Beaugency

September 19, 2019

50km/h headwinds continue all day

We had a surprisingly good breakfast for a modest price at the hotel this morning then it was a ride through Blois with its pedestrian area, its Chateau and its Cathedral till we were on the cycle route beside the river. We were to stay by the river all day which meant that we were riding directly into the vicious wind all day. The cycleway starts off through what is clearly a recreational area for Blois. There are walking tracks and access to the river. It is pleasantly wooded and you pass through attractive little stone villages most of which seem to be attached to a Chateau. We really aren’t into visiting too many Chateaus - the very thought makes my legs ache- however we both love looking at them from the outside and enjoying the grounds. At Menars we were riding along the massive stone walls of the Chateau for several kilometres, the ancient owners were obviously very keen to keep what was theirs to themselves

This old mill house is said to have been built in the 13th century

After a while the track becomes more exposed and it is a matter of making progress. There are few opportunities for a coffee stop on this route but we had some secret knowledge. We knew that if we turned off and went the 3km into Mer there was a PMU next to the church. Mer is a much more modest town than most on the Loire and it also meant that the coffee is a much more modest price

Back on the track it was beside cornfields and we felt rather envious of the cyclists flying in the opposite direction but never mind we must be getting tough. We saw a sign to a dolman but with our record of finding Dolmans (we have never found one) we gave it a miss and just ploughed on to Avaray with its massive nuclear power station across the river - they always spoke me a little . Then eventually just before we got here we found a seat where we could have our lunch

As you come into Beaugency the first thing you see is an ancient bridge magnificently spanning the river then you are led up into an attractive restored town with small squares, an abbey, keep, and fortified doors all dating from the 11th to 15th centuries. Our hotel was I think probably once a staging post for coaches and is set around a large courtyard Our room is large and attractive with ancient exposed beams

A pretty stream goes along the middle of the main streets

Today's ride: 43 km (27 miles)
Total: 2,439 km (1,515 miles)

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