October 2, 2023
Day 20 - Eurovelo 6 across France
Ancenis to Nantes
Our shortest day of riding for the trip … for three of us. David had promised his wife he would investigate a château that might make a great holiday destination at some point. Being a wonderful husband (as conveyed by David about David), he solemnly committed to this promise. Unfortunately, we passed the turnoff for said château yesterday, blissfully unaware we were soooo close. David was confident it was still a day’s ride away near Nantes! When David broke the news, we three Australians gave our input: “Catch an Uber,” “Tell your wife you saw it,” “Tell her it burnt down,” etc. However, honourable David decided to add another 60 km to today’s ride by heading back 30 km to inspect a very, very old château, then 30 km back to the morning's starting point, and finally 37 km to Nantes. Stewart, being David’s buddy, offered to accompany him. We Australians looked down at our shoes, avoiding eye contact, kicked some rocks, and said we didn’t really like David that much … and we’d see them in Nantes. So, Brett, Col, and I headed to Nantes while David and Stewart went in the opposite direction.
The ride to Nantes was a short 37 km. It was uneventful as we rode on a variety of tracks today. The ride out of Ancenis was easy, and being a working day, bike and pedestrian traffic was light. The paths took us through forests for much of the first and last 10 km.
Today was really about the ride, with no major attractions to visit before reaching Nantes. We tried to cover as many kilometres as possible before the heat of the day set in, as it was expected to hit 30 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, the intrepid duo, David and Stewart, heading in the opposite direction, were making good time until one of them needed a toilet break. No fear … a walk underneath the bridge crossing the Loire River revealed a hidden spot behind a pylon, safely out of sight. Deed done and buried deep in the sand, David hopped back on his bike, and the quest for the mystical château continued! Eventually, the quest was achieved, the château inspected, and the report written!
On their way back to Ancenis, David and Stewart stopped for lunch at a café overlooking the Loire River. To Stewart’s amazement, through the windows, he found himself gazing at the exact spot (under the bridge, near the pylon) where David had done his unmentionables only two hours earlier. The waitperson was sure she recognised David from somewhere!
Brett, Col, and I made great time and finally arrived in Nantes by noon. We proceeded to lock our luggage away and tour Nantes, the sixth-largest city in France. It’s a creative hub, but unfortunately, many of the places where you’d find that creativity at play were inaccessible, being a Monday when museums and galleries are closed. I was keen to see the famous hydraulic elephant in action (yes, I’m serious), but alas, Les Machines de l’Île was closed! I did get to see the elephant – though standing dormant today. Still impressive.
We visited the Passage Pommeraye, a shopping centre designed with Renaissance architectural influences. We saw design and architecture students’ hand-drawing the interiors of the centre. They were amazing … but had little talent. Perhaps they should take up philosophy!
The town, like others in France, has a tourist walk – you follow a line painted on the kerbing. In Nantes, we followed the green line! It was a sweltering day, and after seeing the top five sites according to TripAdvisor, we’d had enough. Hours of walking and rising temperatures had us searching for a bar.
At 5:50 pm, we got word from David and Stewart that they’d be arriving by 6:30 pm. They would have clocked up around 100 km today. We met them on arrival, helped them to their rooms, waited in the bar while they freshened up, and then headed out to dinner.
Tomorrow is our last day of riding together. After three weeks and over 1,300 km of cycling, we’re about to cross the finish line. Riding across France from east to west will be an amazing achievement.
Today's ride: 37 km (23 miles)
Total: 1,157 km (718 miles)
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