The camping has been excellent here - we are surprised that the campground is only 1/3 full. I guess it is a bit off the beaten track from the attractions of Saumur and Montsoreau. From Savigny-en-Veron to the banks of the Vienne R, stretches a land that lives with the threat of flooding. Having been regularly flooded over the centuries, the land is typical of a natural place for fauna and flora with enormous mushrooms beneath the trees. The region is known for some of the most fertile farmland in Touraine, a natural "bocage". Also, remains of a roman road and a canal from the 16th century make our day interesting. The local patisserie in Savigny tempted us with an almond croissant - a large flat pastry filled with marzipan and almonds - so good. We enjoyed the town square and ate our pastries by the church. Savigny is a sleepy village, known for the vineyards and farms - the town square was lovely adorned with interesting lanterns. The ride on the dyke went on for kilometres - quiet, shaded and beautiful. As we had just discovered that our camera battery was dead, we decided to stop at an outdoor cafe by the river in Brehemont and charge the batteries. The owner happily moved his bar glasses and plugged in our charger. Beer by the river..... As we approached a small bridge, we noticed a fellow cyclist swimming in his cycling gear and singing in lovely harmony with his travelling companions on shore - River Jordan. A magical moment. As so often happens along the Loire, you frequently see the same people along the trail - this group seemed to be with us all day - a group of Belgian cyclists who belong to a choral group at home. Made me a bit wistful for my own choral companions at home. We have been riding through vast fields of sunflowers - as far as the eye can see. We are beginning to see groups of cyclists on organized tours. They are distinctive in their lack of gear and the same kind of book. We left the route to visit the town of Langeais and to have the opportunity to cross the impressive bridge - an old style suspension bridge across the Loire. Langeais was in the midst of their annual festival weekend and the town was buzzing. There was a w/e market for pottery and writers being set up. Here at the impressive castle, Anne of Brittany married Charles VIII in 1491. Having learned about Anne in Nantes, it is interesting to follow this trail of history through the Loire. The castle was built and heavily fortified because of the threat of attack by the Duke in Brittany. A break in Langeais also gave us an opportunity for Barry to work on his frogplay cleats. He has been having a terrible time with his shoe dislodging from the pedal - which has been really scary when we are in traffic. Thankfully he had brought an extra set of cleats - so he put in the new ones. We're wondering how reliable a choice these pedals/cleats are for a trip as he has only worn them for a few months and they are already worn out. We rode on to Savonniere and past Villandry with its impressive gardens. We are a bit overwhelmed by the bounty of exquisite chateaus and gardens that are available for us to visit. It is always a balancing act deciding where to stop and when to carry on. I know that I will come back someday and visit Villandry - so, problem solved. The route close to Savonniere changes from easy riding to rough cobblestones. It was pretty difficult to ride the loaded tandem over this surface, so I walked and Barry ploughed on. Camped in Savonniere, Camping de la Confluence. We enjoyed the beautful setting being along the river and in the centre of town, but we chose a bad site and I got badly bitten by some mystery bug. It was too hot to cook - 40 degree day again - so we had a cold supper by the river and went for a walk at dusk. A very pretty town with many flowers and an impressive promenade along the river. The area is known for the continued use of the traditional flat bottomed boat and we saw many of these in the village.
