Cycling in the Loire Valley

The Amazing Sunflowers of the Loire Valley

In August 2024 between the Olympics and the Paralympics we headed to the Loire Valley to spend a wonderful week with family, staying in a Stayz home and hiring eBikes from DetoursdeLoire – www.detoursdeloire.com.

Read on if you think you would enjoy!!

From Paris to Azay Sur Cher

We caught the train from Paris to Tours (with a little change to get from Saint Pierre des Corps to Tours centre) and hired a car at the station from Avis. This was not our best Avis experience with the requirement for a $1200 Euro deposit and pay the hire fee in advance. It was a nice car though, a Qashqai. It was raining heavily and steadily and we eventually found our way to the house where Valerie the owner let us in early (3pm) which was great. The house is lovely  - actually three houses all around a swimming pool. We had stopped at a supermarket on the way so we rustled up dinner and had wine and quite an early night after our 42 hour flight from Australia to get here.

Unwinding by the tranquil pool at our delightful Stayz residence in Azay-sur-Cher, featuring cozy loungers and vibrant greenery.

Exploring Amboise

There are sunflowers everywhere they are so beautiful! Quite literally everywhere we look there are fields and fields of yellow. We got up early and drove to Amboise to wander through the market, buying cheese and salami and wine for dinner. It is a lovely market. We head into the town and up into the castle which has a chapel where Leonardo di Vinci is buried. It is only recently re-opened so we were lucky to be able to see it. We have a coffee and snack at Paul’s as the town starts to open up. After heading back to the market we head to a supermarket to stock up on what we need for dinner tonight for when Jack and Megan and Magnus arrive. It is a lovely afternoon so we enjoy the pool and the place and a lovely evening with these guys when they finally make it to us.

Chapel of Saint Hubert, the final resting place of Leonardo Da Vinci, showcasing its stunning Gothic architecture against a clear sky.

A rustic and inviting display at the Amboise Sunday Market features a variety of artisanal sausages and cured meats, creatively arranged with boar-themed decorations.

Exploring Tours

A leisurely start to the day – Magnus time as at 10 months old we will do things at his speed – and then we all set off into Tours. I’m not sure we ever found the town centre but had a lovely walk around the old town and then headed back to enjoy our place with Jack and Megan. Magnus was not sure about the pool temperature! The ebikes were delivered and we were all excited about using these. Great service – to the door and picked up at the end of our holiday which worked perfectly. We played cards with Jack and Megan once Magnus was asleep.

Jack and Magnus are having a blast biking on a sunny day, and they're keeping it safe with their helmets on.

Riding the Cher river path and Chateau de Chenonceau

Megan and Jack enjoying a sunny day at the historic Château de Chenonceau, with a glimpse of its majestic architecture in the background.

A very still, sunny and misty morning so Tim and I got up early and cycled down to the Cher river path and along it – quite magical past a lock and castles and lovely effects of the mist on the river…..and of course more fields of sunflowers to enjoy. When we got back Magnus was up and about and after breakfast we all set off to Tours to pick up Susanna and then to visit Chateau de Chenonceau. It was very busy and very hot but the gardens were lovely and the castle with its history well worth a visit. The castle is built into the river Loire which must have been a construction feat back in the day. We had lunch in the gardens restaurant – charcuterie and Magnus had a crawl around the grass. Megan and Tim pulled together the most amazing dinner from our shopping – courgettes, cheese and steak with rocket.

Cycle to Blere and Saumur Boat ride

Château de Saumur stands majestically against the backdrop of a clear blue sky, overlooking the tranquil waters of the Loire River and the charming village below.

We decided that we would all set out for a cycle ride this morning along the river. Again it was chilly but very sunny. Magnus loves the bike (Jack and Megan have bought his bike seat and helmet). We make it all the way to Blere about 20km away. We found a charcuterie and a cheeserie and bought our ingredients for a cheese and meats dinner. It took longer than we thought or had planned and so we grabbed lunch and set off to Saumur for our river cruise on the Loire. Saumur is very beautiful and the history of the sand dredging in the Loire was very interesting. After our cruise we had a drink in the very pretty medieval centre of Saumur. I also popped inside the church which was beautiful. Megan put on the most amazing dinner spread and we played cards again.

Enjoying a scenic Loire riverboat journey with the crew, surrounded by picturesque views and smiles.

Cycle to Chancay and the Caves Cathelineau

A timeless treasure lies in the shadows: a rare bottle of 1949 Doux wine, nestled in the cellar, its rich history preserved through the decades.

A mega adventure today! We cycled to Chancay to visit the wine caves there, about 25km away – Caves Cathelineau. Unfortunately the bridge where we had planned to cross the Loire was closed for tree cutting so we had to cycle over quite a main bridge with cars and lorries driving past us at speed. I was terrified but Magnus slept through the whole experience. The caves visit was amazing, a family business for 8 generations. The oldest wine the family has in the caves is from 1946 on one of the men’s return from the war. Lucie gave us a great tour and we had a wine tasting, Susanna included. There was also an amazing fossil museum with fossils that had been found as the vines were planted. We witnessed the amazing hummingbird moths in the bushes around the caves – something we had never seen before. We then cycled to Vouvray and had a lovely lunch and a glass of wine. Susanna tried to get us onto the special boats that had been put on to cross the Loire but there were no spaces so we had to reverse our tracks over the busy bridge. Jack and Megan set off in a different direction and Susie stopped on the roundabout!! We all made it home and Susanna had a very long sleep when we got back!! I got straight in the pool. Megan again put together a great dinner and we ate cheese and sausage and salad and bread and wine from our caves visit, topped off with more cards. We are feeling very French!

Wine bottles meticulously stacked in the dimly lit, historic cellars of the Amazing Caves Cathelineau, a masterpiece carved over nearly four decades.

Cycle to Chateau de la Bourdasiere

I had offered to follow Jack to the hire car drop off as they leave today, flying out of Tours airport. Unfortunately I got a puncture and they had to get a taxi to the airport while I waited many hours in a garage somewhere in St Pierre des Corps. Actually Jack and Megan got back to Bury St Edmunds before I finally got back to our home in a taxi where the driver also had his mum in the front and wrote on a notebook while driving. When I finally got back having abandoned the hire car and any chance of a trip to the gardens at Villandry, Susanna had looked up a chateau nearby so we set off on our bikes to visit it – 500 different varieties of tomatoes are grown in the wonderful gardens of Chataeau de la Bourdasiere. Our final trip out on the ebikes which have been a great addition to our time here. Susanna phoned yesterday’s taxi driver for me to arrange pick-ups for both ourselves and herself in the morning. We have benefited greatly from her excellent French while here. We had a final game of cards.

Château de la Bourdaisière surrounded by lush greenery, renowned for its impressive tomato collection.

Return to Paris

Our taxi turned up at the right time and we made it in good time to St Pierre des Corps and the train to Paris Montparnasse and then across Paris to Gard du Nord. I wasn’t feeling my best but we made the most of the time that we had before our Eurostar train and had a walk to Gard du Est and a drink in a bar before boarding the train to London. The Eurostar was as always a great treat. Au revoir France – a bientot!!

The exquisite architecture of Château de Chenonceau graces the French countryside, reflecting its grandeur against a serene sky.