail line continues to follow it.
- Cross into Aurec over a Himalayan style suspension bridge,
- before finding our apartment in Unieux on top of a steep hill.
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Sun 09 Jun 2024: Unieux to Feurs
- Leave Unieux over another suspension bridge.
- Climb up to the village of La Garde with its iconic tower.
- Continue to the Chateux d'Essalais with views down to the Chateau de Grangent on its own island.
- This section of the Loire is a large lage held back by a hydro-electric dam downstream at Grangent.
- Half timbered houses in St Rambert.
- Stayed in the Station Hotel in Feurs, and ate in the only restaurant open (pizzas).
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Mon 10 Jun 2024: Feurs to Roanne
- The Loire again dammed to form the Villerest lake.
- Viewed another chateau on an island - Chateau de la Roche
- In St-Maurice viewed towers built by a family of crusader knights.
- In Roanne arrived at the terminal basin of the Canal de Roanne a Digoin, full of Dutch houseboats
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Tue 11 Jun 2024: Roanne to Bourbon-Lancy
- Left Roanne along the Canal de Roanne a Digoin,
- rejoining the Loire at Pouilly-sous-Charlieu.
- In Digoin crossed the Loire on an aqueduct carrying the canal.
- Arrived at the medieval town of Bourbon-Lancy.
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Wed 12 Jun 2024: Bourbon-Lancy to Nevers
- Rode through agricultural land alongside the river.
- before joining the banks of the Canal Lateral a la Loire.
- Fields full of poppies.
- In Nevers stayed at a large farmhouse full of antiques.
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Thu 13 Jun 2024: Nevers: Rest Day
- Explored Nevers.
- Eurovelo 6 (Black Sea to the Atlantic) joins the Loire route in Nevers.
- The Loire still has large weirs.
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Fri 14 Jun 2024: Nevers to St Thibault (Sancerre)
- Left Nevers and crossed the River Allier just before its confluence with the Loire.
- At the confluence itself is the official start 'la Loire a Velo' - the tourist route along the Loire
- Every kilometer there is a brass distance marker - although they seem to peter out after 20 km or so.
- Near La Charite the rain set in - so we stopped in a restaurant for a leisurely lunch.
- Stayed in a riverside hotel in St Thibault below the wine village of Sancerre.
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Sat 15 Jun 2024: Sancerre to Briare via Guedelon
- Beween Sancerre and Briare we diverted from the river route to visit Guedelon.
- Guedelon is an experimental archaeology project, building a medieval castle using contemporary tools
- Construction started in 1997 and now is close to completion.
- Many of the craftsmen were moved to help with the reconstruction of Notre Dame in Paris after its devatating fire.
- Penny worked as a volunteer at the site in 2015, taking part in tile making, baking, rope making, and wall construction.
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Sun 16 Jun 2024: Briare to Sully
- Leaving Briane we crossed another aquedect - this time carrying the Canal Lateral a la Loire over the river.
- Coffee was taken at Gien in a cafe behind its chateau.
- As the rain set in we pedalled along a levee to reach the Chateux in Sully.
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Mon 17 Jun 2024: Sully to Orleans
- A detour off the levee to view St Benoit Abbey restorations.
- Started to see groups of heavily-laden bike tourers mainly going upstream.
- On the river, until now devoid of boats, we saw the traditional Loire gabarres.
- Into Orleans to view Joan of Arc's huge cathedral and numerous old medieval houses.
- Brief visit with potter friend before locating our booked apartment.
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Tue 18 Jun 2024: Orleans to Blois
- Late start after finding our tyres had been let down and pumps stolen from the locked bikes.
- Farmland with wild flowers everywhere still, croaking frogs and the ubiquitous smell of lime trees.
- Detour off the official route to look at a busy Chambord chateau, largest in the Loire, where cycling around the castle is permitted.
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Wed 19 Jun 2024: Blois
- Rest day in Blois for sightseeing kept us busy.
- We used the free electric shuttle buses (navettes) which run frequently on two routes around the city.
- Another huge chateau, cathedral, twisting medieval streets and steps, cafes, art galleries and stylish shops.
- Visited a Museum of Magic with live shows and the history of Houdini, a former resident of Blois.
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Thu 20 Jun 2024: Blois to Amboise
- A visit to Chaumont castle for the International Garden and Sculpture Festival.
- And another detour, to Chenonceau castle - through undulating countryside, a welcome change to the flat Loire route.
- First sight of extensive vineyards
- Arrived Amboise our overnight stop, passing da Vinci's Clos du Luce chateau en route and later passed under the 30m walls of Amboise chateau ( our fourth chateau of the day !)
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Fri 21 Jun 2024: Amboise to Brehemont
- Plenty of small colourful villages with troglodyte houses built into the limestone.
- Joined the many tourists in Tours in the city's two old centres looking at the cathedral and timber-frames houses.
- Just one chateau chosen for today - Villandry on the river Cher, with a typical Renaissance garden complete with 52 miles of hedging !
- Back to the river path to locate our B&B stop in a small hamlet at Brehemont.
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Sat 22 Jun 2024: Brehemont to Saumur
- Surprised this morning to find a proper French breakfast with our hosts and 2 other guests so a bit of Francais required.
- Just 3 chateaux today - d'Ussee ( the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty and full of twiddly turrets ), Montsoreau and Saumur.
- Encountered flooded roads after heavy rains in the Massif Central and had to detour.
- Discovered Scutes, another traditional river boat, many of them being restored.
- Into troglodyte country with "des res" houses and even an entire underground village at Souzay Champigny, now a tourist attraction.
- Arrived Saumur, full of colourful squares with cafes and restaurants.
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Sun 23 Jun 2024: Saumur to Chalonnes
- All roads by the river today filled with thousands of cyclists for a Fete de Velo between Angers and Saumur. All types of bike, all types of rider, all ages.
- More flooded roads with no detours marked.
- Crossed to the north bank of the river, at St Mathurin sur Loire, first time since Orleans.
- Came across a pretty,10th century church at our afternoon rest stop.
- Then a puncture. Only the second of the trip.
- Challones for the night in a good B&B right beside the river.
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Mon 24 Jun 2024: Chalonnes to Nantes
- Last day of cycling today so attempted to wash the rented bikes in the river before collection tomorrow.
- Lots more activity on the now very wide river - houseboats on converted gabarres, working boats, a few cruisers and navigational buoys to avoid the sand bars and many islands.
- Bit surprised to pass an old coal mine which we'd presumed to be lime kilns.
- 5 river crossings, passing through extensive market gardens on the sandy soil and on a new section of cycle route due to a landslip on the north side.
- Our arrival in Nantes a bit traumatic - traffic and people everywhere at rush hour, in spite of a good cycle network through the centre.
- Our final hotel on the outskirts ready for plane home.
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Notes
- Distance: 1,201 km
- Climbing: 6,960 m
- Days cycling: 19
- Rest Days: 2 (with a little cycling)
- Planning: Helpful advice received from Lynette Eyb at freewheelingfrance.com
- Guide book: The River Loire Cycle Route, Cicerone Books
- Bike Hire: Reve de Velo, Montpellier
- Bikes Used: Velo Scott Sub Sport 20 - hybrids with front suspension and rear rack
- Tyres: 700 x 47
- Lowest gear: 26T front, 34T rear: 20.6" gear; development 1.66 m
- Luggage: Vaude bar bag and two Ortlieb panniers, total weight 9.5 kg