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Loire Valley Bike Trips
We also offer one- and two-day Loire excursions from Paris: details here. |
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| And what of the Loire? Kings & their sumptuous châteaux. Mushroom caves, troglodyte houses, wine towns and their tastings. Da Vinci’s last home, and a museum to his inventions, sound-and-light stories projected on castle facades, blackberries by the side of the road, rock dancing in vaulted 16th century cellars, a museum of old buses.... Never a dull moment, as we follow the valley of France’s longest river through the self-assured heartland that is the essence of France to the French themselves. |
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Southern Cross (3 weeks) |
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Azay-le-Rideau, photo thanks to Heather McKee
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Day of the Week
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Description
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Typical distances, in km
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Saturday
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TRAVEL to BLOIS A short train ride from Paris (included in the “Access Package”) brings you to Blois, where you should rendez-vous with the people who travelled in by other means (pogo stick?) in time for dinner. Blois is home to the valley’s most historically important château, the de facto royal palace pre-Versailles. The medieval town spills happily down the hillside surrounding the château: white stone, red brick chimneys, and roofs of blue slate. If you aren’t just off the plane (or even if you are), hit the old town after dinner for fun in a 16th century dance bar. Know any 16th century dances? Half Baggage |
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Sunday
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CHAMBORD LOOP Cross the river and cycle through the royal hunting preserve to Chambord, the largest of the Loire valley châteaux, even though it was built as a “mere” hunting lodge. Da Vinci designed the staircase, some clown diverted a river to pass in front…all a bit excessive. Hunt for boar in the surrounding forest, avoid them in the château, or dine on them in the cafés outside. The ambitious can head on to Cheverny, for extraordinary furnishings and a pack of foul-smelling hunting dogs. Back home on tiny lanes, via the swimming hole at Cellettes. Half Baggage. |
35 - 55 k
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Monday
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From LOIRE to CHER Across the plateau which separates the Loire and Cher rivers, and to the Château of Chenonceaux, the most beautiful of the Loire valley castles. Stop in Chaumont along the way, for a bonus castle. Pick blackberries from the roadside hedges. Pontlevoy is a good place for lunch, and a visit to the truck museum, or a château full of people from Mississippi. Odd place, that Pontlevoy. Then on to Bourré, where you can wander through the mushroom caves. Kilometers and kilometers of yummi fungi. End the day with a liqueur tasting at the “Golden Strawberry.” Perhaps a son et lumière in the evening, on the facade of the château. |
45 - 55 k
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Tuesday
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TROGLODYTE LOIRE, VOUVRAY Swing through Amboise to visit Clos Lucé, the final home of artist and military engineer Leonardo da Vinci. It now houses a museum of his inventions. Or to visit the postal museum. We're not sure what's in there. Then on to Vouvray and its troglodyte houses (and hotels, and shops...). Enjoy a slow afternoon over a sampling of the delightful Vouvray sparkling wines. Tours, where we spend the night, is the home to the Place Plumereau, our favorite town square, and certainly one of France's most beautiful. Half Baggage |
40 k
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Wednesday
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VILLANDRY, AZAY-le-RIDEAU First to the calcifying caves at Savonnières, where you can gawk at plastic dinosaurs whose real-life models never lived anywhere near here, and certainly weren’t day-glo blue, even where they did live. Villandry is the château with the most interesting gardens in France, including a wonderfully fun ornamental vegetable garden. It also hosts a restaurant serving only goat. Azay-le-Rideau is another château-in-the-middle-of-a-river. Aesthetically, the formula definitely works. Through the forest of Chinon to the beautiful wine town of the same name. |
60 k
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Thursday
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The INDRE VALLEY, SAUMUR Possible destinations include the Abbey of Fontlevraud, or the horsey town of Saumur: home to the French cavalry. Ample wine-related exploration is available in and around Chinon itself, so if you prefer you may simply leave the bike in the garage and lounge by the river. Or leave the bike in the river, and lounge in the garage. Enough wine-related exploration will do that to you.... |
35 - 70 k
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Friday
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BACK to the LOIRE, SLEEPING BEAUTY Our last biking day returns us to Tours along the north bank of the Loire. Pass the old military fortress at Langeais, and Sleeping Beauty’s castle at Ussé. Try to get to Tours in time for more city exploration. If your trip ends with this ride, it disbands upon arrival in Tours. Riders continuing with us have in store a hopping night in one of the dance bars off the Place Plumereau. Half Baggage A night in Tours is included for thru travellers, and also in the “Access Package.” |
60 k
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Saturday
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TRAVEL DAY (ongoing trips, “Access Package”) If your trip ends here in the Loire, and you have subscribed the “Access Package,” a rail ticket to Paris was offered, and presumably accepted. If you are travelling on Southern Cross, Tapestries & Tapas, or connecting to Green Spain, you will take a train early this morning to the Spanish border. |
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departure dates