From Angers to Saumur my friend Sara and I strolled via bicycle. This was my first 50 km ride but our pace was so leisurely that we couldn't complain... Until a certain point. It turns out no matter how slow you go, after 50 km you're legs are gonna be tired with each and every hill that you come to. But that just made it that much sweeter when we finally got to Saumur, way later than we had expected.
Sunflower fields, former slate quarries, a chain ferry (that I was so tempted to use!), beautiful horses- including one who was so happy to see us that he ran our way and neighed enthusiastically to us-, cows, fields of (insert name of things we couldn't name), the Loire, house boats, old villages and towns, a pétanque tournament, wineries, a 17th century abbey, the smallest chapel I've ever seen, these were just some of the sights along the way. And to top it off, the Saumur Castle greeted us, letting us know that we had finally made it to our destination! The mushroom & wine festival had already finished by the time we got to Saumur, but the sights along the way made that old adage true once again-- it's not the destination, but the journey :)
It was a chilly, foggy start to the ride at 10:30.
The former slate quarries had an awful lot of slate despite the "former" in the name-
Most of the former slate quarries are now lakes, one of which is evident by the fog peaking out here-
One town we went over...
That chain ferry I was so tempted to try out-
Off-roading for a bit there...
These next two show my absolute favorite stretch of road, for which my dear ol iPhone doesn't do any justice... But which none the less made taking the pictures possible. (So convenient/handy!)
Our handy-dandy green Loire à vélo signs that took us most with barely any head scratching,
And the smallest, sweetest little chapel. At first I thought for sure it had to be the remains of a large church, where only the doorway was still sanding. But no, thats the whole building.
(I don't think the pictures do it much justice, in showing how tiny it seemed in the open farmland.)
Phew, lots of photos. This should take long enough for the WIFI to upload, so I better sign-out here, bisous.
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