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Pushed on smoothly to Gennes, where a 5 min detour gets you to the Gallo-Roman amphitheatre which was small but well presented and impressive.
Thank you to two charming girls who gave me directions after laughing at me soaking my cap at the water fountain. My friend in Carcassonne who had been a school teacher gave me this advice and led me to believe that it was standard practice in schools to get the kids to soak their caps on hot days. So I don't know what was so funny.
Then on to Cunault where I stopped for a late picnic lunch across from the 11th century church. Nice nap in the shade.
By now it was hot in the sun, I really felt it when halted. After Saumur it was just a shirt diversion to see the dolmen at Bagneux.
This huge prehistoric installation has been managed by the same family for 3 generations. It fills their house's garden and in the house they have a small museum with lots of resources. Also a very tempting and fully stocked bar.
Well worth a visit. 4€. The experience would be slightly improved if the "owner" would park his car elsewhere.
Up on the hill before the day's last descent to Monsoreau on the river I found the "Clos entre les Murs" of Château de Parnay.
It's a high stone square structure which looks a bit like a cemetery from a distance. But inside is an array of high stone walls running east to west. It's a radical design built in 1894 to grow Chenin grapes with their roots planted on the cool north side of the walls and the vine trained through a hole to grow on the warmer south side.
Left at this strange building (more Adventure Time) and downhill back to the river.
Alas when I arrived at the busy town on Monsoreau I found that there was no room at the campsite. So much for what I'd been told: that a solo bike tourist is never turned away. However, 10 mins along the river at the next settlement of Can des-Saint-Martin was a more relaxed campsite the Belle Rive, very natural, right by the water, with lots of caravans, motorhomes, teepeed etc as well as a tent area. Very rustic sanitary facilities but probably the best showers so far. Good simple food was on offer. For me chicken and chips with a well dressed salad including beetroot and grated carrot. Très sympa!
This morning I crossed the Loire several times and also got a better sense of the valley at Anjou.
Within 5 mins of the campsite I was surrounded by vines all day and also passed several grand châteaux. Lots of day cyclists and cycle tourers too, as I passed along sections of the EuroVelo route.
This area is an upmarket tourist destination and there are plenty of temping restaurants along the river
Made it to Brissac Quincé before 11. After an apple pasty and a shallow quiche à la Lorraine, almost a tart, I spent a while in a fancy but very rude cafe in the Place de la République. The waiter could hardly bear to take my order. The tea turned out to be a green tea with mint, which I found to be delicious, refreshing and stimulating, so maybe I should have thanked the surly git for his choice.
Early start, on the road at 7.30 after a couple of pieces of bread and the remains of yesterday's fresh goat cheese.
The route today was mainly quiet, except on the approach to the Loire. Rather boring countryside, gently rolling, though a few small hills early on. One magical bucolic moment passing a mare and her skinny foal, a brown and white pinto, the foal gamboling and actually jumping on the spot. Reminded me of James Baxter in Adventure Time, for some reason.
Saw some large olive trees for sale, in the 400 € range. I think I heard there's a lot of unethical practice in that business and I've no idea how you'd satisfy yourself on the provenance of one of these, let alone on its health / chances of thriving.
Had to make a minor detour around the Château de la Lorie as my planned route was to take me through its grounds, and I was looking forward to having a gawp. But the sign was clear that doing so was "strictement interdite". I wonder if a French solo randonneur would also observe or would disregard? I will ask one.
I noted that today's roadside religious "signes ostensibles" were plain crosses, quite stylish in design, in contrast to the macabre crucifixes which I was seeing yesterday.
Elevenses of croissants and a superb Breton apple at the "plan d'eau" at Marans. Very difficult at this time of year to find an apple which has lasted well for so long.
This lost lane between Becons-les-Granits and St Augustin-des-Bois got me off the busier road south
but I did have to lug my bike over this broken bridge.
On southwards, generally downhill to the Loire.
It's such a big river that you barely discern the valley. As you look across flat fields it's hard to believe that the mighty river is just 300m away.
Campsite by the river at the junction of the Louet tributary at Chalonnes-sur-Loire where there are several islands, bridges and forks of the river. Afternoon coffee and supper at the festive and funky Guinguette de Louet, a magnet for canoers, cyclists, boule players, assorted holiday makers and cocktail enthusiasts. No reason on earth to move from this spot.
What a contrast to last night's campsite at Craon which, though immaculate and well-equipped, was almost deserted. Craon had a decidedly down at heel feel with numerous closed-down businesses and premises "à louer".
Here on the Loire, by contrast, business seems to be booming.
Set off at 8am after a cup of tea and a piece of yesterday's baguette. The tea leaves didn't bother me today. It's just a short stage today, 43km to Craon, as the next one is a 76km jump to the Loire with quite a bit of climbing. I'm tired, so a half day and an opportunity to rest a bit is welcome.
A mixture of roads this morning, all quiet with good surfaces. A lot of straight ones dipping down and rising up ahead, though nothing too challenging in the gradients. And no headwind today, though still breezy. That allowed me to make some headway with drying the laundry. But that job was done in a flash once the sun came out in the campsite at Craon.
Another boulangerie breakfast of croissants, still short on protein. Will need to be properly fuelled tomorrow.
In between Mondevert ( What a name! Some chance! ) and Le Pertre there are some deep woods with forestry going on.
In Le Pertre itself I noted that they ( at the épicerie at least ) are serious about cycle racing. The whole shop front is given over to two local races, the Circuit des Deux Provinces and Le Tour Bretagne, both of which have stages ending in the town, I think.
Had a peaceful break at Méral, at their "Plan d'eau", which is set up with a few picnic tables and has shelter in the form of an old pavilion type structure by the water. Maybe they used to farm and process fish here?
Then just a short distance on to Craon for an afternoon nap.
The afternoon route to Vitré had a lot of roads which were too busy to really enjoy, especially into a headwind. But there were a few pretty lanes with proper ups and downs and also one scenic and fast stretch on an official voie verte -- where I appreciated both the flat and the quiet.
Stopped to look at the church at Taillis but not convinced I got the right place. The Chappelle du Sacré Cœur was noted in the book (France en Vélo: St Malo to Nice, which I've used for 3/4 of my stages) but the church I saw seemed rather ordinary. The huge church in Vitré was more interesting, for my money, with its faintly gruesome side chapels and peaceful deep blue vaulted ceiling. Not to mention the yellow carved door
It's a steep place Vitré, and having climbed up through the town once to the municipal campsite it was probably a mistake to go all the way down again making a survey of restaurants, especially as I'd spotted a good one up top already. But getting back up the hill gave me a chance to tour the castle ramparts.
When I locked up outside "La Soupe Aux Choux" there was a group of 4 finishing up at a table outside. I asked whether they'd eaten well and whether it was a good restaurant. They assured me yes on both counts, and then came clean that they were in fact the restaurant's owners/staff.
Tonight's apéro was a "Pousse Rapière" (Rapier Thumb) a mixture of Armagnac and sparkling wine. Tasty, and not too sweet at all. Three French cycle tourists from my campsite came in by chance or good judgement. They were on a 5 day tour of the region and seemed pretty serious about their food and drink, though they deferred to one member of the party when it came to choosing the wine. Interestingly they also went for the Chadonnay de Thau, which comes from an area near Sète and which I associate with the Étang, with shellfish and with Picpoul. Delicious, like everything at this excellent restaurant.
When I told the waitress that you don't often see frogs legs in the UK except in Vietnamese restaurants she told me that they aren't so common in France either these days. Dommage!
Made in the Cotswolds. Published by Éditions Système D Ltd.
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