After the morning spent getting the blog up to date, it was
time for my first bike ride of the holiday. The lady in the campsite reception
had given me a cycling route map and I decided to go to Saumur. The campsite is
on the left (West) bank of the Loire and the cycle path on this side is shared
with the road in many places but on the right (East) bank there is a dedicated
cycle path. I decided to go out on the left bank and come back on the right.
The cycle path from the campsite started with the only significant ascent of
the trip but even that was easy cycling. After leaving Gennes, the route was
away from the river but soon descended to the river and followed the river into
Saumur. The journey took me through several villages where there was evidence
of troglodytic (cave) dwellings. In most cases these were caves where a small
conventional house had been built in front. In other cases the caves were
obviously used for storage.
As I approached Saumur there were a number of wine companies with ‘caves’ open
for visits and purchases. With great restraint, I cycled on past.
The cycle path took me over a pedestrian and bicycle bridge to an island in the
middle of the river where it joined the major road bridge over the Loire. There
was a very wide walking/cycling lane that was separated from the road and I
then took the cycle track on the right bank back towards Gennes. This was
rather disappointing at first. Rather than the relatively smooth surfaces on
the left bank, the track here was rough, narrow asphalt and the view of the
river was blocked by trees. This meant that the ride to St. Martin de la Place
was rather boring. After that the track was largely compressed aggregate but
the views of the river were much better, which made the ride much more interesting.
The Bridge between Les Rosiers and Gennes took me back to the campsite.
We were so impressed by the meal that we had at ‘Les Dammes Barrau’ yesterday
that we booked for an evening meal today. The restaurant has an interesting
history as, in the 1920’s it was highly respected for its cuisine and people
would travel to taste the signature dish of pike with white butter sauce – the
pike coming straight from the Loire. In 1934, under the chef Henri Gallé,
it was awarded 2 Michelin stars. Henri Gallé was the chef for 40 years and he had
many famous guests but, after a few changes in ownership, it closed in 1999.
The building was left empty and it deteriorated badly until the local council
restored it. The current restaurant has only be open for a few years but they
are doing an excellent job. If you are in the area, do go there for a meal –
lunchtimes during the week and lunchtime and evenings on Saturday and Sunday.
Photos: In a park at Chenehutte-les-Truffeaux there is a
troglodytic dwelling with four ovens outside (one out of view) – the local
bakery?; There were great views of the Loire on the bike route – this one was
from the left bank; Crossing a disused canal and lock at Saumur; Only the
French would do this – an open air art display in the middle of nowhere and
nobody on guard.
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