Category Archives: Cycling

Cycling, Germany, Travelling, Uncategorized

Cycling in Germany #1 – Kobern Gondorf

June 22, 2014 Rosemary Kneipp 41 Comments

We reached our destination – Kobern Gondorf on the Moselle near Koblenz at 4 pm and by 5 pm we were on our bikes ready for our first ride along the Moselle.

First I’d like to explain how we operate. We have a very good bike stand on the back of our car that enables us to open and shut the boot even when the bikes are attached. Jean Michel’s lock system also means we can leave them anywhere without any part of them ever getting stolen.

We drive to our initial destination – we prefer a long drive the first day (we left Blois before 8.30 am and stopped a few times along the way including a picnic lunch) – where we stay 4 or 5 days to wind down and get back to our normal rhythm of 40 to 50 km a day. We fan out from our base taking the train to go further afield if necessary.

Last year we planned everything beforehand but bad weather made us change our plans a bit – there is nothing worse than cycling in pouring rain – so this year we decided to book our first accommodation and then play it by ear. We discovered last time that there are any number of gasthof and gasthaus offering very good value for money along the cycle paths in Germany.

Our present accommodation is in a recent building, is spacious and comfortable ( it even has a small dishwasher) and a large terrace with a lovely view. It has one major defect: the wifi only works on my iPad and iPhone and not on my laptop which means that I can’t touch type or use Photoshop to prepare my photos. The iPad version of WordPress is not as easy to use as the regular version so please be understanding – and don’t be surprised if I stop posting,

On intermittent fast days, we don’t have breakfast and take a picnic lunch. The other days we have breakfast at our flat or at the gasthaus, eat out at lunchtime along our cycle route then have an aperitif and easy to make dinner on our terrace whether we are staying in self-catering accommodation or a gasthaus.

Jean Michel looks after the itinerary and writes up the travel log each day while I look for accommodation, plan meals and speak English! I also look after the clothing situation. Washing can get complicated in a country that has practically no laundromats. But before we left Blois we went to Go Sport and made some great purchases – two sets each of 3/4 pants and shirts that are specially designed to dry quickly and get your body dry when you perspire.

Today we cycled a total of 20 km along the Moselle to Lof and back on another more interesting route past very steep vineyards. Being able to cycle for a couple of hours after spending most of the day travelling is a wonderful way to get right into holiday mood.

Tomorrow we’re heading for the Rhine.

Gardening and Getting Ready for Germany

June 21, 2014 Rosemary Kneipp 7 Comments

Just in case regular readers have wondered where I’ve got to, I’ve been gardening flat out since we arrived in Blois on Thursday afternoon. It’s amazing just just how quickly the vegetation grows at this time of year. I have a theory about weeds too. As soon as you plant something that you want to grow, a similar-looking weed springs up! So I have been doing a lot of weeding.

I was worried about our geraniums which didn’t look as though they were going to produce many flowers but I think they were just waiting for the warmer weather.

After spending another day gardening and packing, we’re all set for our annual one-month cycling holiday – back to Germany again. Last year we cycled 1100 K along the Danube and I think it was my most enjoyable holiday yet.

After reading about Saxon Switzerland on Travel Notes and Beyond, we decided we would cycle along the Elbe this year. However, we are stopping off along the Moselle on the way and starting with an initial 4-night stay in Koblenz.

I’ll meet your there!

Cycling, France, Paris, Travelling

Weekly Blogger Round-Up: Buying French & German rail tickets – Packing cubes – Love locks in Paris

June 11, 2014 Rosemary Kneipp 2 Comments

This week’s blogger round-up contains a very helpful website review by Maggie Lacoste from Experience France by Bike for hassle-free purchase of French & German train tickets at the best prices, followed by tips on using packing cubes (I had never heard of them!) by the very practical Jo Karnaghan from Frugal First Class Travel and, to round off, the latest news about love locks on the Pont des Arts in Paris from a new blogger I have just discovered – Beth Shepherd from Wanderlust and Lipstick. Enjoy!

The Easy Way to Buy French Rail Tickets

by Maggie LaCoste from Experience France by Bike, an American who loves biking anywhere in Europe, but especially France, which has the perfect combination of safe bike routes, great food, great weather and history.

Easy. Purchase tickets for you and your bike. User-friendly. No hassles. Fast. No booking fees. No advertising.

For anyone who has ever tried to book French Rail tickets from the USA, none of these words would ever describe the experience! Until now.

A relatively new travel company, Capitaine Train offers travelers an efficient platform for buying train tickets through the French Rail parent SNCF and Deutche Bahn, two of Europe’s largest train carriers. I came upon their website quite by accident, and I am so happy that I did. I’ll definitely be purchasing my train tickets for my summer trip using Capitaine Train. It’s certain to be much faster than purchasing tickets using Voyages-sncf.com, and cheaper than Rail Europe. Read more

Real Life One Bag Travel – Packing Cubes Reviewed

by Jo Karnaghan from Frugal First Class Travel, an Australian who loves to travel – especially in Europe – and who has gradually learned how to have a First Class trip on an economy budget, without missing out on anything!

I’ll be the first to admit, I was always dubious about packing cubes. I saw them on websites, I saw them in luggage shops, but I always thought they were a bit of a gimmick. Another way to spend more money on travel accessories I didn’t need. Then I asked my blogger colleagues for their favorite packing tips. Travel blogger after travel blogger raved about packing cubes. I was curious, and decided I really needed to make up my own mind. Read more

The Weight of Love

by Beth Shepherd from Wanderlust and Lipstick, an American who has travelled halfway around the world several times and is now a first-time adoptive parent in her fifties in the Pacific Northwest.

The many bridges crossing the Seine in Paris invoke a certain je ne sais quois, inspiring lovers worldwide to walk amidst their beauty, sharing romantic moments. Around 2008, the walls of several bridges—including the Pont des Arts, with its spectacular view of Île de la Cité—have virtually disappeared from view, covered by swathes of love locks, padlocks symbolizing unbreakable love.

Love locks are not unique to Paris. Bridges in Germany, Taiwan, Canada, and Italy are also festooned with thousands of locks. The tradition, relatively recent in Europe (2000’s), transpires as follows: Sweethearts inscribe their initials, names, or a message of love on a love lock or love padlock. The lock is affixed to a bridge, fence or gate. And then, the sweethearts throw away the key (in this case, into the river Seine) to show their love is forever more. Read more

Closerie Falaiseau, Cycling, Flowers & gardens, Loire Valley, Restaurants

An Anniversary Dinner in Romorantin and a Bike Ride to Mer

June 9, 2014 Rosemary Kneipp 9 Comments

We’ve been to Romorantin in Sologne before and loved the fresh produce market. At the bread baking day in Les Grouets, Le Lion d’or was recommended to us as being one of the best restaurants in the region so we’ve decided to try it out for our 16th wedding anniversary.

We’re coming directly from Paris so we’ve timed it to arrive at about 12.30 pm. We leave slightly later than planned and encounter traffic jams. Traffic is obviously being rerouted for the 70th anniversary of D-Day. I’m a bit on edge because I hate being late but as we approach the turn-off to Chartres, things get back to normal.

The brick façade of the restaurant — The brick façade of the Lion d’Or restaurant

It’s 12.45 when we park outside the hotel restaurant which is perfect. I straighten out my linen skirt which maybe isn’t the best choice for a 2 1/2 hour car ride and we walk in. The garden is visible from the doorway and it looks incredibly inviting. The service is friendly and discreet and remains so throughout.

The set menu is 68 euro for 3 set courses (no choice) and doesn’t tempt us. We decide to order from the regular menu and choose local specialities – asparagus, which Sologne is famous for, a chanterelle mushroom vol au vent, rabbit and pigeon.

To accompany them, after our initial glass of champagne, we choose two local whites (a glass each, of course, not a bottle): a cour cheverny with the famous romorantin grape imported by François I and a touraine sauvignon, both of which are excellent. There is only one local red sold by the glass, a respectable saumur champigny, so we take the only other choice, a tarn, to accompany the pigeon.

We choose not to have dessert as I notice that the people at the next table have an excellent selection of mignardises with their coffee.

The perfect weather, surroundings and service help us to digest the 328 euro bill. We regret that not one of the dishes we ate flattered our taste buds which is really the only criteria for good cuisine, no matter what the price. In our books, Les Hauts de Loire, at Onzain halfway between Blois and Chaumont, remains by far the best dining experience within an hour’s drive of home.

Celebrating our 16th wedding anniversary

The weather is so beautiful that as soon as we reach Closerie Falaiseau, we unpack the car, change into more comfortable clothes and drive to the bike path on the other side of Blois. By 5 pm, we’re in the saddle.

It’s lovely to be back on our bikes after the awful month of cold and rain we’ve just experienced. We keep to the bike path that is part of Eurovélo 6 (the one that took us along the Danube last summer) and runs along the Loire.

The lavoir in Cour sur Loire with its original trestles

The roses are just stunning in some of the little villages such as Cour sur Loire. We stop to take photos of the lavoir, relieved that it’s not pelting with rain the way it was last time we were here.

We pass some free-range chickens and guinea-fowls and eventually get to the outskirts of Mer. You’d think with a name like that that it would be on the coast but in fact mer comes from mera meaning marsh.

Courtyard of L'épicerie in Mer — Courtyard of L’épicerie in Mer

I see a sign advertising a bar/grocery store/local wine store called L’Epicerie and soon see it on the left before we get to the centre of the town. We put our bikes in the racks and make our way to the inviting courtyard. We treat ourselves to a very cold local sauvignon but refuse the Iberian platter. We’re not really hungry, I have to say!

We start chatting with the very friendly owner and learn she also has a brocante. Goodness, what a find! The grocery shop is full of all sorts of local foods and delicacies, including chocolate champagne glasses.

The very friendly owners of L'Epiceire — The very friendly owners of L’Epiceire

The brocante, which is more like an antique store, is beautifully kept with quite a large range of interesting finds. Unfortunately, nothing takes our eye but we’ll be back another day.

The brocante section of L'Epicerie — The brocante section of L’Epicerie

By the time we get back to the car, after 40 k and over 2 ½ hours in the saddle, I’m rather relieved that next day is going to be relâche!

Architecture, Art, Cycling, Loire Valley, Uncategorized

Fontevraud l’Abbaye and its Extraordinary Kitchen

April 1, 2014 Rosemary Kneipp 17 Comments

It’s the second day of our spring cycling weekend near Saumur. We wake up in time for 9 am breakfast at our B&B, Le Balcon Bleu, having slept very soundly in a comfortable bed after all our hills and dales of the day before.

The main bedroom from which you can see the cot. The bathroom is next to it. — Our suite consisted of four separate rooms – a single bedroom, a double bedroom, a baby’s room and bathroom.

We pass through the inner courtyard with its stunning Clematitis armandii and into the breakfast room. Well, you’ve already seen the photos – a cross between a brocante and an art gallery. Certainly a lovely room in which to start the day.

Our bedroom consisted of four separate rooms - single bed, a double bed, a cot and a bathroom but this room had the most typical decoration — The single bedroom with the most typical decoration

Breakfast is standard French fare, but of good quality: orange juice, fresh baguette, butter, several home-made jams and home-made yoghurt. Certainly not what Bread is Pain likes to see on the breakfast table though. We soon start chatting to our hostess who is a mine of information and since the other guests have not yet arrived, we invite her to sit down with us.

The view from Château de Villeneuve winery in Souzay-Champigny

After breakfast, we pick up some local saumur-champigny vieilles vignes from Château de Villeneuve and drive to Fontevraud l’Abbey which is why we chose to stay in Turquant, as it is only a short distance away. The sky is deep blue but it’s still a little chilly to cycle.

The first view of Fontevraud when you enter the abbey, with the church on the right

We’re just in time for a guided tour suggested by our hostess, which turns out to be really excellent. They even have very light folding seats you can take around with you.

The monastery, which was actually a group of four monasteries, was founded in 1101 by a wandering preacher called Robert d’Arbrissel who had such a following that he was ordered to settle somewhere. There was a monastery for women, one for men, another for repented women and another for lepers.

The room in which the nuns had to confess to their misdemeanours

Thirty-six abbesses ruled the abbey during seven centuries of monastic life, many of royal birth. The women’s lives entailed mostly hardship from what I gather as very few were there by choice. One of the nuns tried to poison another three times before being sent to solitary confinement (forever, I might add).

The abbesses usually managed to wend their way into the paintings in the confession room

The French Revolution closed the abbey in 1792 until it was turned into one of France’s most severe prisons from 1804 to 1963. The thousand or so inmates provided the manpower to convert the abbey into a fortress, learning all the trades needed to do so.

Restauration began after the prison was closed and the abbey was open to the public in 1985.

We visit various rooms, starting with the church which contains the recumbent statues of Aliénor d’Aquitaine, one of the countries most illustrious figures in the twelfth century, along with the smaller statues of her husband, the future Henry II Plantagenet of England, their son Richard the Lionheart, and his sister-in-law, Isabelle d’Angoulême who was married to Richard’s brother John Lackland.

The recumbent statues of Aliénor dAquitaine and Henry II

Next comes the cloister followed by the confession room in which the nuns had to own up to their misdemeanours including the aforementioned poisoning!

The refectory where the nuns survived on a very frugal diet of smoked fish and little else

After visiting the enormous refectory to which a floor was added to create prison cells and most of the doors blocked up, we come out into the open.

The famous kitchen at Fontevraud l'Abbaye — The famous kitchen at Fontevraud l’Abbaye

Here it is at last – the most recognisable part of Fontevraud l’Abbaye – its strange octagonal kitchen 25 metres high with its many pointed roofs made of stone from Charente and not the local tufa which is much softer.

Inside one of the 12 chimneys — Inside one of the 21 chimneys

Its Byzantine style brought back from the crucades is very different from the other buildings. The 21 chimneys covered with fish-scales were used to evacuate the smoke from the smoked fish below, the monastery’s staple diet.

Although there are two restaurants within the Abbey, we decide to see what’s offering on the main square and are delighted to find there are plenty of outside tables free at La Croix Blanche. Nothing extraordinary but we like the setting.

Before going back to the car, we wander around and find the little parish church of Saint Michel in Fontevraud-l’Abbaye with its “chat room” built in the 12th century for the large contingent of labourers employed to build the abbey and was financed by Henri II Plantagenet and Alienor d’Aquitaine. It was extended in the 15th and 17th centuries.

Thinking of the hills that no doubt await us when we get back on our bikes in Saumur, I somewhat regret the entrecôte, French fries and wine!

Château de Villeneuve vineyard, 3 rue Jean-Brevet, 49400 Souzay-Champigny. Tel: 02 41 51 14 04. jpchevallier@chateaudevilleneuve.com. Open from 9 am to 12 noon and 2 pm to 6 pm. Closed Sundays and public holidays.

Le Balcon Bleu B&B, 2 rue de Martyrs, 49730 Turquant. Tel 02 41 38 10 31. lebalconbleuturquant@free.fr

I’m including this post in Lou Messugo’s ALL ABOUT FRANCE blog link.

For other contributions, click here.

Cycling, French language, Germany, Weekly Blogger Round-Up

Weekly Blogger Round-Up: Feminine articles – French rail site for cyclists – Singing drainpipes

March 25, 2014 Rosemary Kneipp Leave a comment

In this week’s Blogger Round-Up, Gigi from French Windows explains her love/hate relationship with French articles, while Maggie LaCoste from Experience France by Bike gives us a detailed explanation of French rail’s new site for cyclists in English. To finish off, Anda from Travel Notes and Beyond takes us to a most unusual place in Dresden that has singing pipes. Enjoy!

Feminine Articles

By Gigi from French Windows, failed wife and poet, terrible teacher and unworthy mother of three beautiful girls, who has lived in France for over twenty years and gives glimpses of her life with a bit of culture thrown in.

It’s International Women’s Day so I thought I’d write a piece about my struggle, here in France, with all things feminine.

Well, not all things feminine. Nouns mostly. After twenty-seven years in this country, you’d think I’d have got the hang of this le/la, un/une business but pas du tout. I provide endless amusement for my French friends and colleagues because I still get it wrong.

I mean, some words just sound feminine to my worryingly gender-stereotyped (I’ve just realized) mind. Like nuage…soft and fluffy, it’s actually masculine. Or pétale, which is also masculine. And then there is victimeand personne, which are feminine. So when the newsreader refers to a male murder victim as ‘elle’, I get terribly confused. Read more

New French Rail Website for Bicyclists

by Maggie LaCoste from Experience France by Bike, an American who loves biking anywhere in Europe, but especially France, which has the perfect combination of safe bike routes, great food, great weather and history.

SNCF, operator of France’s national rail service has a new website designed to help bicyclists navigate the train network. The website is easy to navigate, is full of information you should know if you plan to carry a bike on a train while bicycling in France and it’s in English. The website doesn’t make it any easier to take your bike on a train, it does help you understand the rules. Since there has never been a centralized source of information for travel on French trains with bikes, this website is a huge step forward.Whether you need information on bringing a bike into France on a train, traveling via train with a bike while in France, where to rent a bike near a train station or where to ride, this website will provide you with the basic information you need. Here’s a basic rundown of information on the website, and quick links if you need more information. Read more

The Singing Drain Pipes of Kunsthofpassage

by Anda from Travel Notes & Beyond, the Opinionated Travelogue of a Photo Maniac, is a Romanian-born citizen of Southern California who has never missed the opportunity to travel.

I didn’t know anything about this site before our trip to Germany. One day, as I was searching the net for places of interest in Dresden, I stumbled upon a picture of a strange, funny building with a big giraffe on it. It was the Kunsthofpassage. I tried to find out more about this curious spot, but the information at hand was scarce and very conflicting: some called it a “masterpiece”, others “a waste of time”. But the picture of that building was very intriguing so I wanted to visit it. Read more

Cycling, Loire Valley, Uncategorized

Souzay Champigny Troglodyte Shopping Centre

March 24, 2014 Rosemary Kneipp 14 Comments

We’re on our way back from Saumur to Turquant, having just cycled up hill and down dale in the opposite direction. We’re on the riverside cycle path on the Loire à Vélo route, which has just taken us through a series of troglodyte houses parallel to the river when another hilly path takes us up a winding street on the other side of the village of Souzay.

We have doubts – are we really supposed to go through that tunnel?

Vaulting at the entrance to the 11th century troglodyte shopping centre

We stare in amazement as we get closer. A vaulted troglodyte village!

Wine press shaft called a "jitte de pressoir" — Wine press shaft called a “jitte de pressoir”

The first thing we see is a “jitte de pressoir”, a sort of stack through which grapes were poured onto the wine presses below. Jean Michel explains that his grandfather used to have one.

The next thing we see is the village well which was shared by the villagers

We then come to a mediaeval grocery shop with mullion windows on rue de Commerce which, the sign tells us, operated as a busy trading street from the 11^th to the 19^th century! More shops follow. A troglodyte shopping centre!

We continue through the underground labyrinth, with its many empty shops and overhead caves. It’s very eerie as it is late afternoon in spring and not another soul in site.

Subsidence has endangered some of the caves

A more open area follows with an 18^th century pigeon house. There is an oven with a long table and benches.

Signs along the way explain consolidation techniques used since renovation began in 2002, the subsidence that produced the open areas and the quarrying of local tufa stone for construction, which is how the village originated .

The blocks of tufa extracted from the rock and cut to size were taken out through a shaft to the level below using a pulley system. The next person in line placed them in a cart that took them down to the river. This very practical timer saver meant the carts didn’t have to jostle their way through the narrow, winding hillside streets.

If you look closely, you can see table and chairs, cooking utensils and even a bed!

It’s easy to understand why the villagers quickly took over the resulting cavities once the stone had been removed. Certainly a cheap way to get a house. I’d like to know how they got across the shaft in the sketch though!

This post is an entry in Lou Messugo’s All About France montly link-up. For more posts about France from other bloggers, click here.

Accommodation, Architecture, Cycling, Loire Valley, Uncategorized, Wine

Loire à vélo – Montsoreau to Saumur

March 17, 2014 Rosemary Kneipp 4 Comments

We’ve decided to take advantage of the wonderful spring weather and do some more cycling further along the Loire. I’ve been wanting to go back to Fontevraud Abbey for some time so we book a chambre d’hôte in Turquant which is on the Loire about two hours west of Blois.

We have a picnic lunch in nearby Montsoreau which was a thriving port for the transport of tufa stone, wine, timber and grain until the railways took over in the mid 19th century. Today, it’s a sleepy little village with a château that livens up in the summer.

Panorama near Candes overlooking the confluence of the Vienne and Loire Rivers

Then we drive up to one of our favourite panoramas just outside the neighbouring village of Candes overlooking the confluence of the Vienne and the Loire. Not as striking as it is in the summer, but still breathtaking.

Le Balcon Bleu, chambre d'hôte à Turquant — Le Balcon Bleu, chambre d’hôte in Turquant

After checking into our lovely chambre d’hôte, Le Balcon Bleu, we take the bikes off the back of the car and set off for Saumur where Jean Michel lived from the age of 3 to 17. We take the “high” cycle route overlooking the Loire which takes us past an amazing collection of troglodyte dwellings that have been converted into artists’ and artisans’ studios.

Troglodyte dwellings converted into artists studios in Tursquant

We cycle through the vineyards of saumur champigny and up and down an exhausting number of hills with an occasional stunning view of the river such as the vista from the narthex of the little church of Saint Pierre in Parnay built in the 10th century.

Some time later, I spy a picnic table and suggest a pause. I’ve remembered the biscuits and water this time, which is a good thing because there is no other sustenance along the cycle route. Jean Michel says we are very close to his old home and tells me who owns the surrounding vineyards. A little further on, there are a lot of new houses which he’s never seen before.

The back of Jean Michel's house showing the original cavier mill — The back of Jean Michel’s house showing the original cavier mill

We arrive at his old home which was originally a cavier windmill like the one in Bléré and he shows me the roof he used to climb up on to read and look at the panoramic view. I can’t see any sign of a windmill but at the back of the house, he shows me part of the circular wall. Many additions have been made over the years so the house is quite a hotchpotch.

After turning right into the aptly named Rue des Moulins, we see the remains of several similar windmills, before coming out on Jean Michel’s favourite view of Saumur, the Loire and 14th century château. Unfortunately, it’s being renovated so the view is marred by scaffolding.

The bike path leads through a surprising mix of old and new buildings, including the beautifully renovated Maison des Compagnons (guild house) where the apprentice stone cutters are all chipping away in the open courtyard.

We cycle through Place Saint Pierre with its half-timbered houses and down to the Loire then turn right along the river, with the castle towering above us until we reach the imposing 17th century church of Notre Dame des Ardilliers which I remember from a previous visit.

The cycle route takes us up another hill and through a sort of tunnel, then past a series of troglodyte houses, much more sophisticated this time. Signs along the path point out architectural features such as mullion windows, watchtowers and arrow slits.

One of the troglodyte dwellings is actually a feudal castle owned by Marguérite d’Anjou, the French wife of Henri VI of England, in the 15th century!

Just when I think the cycle route is going to join the river again and spare my knees, another hilly path takes us up a tiny winding street and we begin to have doubts. But an amazing sight is awaiting us! Stay tuned.

Art, Cycling, French customs, Uncategorized, Weekly Blogger Round-Up

Weekly Blogger Round-Up: French Lingerie – Cycling in France – Louis XIV’s portrait in Chenonceau

March 11, 2014 Rosemary Kneipp 2 Comments

This week’s blogger round-up starts with Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, who takes us behind the scenes of French lingerie, Maggie LaCoste from Experience France by Bike shares her favourite cycling itineraries in France while Susan from Days on the Claise presents a portrait of Louis XIV, “The King of Bling” by Hyacinthe Rigaud in Chenonceau Castle. Enjoy!

“Behind the Seams of French Lingerie” with Paris Lingerie Tours

by Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, an American by birth, Swiss by marriage, resident of Paris with a Navigo Pass for the metro that she feels compelled to use

Let’s start with a quick survey. Raise your hand if you think that lingerie is a rather silly subject, something that doesn’t merit your attention. Even though I’m ashamed to admit it, that’s exactly how I felt before the start of Kate Kemp-Griffin’s highly informative “Behind the Seams of French Lingerie” tour yesterday morning. When Kate, The Lingerie Journal’s Associate Editor for France, asked why we had signed up for the two-hour tour, I quickly denied any personal interest in the subject by explaining that I was planning to write a blog post about lingerie. It was a misguided attempt to distance myself from what I incorrectly considered to be a frivolous topic. Read more.

Bicycling in France 2014: Itineraries to Consider

by Maggie LaCoste from Experience France by Bike, an American who loves biking anywhere in Europe, but especially France, which has the perfect combination of safe bike routes, great food, great weather and history.

I’ve had a really hard time narrowing down my favorite itineraries in France this year. So many regions of France are improving existing bicycle paths and building new ones and great choices are springing up across the country. This makes it really tough to narrow down possible choices to a manageable few. At this rate, I could miss the whole summer bicycling season, mired in route research and conversations with local tourism officials! It’s time to get the list out! I’ve made a big pot of coffee, and am ready to make some decisions. With the list complete, I can settle down to providing you with details on each of the itineraries, and why each of them would be a perfect choice for an upcoming bicycle trip to France. Each choice will be featured in an upcoming post including: top ten reasons to choose the itinerary, bicycle rental options, and best resources for trip planning. Read more.

The King of Bling

by Susan from Days on the Claise, an Australian living in the south of the Loire Valley, writing about restoring an old house and the area and its history and running Loire Valley Time Travel.

It doesn’t take much knowledge of history to guess correctly that this is a portrait of Louis XIV. The more is more frame gives it away even if you don’t recognise the man. It hangs in one of the salons at the chateau of Chenonceau and was originally a gift from Louis to his uncle Césare de Vendôme, once owner of the chateau. Like the rest of the objects at Chenonceau, it hasn’t always been here, but has been acquired by the current owners because of its significance to the chateau.The portrait is by Hyacinthe Rigaud, Louis’ court portraitist and painted about 1700. Like any of Rigaud’s portraits it is a magical mixture of completely accurate character representation and ideal ego boosting likeness. I don’t know how he did it. Couple that with his superb technique with luxury textiles, and any portrait by Rigaud is worth looking at, drooling at the silks and velvets and musing about what the artist thought of the sitter. However, I’d be willing to bet most people hardly give the portrait itself a second glance. It is totally overshadowed by the astonishing carved gilt frame, which was created for the painting. Read more. Read more.

Cycling, Loire Valley, Loire Valley châteaux, Uncategorized

Back in the Saddle

March 10, 2014 Rosemary Kneipp 13 Comments

The weather is absolutely wonderful not only in the Loire but right across France and most of Europe so we’re back on our bikes after a six-month break. I suggest we find choose a nice flat bike path out in the open as a warm up. It’s 2.30 pm and an unbelievable 19°C which must be practically a record for 8th March.

Ready to go with the bikes on the back of the car

So we pump up the tyres (well, Jean-Michel does), check the paniers and handlebar bags (that’s my job) and put the bikes on the back of the car. We drive to our preferred starting point along the Loire between Blois and Saint Dyé on the Route Historique de la Vallée des Rois, just opposite the turn-off to Saint Claude de Diray.

It feels great to be back in the saddle! Château de Menars stands out clearly on the opposite bank and we discover a new sign post opposite Montlivaut showing the flood levels of the Loire. In 1856, it reached 3.4 metres, in 1866, 3.2 metres and in 1846, 2,6 metres.

We soon arrive in Saint Dyé where a flock of swans is attracting attention on the river bank. Further on, we see lots of different trees in blossom. On the path towards Muides, we see the most delightful tree house.

La potion muidoise which is a reference to the druid's magic potion in Astérix — La potion muidoise which is a reference to the druid’s magic potion in Astérix

I’ve scheduled a stop at La Potion Muidoise so are somewhat disappointed to discover it’s closed in the afternoon at the moment. I can’t imagine why you’d open a bar in the morning only, particularly on the finest Saturday we’ve had in months. But it’s school holidays, I guess.

This type of well is typical of the region

We take a new route back to the river and see the most picturesque little well covered in wild flowers. I can’t wait to see it in the summer when the hydragea is in bloom.

Riverside bench on the cycle path between Saint Dyé and Muides

We eat our biscuits on a bench overlooking the Loire. Next time I’ll have to remember to pack a thermos with tea!

By the time we get back to the car, we have ridden 25 kilometers and I am wishing it hadn‘t been quite so flat!

It’s next day and we’re planning another ride. The temperate is expected to reach 21°C. I’ve learnt my lesson and have suggested a few small hills so we head for Monthou-sur-Bièvre with its unusual cemetary. The cycle route has a lot of little villages along the way which should mean plenty of flowering trees and shrubs. I wince with pain as I ease myself into the saddle.

Saint Pierre d'Ourchamps — Saint Pierre d’Ourchamps

The little church in Ourchamps is open so we go inside and are amused to see a document dated 1882 saying that the chairman of the church council of St Pierre expressly forbids the sexton from letting any one other than the church employees ring the bells. It makes you wonder what had been going on.

As we go past a small wood of pine trees Jean Michel points out “tents” made by the larvae of the pine processionary moth which is an economic pest. The urticating hairs of the caterpillar larvae cause harmful reactions in humans and other mammals (I looked that up!). I’ve never even heard of them before!

This time I have scheduled a stop in the little town of Fougères-sur-Bièvre with its well-preserved 15th century castle and I’m hoping there’s a café open because I have forgotten to replenish the biscuit supply. You guessed – it’s closed for the afternoon, although it was obviously open at lunchtime, and I don’t have the promised thermos of tea either.

Château de Fougères built in the 15th century.

After 30 kilometres, we arrive back at our starting point and I’m rather glad that next day is Monday and the only seat I’ll have to sit in is my ultra-comfortable desk chair! I’m still happy to have had such wonderful weather to cycle in. In a couple of days’ time, I should be ready to get back in the saddle.

Aussie in France

Category Archives: Cycling

Cycling in Germany #1 – Kobern Gondorf

OTHER POSTS ABOUT CYCLING IN GERMANY

Gardening and Getting Ready for Germany

Weekly Blogger Round-Up: Buying French & German rail tickets – Packing cubes – Love locks in Paris

The Easy Way to Buy French Rail Tickets

by Maggie LaCoste from Experience France by Bike, an American who loves biking anywhere in Europe, but especially France, which has the perfect combination of safe bike routes, great food, great weather and history.

Real Life One Bag Travel – Packing Cubes Reviewed

by Jo Karnaghan from Frugal First Class Travel, an Australian who loves to travel – especially in Europe – and who has gradually learned how to have a First Class trip on an economy budget, without missing out on anything!

The Weight of Love

by Beth Shepherd from Wanderlust and Lipstick, an American who has travelled halfway around the world several times and is now a first-time adoptive parent in her fifties in the Pacific Northwest.

An Anniversary Dinner in Romorantin and a Bike Ride to Mer

We’ve been to Romorantin in Sologne before and loved the fresh produce market. At the bread baking day in Les Grouets, Le Lion d’or was recommended to us as being one of the best restaurants in the region so we’ve decided to try it out for our 16th wedding anniversary.

Fontevraud l’Abbaye and its Extraordinary Kitchen

I’m including this post in Lou Messugo’s ALL ABOUT FRANCE blog link.

For other contributions, click here.

Weekly Blogger Round-Up: Feminine articles – French rail site for cyclists – Singing drainpipes

Feminine Articles

By Gigi from French Windows, failed wife and poet, terrible teacher and unworthy mother of three beautiful girls, who has lived in France for over twenty years and gives glimpses of her life with a bit of culture thrown in.

New French Rail Website for Bicyclists

by Maggie LaCoste from Experience France by Bike, an American who loves biking anywhere in Europe, but especially France, which has the perfect combination of safe bike routes, great food, great weather and history.

The Singing Drain Pipes of Kunsthofpassage

by Anda from Travel Notes & Beyond, the Opinionated Travelogue of a Photo Maniac, is a Romanian-born citizen of Southern California who has never missed the opportunity to travel.

Souzay Champigny Troglodyte Shopping Centre

Loire à vélo – Montsoreau to Saumur

Weekly Blogger Round-Up: French Lingerie – Cycling in France – Louis XIV’s portrait in Chenonceau

“Behind the Seams of French Lingerie” with Paris Lingerie Tours

by Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, an American by birth, Swiss by marriage, resident of Paris with a Navigo Pass for the metro that she feels compelled to use

Bicycling in France 2014: Itineraries to Consider

by Maggie LaCoste from Experience France by Bike, an American who loves biking anywhere in Europe, but especially France, which has the perfect combination of safe bike routes, great food, great weather and history.

The King of Bling

by Susan from Days on the Claise, an Australian living in the south of the Loire Valley, writing about restoring an old house and the area and its history and running Loire Valley Time Travel.

Back in the Saddle

from the Tropics to the City of Light