The Oddities of us all

 I had pictured this day in my mind many a time over the last few months. Bowling down the Loire in relatively familiar territory. 

The day started cold but bright. Cold enough for us to put on our jackets. We cycled through Tours in early Sunday morning sun and the absence of the srum of cars, buses, trams, pedestrians and cyclists of yesterday. This meant miles of utter lawlessness as we ran red lights, careered the wrong way round roundabouts and nipped across pavements. 

We stopped the moment we saw a boulangerie, stocked up on pain au chocolat,  then stopped at the first bar tabac that was open. It is one of the wonderful things about France that you can buy pastries somewhere, then stop somewhere else for your coffees and get your pastries out. How civilised! 

Tours seems to be full of rivers. Not content with just the Loire, it has included the Cher and all sorts of little tributaries within its boundary. Today's journey started with several bridges to be crossed before eventually turning west and following the Cher before it joined the Loire.

Even then, the well used cycle path taking us to Saumur took us further south and away from any signs of water for several miles. Today, the wind was strong and from the west. We spent the day cycling due west. 

Resignedly, we joined the vast number of cyclists, all doing the same thing as us. Up until now, we have not been doing the popular thing. We have been oddities. Locals  have either waved and said 'Ola' or 'Bonjour' or hastily looked the other way as one does when something is just too embarrassing to acknowledge.

We have seen some extraordinary sights today. They go way beyond tandem. I guess the prize, for all sorts of reasons, goes to a single Mum. (Meaning she was by herself at the time) We had just taken on such a bad patch of cobbles - which someone thought, in their wisdom, would make a great cycle path - when we saw a bike ahead with a trailer. Not that unusual here, but we thought that must have been very hard work over the cobbles. When we drew alongside the bike, we noticed two children sitting in the trailer and another child sitting on a seat on the cross bar in front of her. Respect!

The cobbles had been so bad that we had turned to try another route. A very bad decision, as we actually ended up in forest and the faintest of tracks disappeared shortly after we negotiated a tree which had fallen right acrossthe path. (See photo)

At one point on a small lane, we sensed a tractor gaining on us. Not difficult to do. When we considered that it was about to either run us over or impale us both with one of those enormous spikes they carry for lifting hay bales, I pulled over and allowed him to pass. No sooner had he done so when a small lorry came the other way. They both pulled on to the grass verges and stopped right in front of us when they had reached the point where they could wind their windows down and shake hands before engaging in conversation. You have to accept the pace of life in France or lose your cool. 

One of the most significant things about today was that it is Sunday. We thought no problem, Saumur is one of the biggest flesh pots on the Loire, if not the biggest. Half way along the journey, we arrived at a small town with a carrefour. (Supermarket, not cross roads...) We thought perhaps we should buy lunch. Kate came out of the shop and minutes later the shutters went down. We were very lucky to have food at that point. 

Sustained and thankful of it, we pushed on to Saumur. The memories of family holidays flooded in. We actually cycled one lane which we had cycled with the kids. We had taken two tandems and spent a week cycling here. Odd, I know, but both the 'children' say that it was one of the best ever family holidays. Many is the time we came to this area with no definite plan of campaign, other than, 'let's go along the Loire and see what happens'. Things worked out each time. They nearly always do in life - just not necessarily the way you think they might....

Sitting here in our hotel in Saumur, we are getting the faintest whiff of success. Like we might actually do this thing. I don't really want to compare this with cycling 'end to end' last year but this has been way tougher. We're not quite sure why. Weather? Terrain? Foreign lands? Even older? There have been times when we thought we might have to give up. Even that would be a challenge. No trains take tandems for a start. 

But enough of this 'end times' talk. 

We have spent this evening trying to work our why the French are so French. We wanted to go out for a half decent meal this evening. But you're not allowed to until 7pm.  If you go into a restaurant and ask if they are serving food, they look at you like you've asked if they sell motorcycles. "Sept heures!" is all you'll get from them. 7pm is too late for us. We are tired and hungry. And anyway, eating later than 6pm is bad for you. Don't they know that? But the French are sticklers for conformity and tradition, it seems. I suppose it's what makes them so French. 

In the end, Kate bought a quiche off a road side stall and I bought a kebab. Dominoes pizzas! kebabs! I'll be heading for the golden arches of McDonald's next. On no, hang on, the McDonald's in the middle of Saumur closed at midday...

Tandem outside the loos. A common site

Well there was a path at first.

View of Montserau across the Loire

Quiche and kebab. In France!

One of the attractive squares in Saumur

Self explanatory....

A view we remember, looking across the Loire from Saumur