Monday 31 July 2017

Barbezieux

Well that was a nightmare trying to get the last post away. Anyway we did 73 kms of rolling country side with the rain threatening in the morning. Stayed last night in a self serve Ibis at Angouleme. Great value at 45€
The best part of Angouleme was the road out of it


Following the river Charente was excellent until Chateneauf and we had to go on a road again








St Simeux was gorgeous. 2 mills that date back to the Middle Ages


Massive vineyards now that supply the distilliaries of Cognac. There's always something to discuss . I don't think I could do it on my lonesome like some do.


5kms out of Barbezieux we get on to an old railway line. Ahh so good. Looking forward to a Voie verte tomorrow. A 'green' way

Angouleme

Angouleme

Saturday 29 July 2017

Charroux




Now this is a typical Chambre d'hote breakfast. Nice and fresh but it doesn't take you far


When a new house is built on these little farmlets, the old ones get used for storage. This old Maison is about 3/400 years old.


And the vege gardens make me green with envy.


As the sun is rising the sunflowers lift their heads towards it. You can actually see them as you ride past ! I swear I heard them yawning πŸ€₯


One of the rules of growing old is never pass a toilet. This is St Maurice la Clouere and that church was built in 1150 !


We are up on a plateau around Gencay and there's wind farms every which way you look. No wonder we've always got a head wind


High octane fuel needed again. Custard tarts and milkshake. Disgusting eh?


Charroux was the goal today. Only 47kms so we'll get in early and chill out. The Abby was built in 989 and was an important stopping point for pilgrims. Still is !
Found a lovely old Chambre d'hote just behind the Abby





My everlasting memory of Charroux though will be sitting outside the pub next to the tower , and watching the Irish owner and his English manageress having a massive fight while we ate our lunch and drank our ciders.
Her and her husband walked off the job leaving the owner wandering what to charge us as he cleared our table.
"And for sure" he says" what was it you had then "
The pilgrim replied
" Two glass's of water and a packet of crisps" 😏

La Villedieu-du-Clain




Madame told us that this was an hotel used by many pilgrims and there was an 'official ' stamp they got in their little books.
"Ok, we'll have that thanks."


Heaps of Chateaux through this region with miles of stone walls.


So as we were passing this one with its sheds cut into the rocks, I spied this old stone cutter. A blade was bolted to each beam and that screw on the left wound down to slice the stone. Must have been heavy work


The Mairie at Jaunay-clan ( council office)
We wanted to skirt Poitiers and pick up the bike route again just south east of it. Much prettier and none of the stress of traffic.( just further)


Montamise'








Then Nouaille Maupertuis. This was where we wanted to stop. We'd slept badly in a small bed last night so planned a short day.
😳 oops, sorry, try the next town.
Nieuil-l'espoir
😳 Desolez, full up . But at least she rang ahead and found us a Chambre 5 kms up the road.





Fabulous , best one yet, and it's only 3 o'clock anyway. Madame Poirier bought us tea in her lovely garden

Southward

After going west for 5 days it felt good to be heading due south again. It was a steep climb to start the day with. Up and over some gut busters to Chinon.
We want to pick up the veloroute
South at Poitiers


The D749 was reasonably quiet but what we didn't realise was there was a cycle road a couple of Ks over to our right . A few showers this morning had us sprinting for shelter once or twice too .


Then at Champigny-sur-Veude we came across a real gem.


They were building a new track all the way to Richelieu. We were the first to use it !





Love the track layer.
Richelieu. This is a 1670's walled town built by Cardinal Richelieu for his King Louie the 13th





The market place. Still used each week


There he goes ,watching over everyone that leaves through the south gate.


We found some quiet little lanes that kept us off the main road as we made our way to Lencloitre.





The sun came out, the country side was pretty, AND, for the first time in weeks, the wind swung around behind us . πŸ€—πŸ€—You can't imagine how good that feels.


And a cute little pub to finish the day.

Thursday 27 July 2017

Rigny-Usse




It's a little bit off the trail, but we couldn't pass through here without seeing two dear friends Bart and Anneke


We got lost a couple of times trying to get out of Tours but when we finally got on the bike route it was along the Loire dyke again and progress was good.
Saw some smoke in the distance getting blacker and blacker as we approached. When we were opposite it , over the river Cher ,we realised a farmers barn had just caught fire


After what seemed ages the fire brigade turned up but by then it was collapsing. ( oh the things you see )


At Brehemont a shower had set in so we sat it out in this coffee shop. I estimate about 100 cyclists came past or stopped in that time. It's Incredible!





Rigny Usse. It was only 41 kms to here and it's just gone lunch time.
After the washing was sorted , Annika took us sight seeing. Strange to be in a car again 😱
I'd forgotten how fast they can go !





It's been a great day, ending with a good meal and some great laughs



Tuesday 25 July 2017

Tours




Every hotel has a room for storing bikes. There must be thousands of bikes every day along the Loire. Tours will be our last hotel on it so we thought it would be a good idea to book for tonight.



Skipped the hotel breakfast and opted for fruit and a coffee from the market.



I want a few pot plants like these in our town square back in Katikati. Brighten it up !



There's a weed amongst those sunflowers. If I have one complaint of this area it's the total lack of toilets. You see people diving into the bushes all the time and of course being French , they don't dive farπŸ™„






Chaumont Chateaux and some traditional bateaux ( boats )







What was supposed to be 55kms to Tours was growing as the trail snaked around vineyards and villages. These houses are all underground. Just the front wall to paint !





We stopped in Amboise beside the chateaux for lunch when who should come along but Fifi


She had a confession. Her name was actually Tena and they had come from Switzerland. Apparently she just preferred to be called Fifi.


ENOUGH !! By the time we got to our hotel we'd done 75 twisted tortuous kms and then to top it off, the bargain I'd booked online had us on the top floor (4 of them)
WITH NO ;/@"# LIFT