Bonjour everyone ! Hope you aren’t too exhausted after yesterdays hilly tour of the local village of Montsoreau.

Our plan today is to cycle along the lovely Loire river and venture into the beautiful town of Saumur.

The weather forecast is for another warm, sunny day, so please slip, slop, slap on your sunscreen! It should be an approximate 30 km round trip back to our campground ….if all goes to plan!

Yes, this the famous, lovely Loire river behind us , so let’s head off !

You may notice, we have shiny new yellow and red bike panniers on our bikes, ready for a fresh Baguette and cold drinks.

These people have the right idea on a hot day, with their beach umbrella, and also taking a dip in the refreshing water of the river.

Now, this is a picturesque place for a quick stop for Bev in the shade, but let’s head off again…..

Mark couldn’t resist this photo opportunity next to one of his favourite bottles of French vino! Cheers !

Instead of meandering along the flat riverside bike paths, Mark has decided we should venture inland and head up into the countryside, and the vineyards!
It is lovely and peaceful as we ride around the country roads without any traffic & the odd cyclists or tractor.

However, the velo ( bike ) signs are not quite as good and occasionally we do need to stop and consult our trusty GPS! Fortunately, Mark is a whizz at this, and soon we are on our way again in the correct direction!

How cute is this quaint , old church ?

We enjoy the picturesque view overlooking the roof tops of Saumur & down to the Loire river & bridge .

Around the corner, another beautiful Château. The stunning gothic, turreted Chateau De Saumur was originally built as a castle, and later developed as a château in the 10th century. It was a fortified stronghold against the Norman attacks. It was used as a prison between the 17th and 18th centuries.

Mark rides ahead again & stops in front of the Château &  this shows how large it actually is! You can just spot him down there!

Let’s have a short break for lunch in this beautiful old town square of Saumur with its colourful ribbon display, blowing in the breeze !

We take this picture from the bridge looking back to the castle & town of Saumur.

Saumur is famous for its horses and equestrian centre, and also military cavalry school..

Heading home, our bike path deteriorates slightly the last few kilometres, but this adds to the adventure of our ride !

There are interesting options for camping in our caravan park ! I think they’re particularly popular with those travelling along the Loire Valley to a different destination each night. They won’t need to carry their tent on the bicycles and the elevated bed should be slightly cooler during these hot days and nights. An added bonus is the beautiful view of the Loire river from their bed.

Ahh, the sparkling swimming pool at the caravan park, looks so inviting after our hot, sweaty 30 km cycle adventure today!  Come on, join us for a dip, we have the pool to ourselves ! The water is the perfect temperature, not too cold, and not too hot!
If you observe closely the hillside, you will be able to see some of the troglodyte dwellings we have explored in our last post.

Cheers ! A cold rose at our local bar is an excellent way to celebrate another cycling adventure today!