A mini trip along the Loire.

France

It has definitely been a strange year with so many plans for the year put on hold, days spent homeschooling and trying to get used to lots of changes. We were very lucky to manage a quick trip over to France to visit my Mum and while we were there we couldn’t resist a mini trip on the bikes.

Bikes all ready to go but this time there was a change…

Pippi has traded in the trailer for a bike and the follow me tandem….

….and Mia is on her own. With 26 inch wheels she can no longer hitch a ride on the back of us, so it’s all up to her and her own pedal power!

We were not 100% sure how the new system would work, how far Mia would be able to cycle or how long Pippi would be happy sitting on her bike for? The Loire Valley felt like a perfect place to test everything out. With wonderfully traffic free roads , relatively flat terrain and a good weather forecast we set off to try it all out.

As this was all a bit of a last minute trip we hadn’t sorted out any maps and for the first time thought, it will be fine, we can just get by with google maps on our phones! Are you sure this is the right way?

Google certainly found us the traffic free routes……

but unfortunately they didn’t always turn out as we hoped. No way through this time!

Eventually we wiggled our way out of the fields and forests and found our way to the little lanes between the vineyards heading for our first camp spot.

Saint-Nicholas-de-Bourgueil. Unfortunately my Godmother wasn’t at home due to a broken wrist! But she very kindly let us camp in her garden.

Down time after a successful first day cycling, we managed just over 30 miles and no complaints!

Mia rode brilliantly even when the route got pretty tough…

…sand is never a cyclist’s friend!

Pippi kept us entertained with her songs and her jokes and …

….unbelievably they still had energy for a game of shadow chasing!

Happy holiday faces.

Campsite treasure!

Up early and back on the road, and of course the first stop..

…..the boulangerie for the biggest Pain au Raisin!

It was an easy morning’s ride to the beautiful town of Chinon on the banks of the Vienne, we set up our tent in the hiker bike site and had plenty of time to wander around.

The old town is beautiful and although we have been here before it was still a pleasure to walk the little streets.

Amongst beautiful buildings and shady corners. Chinon was a favourite resort of French kings and their nobles beginning in the late 15th and early 16th centuries and you can still see why.

Off the bike and running wild in Chinon!

Perfect after sightseeing snacks!

Pip Willow potion making.

and Mighty Mia story writing.

It’s a hard life!

Breakfast in the square, this is one of the best parts of being on the bikes the freedom to stop whenever you want or need. Towns and villages always provide the chance to pick up supplies, and a treat to have cold milk on your muesli!

Leaving Chinon, a lovely wiggle through the cobbled streets before a very steep climb to the top of the town, we made it to the top and were soon back on the cycle route, La Loire à Vélo an amazing family friendly 900 km of countryside trails, alternating cycle paths and quiet roads traveling from one château to the next, following the course of the Loire….

..through sunflower fields

…and farmland.

The beautiful Château d’Ussé that inspired Charles Perrault to write his fairy tale “Sleeping Beauty”. Much to the girls delight it was open as we cycled past so we decided to visit the fairytale palace.

The castle is beautifully decorated with different scenes happening in each room. Every year a different period of costume is put on display. The turrets are all set with scenes to tell the tale of sleeping beauty.

Château d’Ussé. Admiring the beautiful tapestries.

The Loire.

With its perfect picnic spots.

Cooling off and watching the fish.

Leaving the official cycle route we crossed over the Loire to head back towards my Mums. Through the lovely town of Langeais and its Chateau, one of the earliest castles along the Loire, built in the 10th century although it had to be rebuilt after the hundred years war. (We didn’t have a chance to visit the castle as we cycled past but as it is only 20km from Luynes we came back a few days later.)

Castle doors…

..gates and…

….gardens.

Langeais.

It was pretty hot riding but ice cream stops and the thought of…

..being able to dive into Granny’s pool kept us going!!

Back in Luynes we had a lovely few days relaxing..

..climbing trees…

….trying out a different set of wheels….

and eating a ton of cheese!

Hot days and sleepy villages, we were lucky to have a great chance to escape and find a little bit of peace in this strange and uncertain time. (Although I did spend a lot of the time wondering and worrying if we would be self isolating when we came home!)

The girls were brilliant they made it a real pleasure, and now we know how the new set up with the bikes works the next cycle trip is already in the planning!

Mia Molly…

and Pippi Willow!

We had just enough time to stop at the beach..

for a swim and a sunset before heading home on the euro tunnel.

Holidays…

…. and looking forward to next time!

Cycle touring with Team Davies!

France, Uncategorized

So finally after talking about it for five years we are off on our bikes again, but this time with Mia and Pippi in tow and Gampy (Russ’s Dad) couldn’t resist coming too! For our first trip with the girls we decided to choose an area and country we are familiar with and it was a good way to include a visit to my Mum, so France here we come!

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Bags packed, already for the ferry From Portsmouth to St Malo

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Holiday time!

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We took the night ferry across to St Malo the girls were really excited about sleeping on a boat, although not sure if Pippi could work it all out!

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As soon as we arrived we caught another boat, a short 15 minutes across to Dinard, a popular ferry for cyclists but we managed to squeeze the bikes on and it was nice to find out where other cyclists were heading.

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France is perfectly set up for cyclists. Brittany is full of different cycle routes, we were straight on to Route 2, a cycle path all along to Canal d’Ille et Rance, from St Malo to Rennes. It was easy riding with the girls as there was no worry of any traffic.

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First stop, the cobbled streets of Dinan. A steep climb up through warrens of narrow streets (we left the bikes at the bottom!) leads to the main square, which is full of craft shops, galleries, cafes and tourists, but it is really pretty and well worth stopping!

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At the first campsite, there has to be some reward for cycling 35miles!

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Canal d’Ille et Rance

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The canal, although very peaceful and traffic free we did find often bypassed the villages and towns and we missed cycling through little french villages and finding ourselves by the boulangeries and tabac, so we ended up mixing the canal with routes on little roads which were relatively traffic free.

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Bedtime story!

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A bit of a wet start but Mia’s spirit wasn’t dampened….

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..especially with blackberries to keep us going. Before we left I was worried how Mia would be, but she really was amazing, uncomplaining just chatting and pedalling away as long as we kept her well fuelled with pain au chocolat and nougat!

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I had also worried how this little one would be for hours in a trailer. But she was great, Pippi really just spent her time singing or….

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…sleeping!

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Unfortunately unlike last time we didn’t have unlimited time, and we had promised my Mum a visit so we left the canal at Redon and caught the train to Nantes, the start of the cycle route along the Loire. Catching the train was not as easy as we thought, buying the tickets was no problem with all the bikes, we didn’t have to pay any extra, which we thought was great until the train arrived and it was too full for us to get on. We were told to wait for the next one 3 hours later! We then discovered that trailers are not even allowed on the trains! Luckily we had three hours to spare so packed the trailer right down and then discover the train standing empty on another platform was in fact the next one to Nantes! So it was possible to get us all on in the end but it does seem to be bit of a lottery whether or not you will.

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As we knew from before the Loire is cycling paradise especially with a young family, easy quiet roads, beautiful scenery, plenty of place to camps.

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Old fishing boats.

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Beaches of the Loire! The water seemed much lower than normal and although there are often beaches along the river they seemed so much bigger.

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The Pirates of the Loire were happy!

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Picnic time.

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The cheeky one!

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Debating a swim!

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With the long summer evenings it was great for the girls who still had plenty of playtime after a day cycling!

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Mighty Mia the last one to sleep every night…

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…and the last to wake up!

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Finally awake!

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The Loire is busy with cyclists but you can easily see why, and there are lots of side routes to take as well, through vine yards…..

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…over draw bridges…

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..and off the beaten track.

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And the Chateaux never cease to amaze.

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A steep climb but always worth it for a good view! The Loire at Saumur.

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The Chateau at Montsoreau.

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Cycling up through the troglodyte villages is like stepping back in time.

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For the girls it was like being in a fairytale, Castles, kings, queens, and little windows and doors carved into the cliff!

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Chasing dragons in Chinon…

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..and dressing up as princesses!

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Chinon, a bit of a detour from the Loire on the banks of the Vienne but really worth doing, with a lovely hiker/biker section in the campsite!

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The view from the top of the clock tower is amazing!

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Happy days.

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Breakfast time! we quickly got into the routine of touring life, and porridge and nuts for breakfast is always a good start!

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Cosy nights!

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And suddenly a lot more bedding when there is four of you!

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Really its not about the views but the food! Perfect summer supper for hungry cyclists!

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Sisters!

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The Chateau at Langeais.

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Exploring castles!

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Treehouse at Langeais.

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Unfortunately we cycled past the Chateau d’ Usse before opening time, but still a photo opportunity!

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We made it! A few days off at my Mums, which was lovely.

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Mad Scientists!

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Beautiful gardens at the Chateau du Clos Luce, definitely one of my favourite places to visit.

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Impressive trees at the Clos Luce and a nice memory of other cycle rides!

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Although Mia spent most of the time attached to my bike, she was happy to ride on her own while we stayed at my Mum’s and it has given her a lot more confidence about being on the road.

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I really found the Follow me Tandem a good way to cycle with Mia. Even on the off road parts it felt really stable and is so simple to connect and disconnect Mia’s bike. It is a bit heavy but Mia’s pedalling definitely kept us rolling along!

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With only three days left before our ferry home, we had planned to take the train to Rennes, but not wanting to risk the lottery of whether or not we could get our bikes on, my super star of a mum offered to drive our bikes while we took the train and we were back on the road north.

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To the Seaside! We took a lovely route along the coast roads back to St Malo.

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The most important thing to have in your panniers!

Camplife.

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Our trusty shelter! The Nallo 4 Gt really lived up to our expectations.

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Dancing in the street.

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Hot days, a moment of quiet in the busy Dol de Bretagne.

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Dol de Bretagne.

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Old windmills and big blue skies.

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The Pip Squeak in her trailer! Think all the castles has given her the idea of behaving like royalty!

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Trying to avoid the main road to the sea, a few fields…

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…and a dead end…

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…but we made it in the end! Cancale.

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It always feels nice to reach the sea.

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Misty morning ride into St Malo….

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and early morning on the beach.

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St Malo.

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Through the old town.

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Inside St Malo’s walled city.

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On the way to our last campsite.

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Then some well deserved time on the beach.

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Just a few stones to add to the weight!

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The impressive old town of St Malo.

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The superstars who made this trip…

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Mia Molly…

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…and Pippi Willow!

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Hometime, but we are already planning the next one!

Homeward bound……

France

Cycling the last stage of our trip, both a happy and sad feeling, we are excited about seeing old friends and families again and the start of a new adventure, but we know we will miss the freedom of the bikes and our life outdoors.

We had a very relaxing time with my Mum, but it felt good to back on the bikes and the sunshine stayed with us!

A good view from the tent, the Chateau at Falaise.

The cobbled streets of Falaise.

Field after field of sunflowers.

Normandy is known for its wet weather, but on a sunny summers evening it is really idyllic.

The ferry home, and luckily a nice calm day!

England! Shame we didn’t bring the sunshine with us!

Russ and his Dad, who came to meet us and ride the last two days back to Bath with us and check we were on the correct side of the road!

We followed the sustrans cycle route for most of the way, which took us on some lovely back roads and cycle paths, however sometimes the signs would suddenly disappear which lead to bit of back tracking!

Not sure if this is the right way, but it’s very pretty!

Down to the ferry landing to get a little boat across the Humble, we just managed to get the three bikes on the tiny bright pink ferry that came across.

Seashore decorations!

Even so close to home, we still rode through little villages and hamlets we never knew were here.

The back roads!!

Back in Somerset.

Home! Back at Russ’ parents house.

We have had such a great time and we can’t say a big enough thankyou to all the people who have made it such a good experience, all the hospitality and kindness we have been shown. Also the lovely company of the people we have ridden with. Hopefully this blog has shown something of a great journey, thanks to everyone who has followed us and shown interest in our travels.

Rolling along the Loire

France

Riding along the Loire has had all the best bits of cycle touring, perfect picnic spots, trails through the vineyards and beautiful chateaux. The weather has stayed sunny for us and it has felt like a really good end to the trip, a chance for us to enjoy the summer and get ready for going home, which is both a very exciting thought and also a little scary!

Wild flowers along the Loire.

Bicycle graffiti along the route, this is a very popular ride for cycle tourers and for day-trippers. With great roads, either quiet secondary or cycle paths, making very pleasant riding.

There is always a chance for some off-road as well….

With some great swimming spots!

The fairytale Chateau at Ussé.

Good when you going down, not so fun to ride up!

Waterlilys in the gardens at Chaumont.

Saumur.

Our only problem along the Loire, after over 10 000 miles this tyre had enough, and made an impressive bang when it burst! Luckily we weren’t flying down the hill!

A side trip from the Loire to La Vienne at Chinon.

We didn’t make to the vineyards of South America this time but we are definitley in wine-growing country here.

One more chateau picture! They are just too picturesque. Chaumont sur Loire.

Inside the Chateau at Chenonceux.

Lovely copper pots in the kitchen…

..and a selection of knives not needed by a vegetarian!

We are now taking a lovely few weeks off in the Cave (Lorely’s mum’s troglodyte home) in Luynes.

Helping out with a few summer time jobs.

Happy painting windows!

The Loire.

La Route en Vélo……..

France, Spain

We have arrived in France, a cyclists dream with miles and miles of cycle paths, campsites everywhere, some with a discount for people arriving on bicycle, and you can’t beat the bread and cheese picnics. After a few rainy days in Spain, crossing the border we have had day after day of sunshine. So we have really enjoyed a good few weeks of very laid back cycling!

Cycling past field after field of sunflowers, even with a head wind it makes you smile.

Our last day in Spain, we arrived in the small town of Hondarribia to find ourselves in the middle of a medieval fair!

Everywhere was in full Medieval style.

Watching the surf in Biarritz.

Cycling the coastal bike route , you can ride the whole coast on trails, which is fantastic. However, we did find ourselves needing days on the roads as well due to the monotony of miles of pine trees!!

Rows and rows of pine trees and piles and piles of wood!

We have really enjoyed the long evenings, after so many months of early sunsets.

Dune du Pilat, near to Arcachon, the highest sand dune in Europe and good fun to run and slide down.

One of the many oyster huts at Arcachon, we stayed near here with a lovely family who stopped by us on the side of the road and invited us to stay for the night and for dinner. The whole trip it has been amazing the kindness people have shown towards us.

Waiting for the ferry over to Cap Ferret.

Some of the bike paths a little bit narrow!

We still enjoy the fresh fruit and veg at the markets and we were lucky to pass a lot of farmers markets in different towns.

Fresh herbs.

Even when we left the cycle tracks the roads were quiet and lovely for riding.

Map reading but a good photo chance! The little villages and towns in France are lovely for cycling, passed beautiful old farmhouses and barns.

The Transporter bridge into Rochefort, built-in 1898 and now used by cyclists and walkers to cross the Charente river. It is a movable bridge with a gondola slung from a huge metal frame, fewer than two dozen have been made and now only twelve of these bridges are still in use.