September 30, 2023
Day 18 - Eurovelo 6 across France
Saumur to Angers
With a short ride to Angers, we opted for a leisurely start at 9:00 a.m., though David, true to form, would have preferred a later one. Newly retired after a lifetime in construction, he enjoys the slower mornings. Breakfast at the hotel was, as usual, hearty, and reasonably priced - typically between €8 and €11 and provided plenty of fuel for the day ahead.
Leaving Saumur was smooth since our hotel was conveniently located right on the route. We rode alongside the river, through parks and on well-maintained bike paths for the first few kilometres. However, the hills arrived early - before my body had fully warmed up and my brain had adapted to the inevitable discomfort. Luckily, the wind was negligible and remained so for the rest of the day. We’ve been fortunate with the weather, facing only a few hours of headwinds early in the trip. It’s good planning, or just sheer luck!
The morning’s ride involved about 20 km of rolling hills, but only a few were truly challenging. The downhill stretches gave us some respite, allowing me to catch my breath before the next ascent. For most of the morning, we cycled through picturesque French countryside, passing small-scale crops that were grown for household use. We also saw a fitting example of companion planting: rows of marigolds alongside a vegetable plot to fend off pests.
By the time we reached the town of Gené, we were ready for a coffee break. Unfortunately, the only place open seemed to be a pool hall filled with local hustlers, too drunk to play, even at 11:00 a.m. While they didn’t offer any food, we managed to share a bag of chips. On the bright side, the place sold every vape flavour imaginable!
After what felt like days on the south side of the Loire, we crossed to the north at Saint Mathurin-sur-Loire. It seemed like a trendy town filled with tourists, but we pressed on in search of lunch. Going off-route, we found ourselves on a busy road heading toward La Daguenière. Sadly, despite promises of rosé to soothe our frayed nerves, the only open establishment was a small café that didn’t look appetizing, nor did it have a well-stocked bar. So, we rode on.
The highlight of the day was the self-operated ferry across the L’Authion canal. We loaded our bikes and all five of us onto the ferry, pulling ourselves across the canal using a chain secured to the opposite bank. Everything was going well until we noticed the 365 kg weight limit - between us and the bikes, we were pushing 600 kg! Fortunately, we didn’t sink.
We then followed an alternate route along the EuroVelo 6, which took us directly into Angers. The main route bypasses the city, but this alternate path was the real gem. We cycled along gravel tracks, narrow paths, and even through an old slate quarry - Angers is famous for its black slate.
We arrived in Angers around 2:00 p.m., and our hotel rooms were ready, so after checking in, we each set off to explore. As expected, I stumbled upon both a cathedral and a château, perched high above the town. Both were impressive, though much like other architectural marvels in this part of France, they were undergoing restoration work. Understandably so, considering most were built between the 11th and 16th centuries. The cost of preserving these historical treasures must be enormous, but it’s fantastic to witness such rich history being maintained.
There are only so many ways you can photograph chateaus and cathedrals!
Italian dinner tonight so we ate pizza. But we are sophisticated ... we drank red wine with it!
Today's ride: 65 km (40 miles)
Total: 1,057 km (656 miles)
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