Montlouis East of Tours 52m 291m for week.

Easy flat cycling surprisingly varied for a softies route in the Loire. Relatively unbusy so a pleasant day...tomorrow a rest as despite the gentle terrain these old legs need to get accustomed to moving 65lbs...a bit different to the Easy Riders Thursday runs on our lightweight machines! ...Carols nagging me about the spelling..must be the predictive on this phone!
Just realised that as the Loire flows downhill (obviously) the first 800 mile or so must be uphill!!! That's some uphill!
Through Tours today...an hour of a city was quite enough...but the Town Hall was a treat...no moving to glass faceless offices like Chester.

Loire what Loire? To Montsoreau 45m

Just 45 miles but tiring! After smugly agreeing that the EV6 is actually a nice quiet route...no cyclists for miles, we realised we were lost and nowhere near the route!!! Getting back involved crossing the little known Loire Alps...felt like that anyway over rolling wooded hills as opposed to the flat proper route by the Loire. A cold recuperating beer was called for.
The worst the about touring in France is having to stop mid morning for coffee and pan au raisin...essential cycling fuel.

Weds 28th. 45 miles to St Mathurin sur Loire

Another 20 miles of busy main roads :-(  then hit our target the Euro Velo 6 west of Angers. Pleasant flatish cycling by the Loire with just the occasional short steep pull. So...that's 170 miles just to get to the EV 6...now its East East East!

S from Vitre to Verne d'Anjou 46m

Rolling hills on busy main roads...but it has to be done. Just 30k to the Loire, Euro Velocity 6 and the start of our route. Picture below is of my Thorn Raven Sport Tour....heavy at 32lbs but that includes racks and dyno hub used to charge camera, phone, headtorch etc.
Carol had a slight mishap tonight...slight gas event when she tried to light the cooker upside down....easy mistake to make but I'll keep a careful eye on her when she erects the tent!!!!

Hede to Vitre via Beton 55 miles

Another 20m beside the canal on good tracks...that's 65miles off road so far and a beautiful start to the tour. Forests flowers and birds, with the occasional lock keepers cottage. Not much in the way of camping sites so Carol rather weary with the distance. Vitre has a huge château in the town centre.

Day 1 (48 miles)

48 Miles...but not necessarily in the right direction! Lovely and easy riding Along the Rance Canal through the medieval town of dinan then mostly on gravel paths.
Only real event was a french wasp stinging me in my right eye...sore for a while :-(

Away at Last

Despite the rail networks best efforts we arrived at the ferry in good time. Two delayed trains so two connections missed not helped by a mischievous lift that senses our urgency and drooped is back at our starting platform!
Totally humbled by a couple on a tandam off to Black Sea ....and back again!! Mind you she did have Turbo charges thighs.