Friday, September 2, 2016

Tour de Loire Valley - Thursday (I think)

Another day of riding over, 52kms in much warmer conditions.  We are buying plenty of water.  The barge water is okay but not recommended for big consumption.
Firstly, some snaps from last night.  A walk along the Pont Canal, which was lit up.  We missed the sunset, but still spectacular.




Today's riding was off to Saint Brisson, with a visit to the Chateau.  Well, supposed to be.  On arrival, 20 mins early, we killed some time til the 10.00 opening.   Yummy almond croissants
At 10 o'clock, the gates were not opened. So Jan rings.  No, it was now September (1st) and the quieter season so they weren't open til 2.  That was no good for us, but the earliest she could be there was in 1 hour.  Jan was p$%#d off.  That place will be struck off the itinerary. So we visited another local winery.

Our lunch stop was the city of Gien.
A beautiful Chateau stands tall above the city. The city was bombed heavily in 1940, most of the city being destroyed. Over a million people fled across the bridge in 3 days.  The 15th century bridge was not damaged. 
The Chateau suffered some damage but has been carefully reconstructed. The Cathederal at the other end was virtually demolished, except some of the facade.  It was repaired to blend in with what remained, although the interior was reconstructed.

A typically quiet village for our afternoon stop. Summer vacation ends this weekend and school resumes, so some places may become more lively.


Our ride back to the barge involved a few rolling hills, it was head down and keep the rhythm going. A few km from our days end, we stopped to paddle in some fresh water.  Wonderful on the feet, quite cold.


Our final mooring for 2 nights (Rogny).

A quiet leffe for Russell and a G &T for me before dinner.  Life is tough!








1 comment:

  1. Top pic's guys,the weather looks spot on for touring around on bikes.

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