Ride Director: Kim Kasabali
Ride Co-Director: Mark Spranger
Ride Driver: Teresa Ferland
Report by: Karen Jones
Chateaux of the Loire Valley Section 2
September 21-October 1
Trip Leaders: Kim Kasabali and Mark Spranger; drivers Teresa and Mark Ferland
Report by Karen Jones
This had it all: a well-planned itinerary on backroads and trails through French countryside; visits to some of France’s most spectacular chateaus, abbeys, and even troglodyte caves; garden tours and walks in the woods; baguettes, fromages and other delicious foods and wines; and an occasional shower and windstorm to make us feel all the more deserving of our happy hour treats. But best of all was that extra something that seems to be a hallmark of BAC rides: the camraderie that developed almost instantly between this very special group of people.
Our trip started in the town of Angers which, having survived many other invasions in its long history, was quite welcoming to our group. Most of us had pre-arranged to rent our bikes there and were pleased with the results, although by consensus the hybrids were the better choice for most riders given some of the sandy and rocky trails along certain segments of the route. Our hotel was close to the center of town, which made it a great base for those of us who had time to explore. That evening we gathered for happy hour, where we introduced ourselves and reviewed helpful information that our leaders had compiled about the itinerary, route, and French road signs and customs—most of which, happily, favor cyclists! Afterwards, we had the first of many delicious meals together at the hotel restaurant.
On Sunday, September 22, we fueled up on croissants and pains au chocolat at breakfast for our 40 mile ride to the town of Saumur--our base for the next three nights. Although rain was in the forecast, the weather was perfect for riding most of the day. (A word on the weather: as our leaders had warned, weather in France this time of the year is unpredictable. The week before ours was hot and sunny, but rain and cooler weather was predicted for all of our trip. As it turned out, conditions were pretty good for most of our ride, and our stays for multiple days in the same location gave us some flexibility on non-transit days, but all of us had to ride in a shower or two.)
Most of the first day’s ride was along the beautiful Loire River, the last major wild river in France. The route was mostly flat and on bike trails or fairly quiet country roads, though portions were on smaller sandy or packed dirt trails. As it was Sunday, the local markets were bustling, and in between the small towns, the river wound its way through scenes reminiscent of a Monet painting. Speaking of paintings, on one part of the trail, we passed by a very unique display of public art: large paintings were displayed along a half-mile or more portion of the bike trail—tres magnifique!
Saumur is a picturesque town along the river, and our three night stay there gave us lots of time to explore the town and surrounding area. Highlights in town included tours of the castle and of a local winery, where we sampled sparkling wines and learned fun facts including how to prevent mice from eating your corks! We had several good ride options for our two days, the first of which was a 22 mile trip that included a stop at the Abbaye de Fontevraud. The abbey is a stunning complex built in the 12th century, which housed both a nunnery and a monastery and—unconventionally—had a woman in charge for most of its history. When a man (Napolean) took over, it was turned into a prison. Coming back from the abbey the route goes through the town of Turquant, where you can see troglodyte dwellings—underground caves caved out of the soft tufa rock. Another popular route was a 42 mile ride to the town of Chinon and the castle where Joan of Arc pleaded with Charles VII to rally the French during the 100 years war.
On Wednesday, we were on the move again, leaving Saumur for Montlouis-Sur-Loire. Our morning ride was 36 miles along a beautiful, flat route through French countryside, with a stop for a very special lunch at in a cave. After lunch we rode a short distance to Chateau Villandry, which has the 3rd most visited garden in France-tres beau! There we were treated to a tour by our entertaining French guide, Simon.
The next day most of us rode into Tours, where the medieval old town has more to offer than we had time to see. But a treat was awaiting us back in Montlouis, where we had lunch and a tour of the vegetable garden with its extensive tomato collection, and the unforgettable dahlia garden with more than 400 varieties of dahlias in all sizes and colors.
On Friday, we rode along the River Cher to Chateau Chenonceau, a 24 mile flat round trip route with one pretty rough patch of path that was worth it for the view it gave us across the river. The story here is one of powerful women: among them, Diane de Poitiers, the mistress of Henri II; her rival and Henri’s wife, Catherine de Medici, who forced Diane out and built a grand gallery where she threw wild parties; and Madame Dupin, who saved the chateau from destruction in the French revolution. Then there was the black bedroom where Henri III’s poor widow Louise mourned for 11 years. We all enjoyed the history, grandeur, and beauty of this chateau. After we returned, some of us visited Clos Luce, the home of Leonardo da Vinci for the last few years of his life. Both the inside home and outside garden were filled with models of his many inventions and provided a great testimony to his genius.
Saturday was our longest ride of the trip, 48 miles in total with a stop in Amboise where we met up again with our guide, Simon, for a tour of the Royal Castle. This was the favored residence of Charles VII until he accidentally killed himself by walking into a door on his way to a tennis match. Guess he wasn’t as strong-headed as reputed. After the tour, we had our second lunch in a cave, with our lunchtime wine consumption moderated by the prospect of a 35 mile afternoon ride over the final section of the route. The ride was beautiful, though a bit rough in patches and hilly, taking us through woods and back to the river, past the town of Blois and into the small but sleepy town of Cour-Cheverny, where we stayed our final three nights.
In Cour-Cheverny we again had several good options for our days there. The not-so-smart group including yours truly opted to ride to Chateau Chambord on Sunday despite the forecast of rain and heavy wind. The smart group visited Chateau Cheverny that day and saved Chambord for Monday. We all loved Chambord, which was built by Francois I as a hunting lodge and is famous for its 400 rooms, 364 fireplaces, and double helix staircase. The views from the top were magnificent. Most of us also enjoyed Chateau Cheverny where the highlights were the lavishly furnished interior and the opportunity to see the feeding of the 120 hunting dogs. And many visited the nearby town of Blois, with its castle, cathedral, and Mona Lisa stairs. Depending on the combination, the optional rides were between 20-50 miles.
This was a very special trip with a great group of people. Thanks again to Kim and Mark for their leadership, and for encouraging my husband and me to join BAC, and to Teresa and Mark, our drivers and superheroes. We hope to see all of you again soon. In the meantime, wishing everyone safe and fun riding!
Karen
Bicycle Adventure Club
PO BOX 23998 San Diego, CA 92193
Telephone (858) 715-9510 office@bicycleadventureclub.org