Post by brandane on Aug 24, 2012 16:26:52 GMT
OK, I know it shouldn't be on here, but since I gave up using stuffy pretentious cycle forums and I need somewhere to host this (and I refuse to use FB 
).......
Tuesday 14th August.
Travelled to Portsmouth by train. Thought I would have plenty of time to spare in Portsmouth before checking in for the overnight ferry to St. Malo, but a points failure somewhere near Crewe meant I didn't get to Portsmouth until about 6.30pm, having left home before 7.30am. The cycle between Euston and Waterloo stations in London was quite uneventful and I even managed it without getting lost. London streets aren't for the faint hearted though, no matter what mode of transport you are on
. The overnight sailing to St. Malo was a pleasant affair and a great way to travel IMHO.
Gratuitous ship foto for us ex Merchant Navy folks:
Wednesday 15th August.
Arrived in St. Malo about 0700, to a reasonably pleasant day. It was now decision time. To head east across Normandy, or to take a train down to Nantes and cycle part of the "Loire a Velo" route. This is - not surprisingly - a cycle route following the Loire river from Nevers in central France to St. Brevin les Pins at the mouth of the river on the Atlantic coast. www.cycling-loire.com/
The choice was swiftly made to spend a day travelling by train down to Nantes, so off to the train station and onto this TGV (Train de Grand Vitesse):
The train journey involved 2 changes, one of them being not far from where Monsieur Pilgrim lives........ This was the 2nd day of the Porcaro bike meet and I saw a few passing through this place which may have been the remnants of the meet.
Pilgrim might recognise where I was....
The local youths are obviously not following in the French tradition of refusing to learn English ;D:
Apologies, Pilgrim, but this was a last minute decision to go on a bike trip and I didn't have time to arrange a meet up.
Thursday 16th August.
From St. Luce on the outskirts of Nantes, to Gennes (west of Saumur), a distance of 86 miles. A bigger mileage than planned, but it's amazing the ground you can cover when you set off early and just pedal at a steady pace. Nice flat picturesque countryside, but it appears that France is closed for its holidays! Hardly any shops open, so it was hard to find even the basics like drinking water. Found a campsite in Gennes, overlooking the Loire. Very pleasant apart from the toilet facilities. Let's just say they were a bit, errrm, French. The cycle paths are amazing, all the way along the route.
Where the route doesn't follow minor roads, there are paths which have been built just for bikes, with great surfaces, comme ca.....
Friday 17th August.
Gennes to Chinon, via Saumur. 37 miles.
A combination of yesterdays mileage and todays temperatures were taking their toll. It was over 35C, and humid with it. Again it was a problem finding drinking water, and after 10 minutes in a plastic bottle on the bike frame the stuff was hot and horrible to drink anyway. There was a slight breeze which was most welcome, but unfortunately it was in my face! It was really hard going and by mid afternoon with 37 miles done, seeing a tempting campsite was enough to make me chuck it for the day. Chinon was a very nice town and I am glad I stopped there. Got talking to a couple from Cheshire who were camped next to me, and we shared a few bottles of red wine
.
Saturday 18th August.
Chinon to Amboise via Brehemont and Tours; 65 miles.
I reckon this was the hardest day I have ever done on a bicycle, and that includes a couple of local 100 milers. It was even hotter today, and I could have used some of those Brandane rain making skills ;D. Alas it was not to be, and I cooked in the heat. Had a welcome lunch of pasta at a place called Villandry, and got some strange looks from fellow diners as I sat with the sweat pouring off me for about 20 minutes before I started to cool off.
As I approached Amboise I was joined by a local old boy on his racer, who decided to escort me to the Etap hotel I was looking for, as he knew where it was. So I tried to follow him up a long hill on my loaded up tourer; arriving at the hotel ready to collapse, I was then told "hotel complet" - no vacancies. First stop was the local Carrefour supermarket for a drink. Had to support myself against a tree before going in to the shop, and a local woman was getting ready to phone for a Doctor when she saw the state of me. A quick litre of fresh orange juice and all was well again. Then it was off to the local campsite. This was a really nice site with good facilities, and the added bonus of being next door to the local departure point for sightseeing balloon trips......
Sunday 19th August.
A rest day of sorts, but still managed to do 18 miles messing around Amboise. My only experience of bad service was at the campsite bar, where I decided to head for a beer in the afternoon. After being ignored twice in favour of French speakers who came into the bar behind me, I decided to spend my Euros elsewhere. One bad experience in a week isn't too bad though.
The chateau at Amboise:
Monday 20th August.
Amboise to Beaugency via Blois, 50 miles. Finally the temperature had dropped slightly. Still hot, but not so energy sappingly hot as it had been. From previous experience around Amboise, I knew the Loire a Velo route along the south side of the Loire took a quite hilly route, so I had a look at the map and took my chances with the minor roads which follow the north side of the river. This turned out to be an almost deserted road along the side of the railway line all the way to Chouzy. It was at Chouzy that I saw the only rain of the week! Only for about 10 minutes, but quite a heavy shower and enough to justify having carried a lightweight waterproof jacket! The route then followed a minor road through a forest before arriving in Blois, another Loire town famous for its chateau. From Blois, it is again a riverside route all the way to Beaugency.
The only blot on the whole Loire landscape must be the St Laurent des Eaux nuclear power station, which makes our own local one at Hunterston look like a Duracell battery:
I was tempted to charge on and get to my destination at Orleans today, but then found Beaugency. A very typical French "Ville fleurie". Found a rustic old Hotel with friendly owners and a lock-up for the bike, so decided to treat myself to a proper bed for the night.
Tuesday 21st August
Beaugency to Orleans, 27 miles. After recent efforts, this was a walk in the park! A flat route along the banks of the Loire, all the way into Orleans where there are of course a few memorials to "Jeanne D'Arc". On reaching the end of my route at Orleans train station, I had mixed feelings. Happy with the sense of achievement, but at the same time quite sad that it was all over.
Bought a train ticket to Caen, which ironically took me most of the way back along the route I had just cycled! So in 2 hours I was back at Tours, where I spent the night before heading up to Caen on the train the next morning.
Wednesday 22nd August.
In and around Caen, 35 miles. As I was again booked on the overnight ferry, I had all afternoon to mess about in Caen. Did a run out into leafy suburbia before returning to the city centre later on, and then heading out the cycle path which goes all the way from Caen centre to the ferry port at Ouistreham, passing Pegasus bridge on the way....
After a quick beer (3 euros for 25cl
) I headed for the ferry. This time it was the mv Normandie, again a good modern ship. Found another quiet corner in which to settle in with my mattress and sleeping bag.
Thursday 23rd August.
Arrived in Portsmouth about 0630, and after skipping the car queue (guided by port staff
at passport control, it was off to the train station and a train to Waterloo, arriving about 0900. I wasn't booked on the train to Glasgow until 1530, this had seemed a good idea at the time of booking, as I had fancied a day in London. When it actually came to it, I couldn't be bothered and would have been happier to just head home. However, I passed the time by cycling down to Brixton and having spent some years of my youth living in Jamaica, it was just like going home again ;D. Had lunch at a Jamaican carry out. Curried goat with rice and peas. Well worth the visit to London after all . After a quick sight seeing trip around the west end, it was time for the train home.........
).......Tuesday 14th August.
Travelled to Portsmouth by train. Thought I would have plenty of time to spare in Portsmouth before checking in for the overnight ferry to St. Malo, but a points failure somewhere near Crewe meant I didn't get to Portsmouth until about 6.30pm, having left home before 7.30am. The cycle between Euston and Waterloo stations in London was quite uneventful and I even managed it without getting lost. London streets aren't for the faint hearted though, no matter what mode of transport you are on
. The overnight sailing to St. Malo was a pleasant affair and a great way to travel IMHO. Gratuitous ship foto for us ex Merchant Navy folks:
Wednesday 15th August.
Arrived in St. Malo about 0700, to a reasonably pleasant day. It was now decision time. To head east across Normandy, or to take a train down to Nantes and cycle part of the "Loire a Velo" route. This is - not surprisingly - a cycle route following the Loire river from Nevers in central France to St. Brevin les Pins at the mouth of the river on the Atlantic coast. www.cycling-loire.com/
The choice was swiftly made to spend a day travelling by train down to Nantes, so off to the train station and onto this TGV (Train de Grand Vitesse):
The train journey involved 2 changes, one of them being not far from where Monsieur Pilgrim lives........ This was the 2nd day of the Porcaro bike meet and I saw a few passing through this place which may have been the remnants of the meet.
Pilgrim might recognise where I was....
The local youths are obviously not following in the French tradition of refusing to learn English ;D:
Apologies, Pilgrim, but this was a last minute decision to go on a bike trip and I didn't have time to arrange a meet up.
Thursday 16th August.
From St. Luce on the outskirts of Nantes, to Gennes (west of Saumur), a distance of 86 miles. A bigger mileage than planned, but it's amazing the ground you can cover when you set off early and just pedal at a steady pace. Nice flat picturesque countryside, but it appears that France is closed for its holidays! Hardly any shops open, so it was hard to find even the basics like drinking water. Found a campsite in Gennes, overlooking the Loire. Very pleasant apart from the toilet facilities. Let's just say they were a bit, errrm, French
. The cycle paths are amazing, all the way along the route. Where the route doesn't follow minor roads, there are paths which have been built just for bikes, with great surfaces, comme ca.....
Friday 17th August.
Gennes to Chinon, via Saumur. 37 miles.
A combination of yesterdays mileage and todays temperatures were taking their toll. It was over 35C, and humid with it. Again it was a problem finding drinking water, and after 10 minutes in a plastic bottle on the bike frame the stuff was hot and horrible to drink anyway. There was a slight breeze which was most welcome, but unfortunately it was in my face! It was really hard going and by mid afternoon with 37 miles done, seeing a tempting campsite was enough to make me chuck it for the day. Chinon was a very nice town and I am glad I stopped there. Got talking to a couple from Cheshire who were camped next to me, and we shared a few bottles of red wine
. Saturday 18th August.
Chinon to Amboise via Brehemont and Tours; 65 miles.
I reckon this was the hardest day I have ever done on a bicycle, and that includes a couple of local 100 milers. It was even hotter today, and I could have used some of those Brandane rain making skills ;D. Alas it was not to be, and I cooked in the heat. Had a welcome lunch of pasta at a place called Villandry, and got some strange looks from fellow diners as I sat with the sweat pouring off me for about 20 minutes before I started to cool off.
As I approached Amboise I was joined by a local old boy on his racer, who decided to escort me to the Etap hotel I was looking for, as he knew where it was. So I tried to follow him up a long hill on my loaded up tourer; arriving at the hotel ready to collapse, I was then told "hotel complet" - no vacancies. First stop was the local Carrefour supermarket for a drink. Had to support myself against a tree before going in to the shop, and a local woman was getting ready to phone for a Doctor when she saw the state of me. A quick litre of fresh orange juice and all was well again. Then it was off to the local campsite. This was a really nice site with good facilities, and the added bonus of being next door to the local departure point for sightseeing balloon trips......
Sunday 19th August.
A rest day of sorts, but still managed to do 18 miles messing around Amboise. My only experience of bad service was at the campsite bar, where I decided to head for a beer in the afternoon. After being ignored twice in favour of French speakers who came into the bar behind me, I decided to spend my Euros elsewhere. One bad experience in a week isn't too bad though.
The chateau at Amboise:
Monday 20th August.
Amboise to Beaugency via Blois, 50 miles. Finally the temperature had dropped slightly. Still hot, but not so energy sappingly hot as it had been. From previous experience around Amboise, I knew the Loire a Velo route along the south side of the Loire took a quite hilly route, so I had a look at the map and took my chances with the minor roads which follow the north side of the river. This turned out to be an almost deserted road along the side of the railway line all the way to Chouzy. It was at Chouzy that I saw the only rain of the week! Only for about 10 minutes, but quite a heavy shower and enough to justify having carried a lightweight waterproof jacket! The route then followed a minor road through a forest before arriving in Blois, another Loire town famous for its chateau. From Blois, it is again a riverside route all the way to Beaugency.
The only blot on the whole Loire landscape must be the St Laurent des Eaux nuclear power station, which makes our own local one at Hunterston look like a Duracell battery:
I was tempted to charge on and get to my destination at Orleans today, but then found Beaugency. A very typical French "Ville fleurie". Found a rustic old Hotel with friendly owners and a lock-up for the bike, so decided to treat myself to a proper bed for the night.
Tuesday 21st August
Beaugency to Orleans, 27 miles. After recent efforts, this was a walk in the park! A flat route along the banks of the Loire, all the way into Orleans where there are of course a few memorials to "Jeanne D'Arc". On reaching the end of my route at Orleans train station, I had mixed feelings. Happy with the sense of achievement, but at the same time quite sad that it was all over.
Bought a train ticket to Caen, which ironically took me most of the way back along the route I had just cycled! So in 2 hours I was back at Tours, where I spent the night before heading up to Caen on the train the next morning.
Wednesday 22nd August.
In and around Caen, 35 miles. As I was again booked on the overnight ferry, I had all afternoon to mess about in Caen. Did a run out into leafy suburbia before returning to the city centre later on, and then heading out the cycle path which goes all the way from Caen centre to the ferry port at Ouistreham, passing Pegasus bridge on the way....
After a quick beer (3 euros for 25cl
) I headed for the ferry. This time it was the mv Normandie, again a good modern ship. Found another quiet corner in which to settle in with my mattress and sleeping bag.Thursday 23rd August.
Arrived in Portsmouth about 0630, and after skipping the car queue (guided by port staff
at passport control, it was off to the train station and a train to Waterloo, arriving about 0900. I wasn't booked on the train to Glasgow until 1530, this had seemed a good idea at the time of booking, as I had fancied a day in London. When it actually came to it, I couldn't be bothered and would have been happier to just head home. However, I passed the time by cycling down to Brixton and having spent some years of my youth living in Jamaica, it was just like going home again ;D. Had lunch at a Jamaican carry out. Curried goat with rice and peas. Well worth the visit to London after all . After a quick sight seeing trip around the west end, it was time for the train home......... 
)
would love to do it on two wheels.
