From Waterlooville to Saumur
‘Let’s do something different this year,’ Mark said a few months ago.
We had planned to go up to Scotland on the bike this year but I’m used to him changing his mind so I shrugged my shoulders and thought, why not, never being shy of trying out a new adventure.
So there we were, on a wet and chilly June evening riding onto the ferry in Portsmouth after a couple of meetings at Steve’s house with the rest of the gang. Would we find sunshine in France? Only time would tell but for now we were keen to get into our cabins for a few hours of sleep on the night sailing.
The morning soon came and as it was only a few days after the 80th anniversary of DDay, the group decided that we would stop on the way at Vers-Sur-Mer, near Arromanches, where the British Normandy Memorial was. This was, for all of the group, a very moving experience as we strolled along the paths towards the Standing with Giants installation. I especially loved the even larger nurses who were in the centre of the black plaques which overlooked Gold Beach where some of the original landings took place.
The journey to the Loire valley seemed much longer than I’d expected but this was partly due to the clock on Mark’s GS being on UK time. It seemed as though we would never get there. The journey was great, of course, and it’s always amazing to get on the back of the bike where I can relax and enjoy all the sights of the journey as a pillion. However, after a 5.00 a.m. call I think we were all pleased to arrive in Saumur late that afternoon and we all were grateful to finally sit down to dinner later that evening at a very good Mexican Restaurant in the town.
Our first full day, Saturday, saw the group on their first excursion led by David, off to see a windmill, a brief look at Chinon, and the Fontevrane Abbey where the tombs of Richard the Lionheart and Eleanor are to be found. Still quite tired from the previous day, Mark and myself stayed in Saumur, spending the morning exploring the town and discovered that it was market day. Who doesn’t love a French market? I certainly do and took some colourful photos of the stalls after which we enjoyed coffee and cake outside a cafe and watched people queuing for their vegetables. Mark couldn’t resist buying a bunch of fresh radishes whilst he tried out his slightly dodgy French at the same time. Those radishes appeared several times during the next few days, one of his favourite snacks.
We were torn between being off the bike for a day and missing out on the first ride-out of the trip but by the evening I was glad we’d given it a miss as we ate our evening meal in the local restaurant, Le Bouche A Orville, just a few doors away and saw that the others had only just returned from another full day.
Sunday saw some of the group visiting the nearby tank museum, with a few of us walking just around the corner to the Chateau de la Reine de Sicile (the chateau of the Queen of Sicily), a small, fifteenth century chateau that Mark and I had discovered the day before on our wanderings. They were showing an exhibition of the foundation Anako’s Ethnographic Collection. There were so many beautiful photographs on show and many tales of how these peoples have been abused in the past by so called civilisations. With what is still going on in the world, we wondered whether we would ever learn our lessons.
Saumur is a beautiful place and I particularly enjoyed the regular walk from the hotel, along the Avenue de General De Gaulle, across the bridge over the Loire and into town. The first few days we were wearing our warmer clothes which included rain-coats as the weather was still unpredictable with the group members sitting in the bar each night, scanning their phones for the next day’s forecast. In the main, we were lucky though and only got wet a couple of times, to dry out again very quickly.
There’s nothing nicer than sitting outside a bar of an evening, drinking local wine or beer and there are loads of places in Saumur to do this. Happily the weather was kind enough for us to do this fairly often.
The morning sunshine of Monday saw us all off on a ride-out to Chinon to check out the town again before the main event on the following Sunday: the Chinon Classic Rally where the main roads around the town are closed off for the demonstration circuits. But today, we parked up and explored the town, took the lift up to the chateau and took photos of the town from up high on the hill. This is an awesome place with fabulous views.
Later in the afternoon, back in Saumur, we made our way to the wine cave, Buvet Ladubay, where again the group split into two, with one group going on the cycle tour whilst a select few of us (myself, Steve and Chris) deciding on the walking tour instead. The walking tour was pretty good, but I think the photos of the cycle tour were more exciting with them being taken into the caves which were in darkness, the only lights those on the bicycles.
On Tuesday, David went out on his own to find some Dolmens and Menhirs and kept us all entertained during the day by posting several photos he’d taken on each stop. Something for another tour perhaps? But whilst he was doing this, a few of us jumped on the town’s petit train city tour. We got a few nice photos of the Chateau from the train as we were taken around some of the back streets. We all jumped off at the Chateau and spent a while exploring inside and outside of this beautiful building and reading about its history.
Later that afternoon, Mark went with some of the guys for a ride along the banks of the river Loire whilst I enjoyed my late afternoon nap.
Wednesday and the holiday is already half over. This was a day I loved.
After a couple of false starts, then finding the original place we’d planned to visit was closed due to an ‘unforeseen circumstance’, with David and the others panicking after the previous years experience, we finally made it to the Musee Troglodytique in the Village of Rochemenier which consists of 250 underground rooms excavated out of the rock and distributed over around 40 farms. The oldest habitation apparently dates from the 13th century. The part we were able to see consisted of two farms which were only abandoned towards the beginning of the twentieth century and even included an underground chapel.
A lovely day with a good ride but with some rain and thunderstorms later.
Thursday was much more sobering when a few of us visited The Maison du Souvenir – where a tragedy of World War II took place. This was a village that was subjected to a massacre by the Nazis on the 25th August 1944. There were 124 victims aged between 3 months and 89 years old. It was very moving and left us with lots to think about.
Later a few of the guys went to visit the Museum of Engines, again leaving me to amuse myself in Saumur, something I was very happy to do, whilst the blisters on my feet were still growing. The evening’s dinner found most of us on a small restaurant boat moored to the banks of the Loire just a short walk away from the hotel. Local Saumur wine, I find, is a good way to soothe sore feet. You drink it by the way, not for soaking your feet in.
Friday and more riding for most, although I decided that a day of relative rest would be a good idea as the weekend ahead looked to be full-on. I had thought that the group was going to visit Amboise where Leonardo’s House was, and had been sorry to miss it, but due to the changeable weather, this trip was delayed and the others went to the Musee Maurice Dufresne instead – a collection of retro-mechanical ‘stuff’ (David’s word), going on afterwards to the Chateau D’Islette and then a look at a Roman viaduct that David had discovered a few days before.
After spending a bit of time writing, I ventured down into Saumur square and enjoyed some lunch and ‘people-watching’.
The evening brought Saumur’s Music Festival to town. Together again with the others we watched some amazingly entertaining bands, ate good food, drank more fine wine and beer and finally made it back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep.
Saturday took us to Amboise. This was another highlight for me, with a ride along the river and a walk up the hill, past the Royal Castle of Amboise, the home of Francis I of France, to the Chateau du Clos Luce, the home of Leonardo da Vinci. The house has been renovated to appear as it did in the time of the Renaissance and the visitor experiences the atmosphere of the daily life of the artist who came to end his days in the sunlight and colours of the area, which reminded him of his native Tuscany. It’s well worth a visit if you are interested in Renaissance art, botany, civil and military engineering, architecture, or the human body. In fact, he was a good all-round genius, wasn’t he? The house and gardens were amazing, although as the temperature rose, the walk around the garden was quite hard going in the end and we had a welcome ice-cream on our walk back down the hill afterwards.
Our last full day, Sunday, and the day the group had been looking forward to, The Chinon Rally. Setting off early to make sure they could find a good parking space and vantage point to watch the demonstration rides and drives, I decided to make the most of a lie-in, late breakfast, and a morning writing beside the banks of the Loire. Sadly then, I’m not able to write an account of the Rally. Things didn’t go quite to plan for the group either, as Chris’s bike suffered a break-down which would be unrepairable on this trip anyway, so after some delay, and discussion, the main group carried on into Chinon whilst Steve and Chris waited and tried to sort out what would be the outcome regarding recovery and insurance. Eventually, with everything put in place, Chris hopped onto the back of Steve’s bike and the two of them finally arrived into Chinon to make the best of the rest of the day.
I had a relaxing morning writing then wandered down into the town again for a lunch and a beer. Mark joined me as soon as he arrived back from Chinon, to fill me in with the events of the morning. We sat on the square together, drinking beer and relaxing in the French sunshine, whilst hoping that all would turn out well for Chris.
Back at the hotel later that evening, and we had pre-booked a table at the Le Bouche A Orville, where we’d eaten before in the early part of the holiday. After our last evening meal, we strolled into town again for the final time, over the bridge, to have one last look at the awesome view of the Chateau.
We started home early on Monday, leaving the hotel at 8.00 a.m., saying goodbye to David who was continuing his travels further south. Big thanks to David for working so hard on the itinerary which was full to say the least.
Tony (TJ) led us back to the ferry, with a few stops on the way to stretch our legs and grab drinks and lunch and then the tour was over. We were on the boat and a few of us were soon stretched out and snoring for England! No names, sorry.
There was so much to see and so many places to go, this was a holiday I wasn’t expecting but really enjoyed. It’s always tricky going on a tour with people you’ve never been away with before. You can never be sure you’ll fit in, but this group of bikers were so welcoming, and caring, with never any pressure to do more than you wanted. The ride-outs were great, the destinations were beautiful and interesting, and I think I have made some really good friends.
Thank you all.