What a beautiful place! This morning we went on a 20 kilometer ride through the wine country of St. Emilion. (The tourist office in St. Emilion has maps with recommended cycle routes in the area. You can find them Here) There were miles, after miles, after miles of grape vines. We are very lucky to be here right now. The small country roads, hardly wider than a bike path, are busy with work trucks hauling grapes to be processed. The fields are busy with harvesting equipment and in some fields, workers picking the grapes by hand. The air is fragrant with the smell of ripe grapes. At noon, all of the work stops abruptly and people race in their cars home for lunch or settle in a shaded spot in the vineyard to enjoy a picnic lunch.
Category Archives: Cycling in France
Roger Lapebie Cycle Path
We have been nestled in Bordeaux for five days and we are missing the tranquility of the French countryside. It’s time to leave the hustle and bustle of Bordeaux behind. With the Roger Lapébie cycle path starting just beyond the edge of Bordeaux, we are excited to continue exploring more of the great cycling that France offers. Continue reading
Today, I Visit the Dentist
Today didn’t turn out exactly as planned.
Bikes in tow, we caught the train out of Bordeaux before the sun was up, for a day of touring. Destination? Arcachon Bay and the Dune du Pilat on the Atlantic Ocean.
Bordeaux – UNESCO World Heritage Site
I’ve taken a little hiatus in Bordeaux, where we have been since Friday. It was a chance to catch up on the posts that I missed last week and relax a bit. We have had a low-key weekend here.
Au Revoir La Loire à Vélo
Today, we say au revoir to the Loire River and the Loire à Vélo. We have covered a lot of terrain in six days – 422 kilometres. It has been a learning experience.
Our Last Day on the Loire À Vélo
One of the many wonderful things about the Loire à Vélo is that the route is designed to take the rider past all of the special places along the route. It detours into small towns and passes the historic buildings of note in each town. We are often surprised to find some unique place, without the any effort required to find it. The Loire à Vélo finds it for us.
Revisiting Some Favourite Places
About five or six years ago, I traveled with my sister-in-law Tannis to France. Our home base was a small town near Chinon called Cinais. As part of our trip, Tannis and I toured some of the châteaux that Dennis and I are visiting this week. Of course, Tannis and I went by car. She was the driver. I was the navigator. It’s been a peculiar experience, this week retracing some of our journey, but this time on a bike.
We meet Joan again
This post will arrive in your mailbox a little bit later than usual. I like to write at night before I go to bed but we were home late last night from the best meal we have had in France. Recommended by our hotelier, L’Oceanic in Chinon gets five stars in our books. I would love to tempt and entice you with lovely photos of our meal, but apparently, being a food photographer is harder than one might think. My meal started with a beautifully flavored crab bisque. I can tell you that the photos I took of it and the main course didn’t do them justice.
Touring on to Tours
Leaving the Loire River for the day, we head south to the Cher River. Following one of the châteaux cycling routes, we toured Château Chenonceau, which oddly enough is in the town of Chenonceaux. I wonder why the château and the town names are not spelled the same. I have yet to find the answer to this question.
Blois to Amboise along La Loire à Vélo
Today was a lovely, relaxing day of riding. The weather was warm and the wind was gentle as we travelled from Blois to Amboise along the La Loire à Vélo trail. The ride, at 50 kilometers, was thankfully, shorter than yesterday. Our ride was a mix of riverside trails, through forests, vineyards, and farm land; a bit of everything this area has to offer. We met some fellow Canadians and road along with them for a time, swapping stories and tips for the trip.
Well Spoke'n 