2- 9 July Loire cycling with The Chain Gang Tour

We had a marvellous week cycling in the Loire, courtesy of the friends who dared to come, the new friends we met, the hotels, meals, wine, chateaux, rivers, and the few minor hills.   All made possible by The Chain Gang Cycle Tours (http://www.thechaingang.co.uk) whose owner/operator Bernard hides his competent back office organisation behind a facade of complete flexibility and randomness, and whose guide Toby King was hugely competent, charming, delightful, and attentive when it mattered.  Thanks Bernard and Toby for making it such a wonderful holiday, and 'we will return'.

What follows is a blow by blow account by Mrs M, typed on the go on her Blackberry.


Sat  2 July
Up at 4 am to set off at 4.30 to pick M and A up at 5 am. Lovely day and empty roads. Arrived Folkestone terminal at about 645 and Hudgells arrived soon after. Coffee and croissants then on the 8.06 train.
6 hour drive to Loire. Arrived Montreil Belay at 330 pm. Hotel with pool. And overlooking the chateau and church.  Sat and drank beers.  Chris and Linda turned up having caught the ferry at 830.

Visited the chateau with wine tasting - fizzy white and pink. Animated and friendly tour guide. All in French. Beautiful rooms with celings painted and ancient furniture.

Meal down the hill by the river. 20 on the tour eating outside. David and Gill had arrived by train to Angers
Lovely group from US Canada Oz and UK

Pate, fish and cheese board and plenty of white wine

Marshall group T shirts and group photo

Room in hotel high ceiling with view of chateau

Sun 3 July
Slept well.  Phoned Nigel to sing happy bday. breakfast good. Hung around while everyone had bikes fitted

Sunny and breezy. Talk from Bernard setting the scene at about 1030.

Set off 11 .15  coasting through easy countryside. 

To Chateau Breze  with underground troglodyte caves silk farm bakery  etc
Then to the chateau rooms above ground huge deep moat

Lunch in little brasserie bar quiche lorraine yum but Stu not impressed with tripe sausage.

Easy cycling military camp cycle race sunflower lovely valley.  

Then Abbey Fontevraud, used to be a prison, tomb HenryII, Elinor of Aquitaine Richard Lionheart and Isabel of Angouleme. Gill walked the wooden roller coaster.

Beautiful cycle along the Loire in pm along rough track to Chinon. 

 Hotel de France in town Square. Lovely quaint stair case and floral wall paper. 

Beer in square the shower and walk to restaurant

 Long time to get served but nice local fizz and Chenin blanc

Stu fell asleep at restaurant.

27 miles:

Mon 4th July
Great brekka outside table
Steep cycle up cobbless thru town up to Chinon chateau. 

Then busy road the cut off to fantastic flat field and vineyards and sunflowers to Uze Sleeping beauty chateau. 

Coffee outside before fun viewing lots of mannequins dressed in period costume.

On to picnic by the Loire.

then flat idyllic by Loire to Villandry. 

Amazing formal gardens learned about Anne Coleman and Joachim who bought the chateau in 1904 and restored  the gardens to their original design.

Kir at bar in Villandry. The lovely cycle thru fields and woods then down hill to Azey de Rideau. 

Then our gear cable broke and stuck in bottom. And we snailed up the hill to hotel des Chateaux
Another kir non fizzy this time sitting outside in the garden unfortunately too near a busy roundabout.

Room and shower satisfactory. Hotel host very pleasant

7pm meet to walk half a mile down hill to quaint restaurant de Ridelloise with welcoming  staff our own room upstairs quick service lovely choices. Azey le Rideau appelation sauv. Blanc (4). Sancerre 2009(7) Touraine sauv blanc(6). Stu had red cab franc champigney(?) He liked it!

Food sald de geziers, Stu had rabbit pate and rillet. I had local fish- 'sandre' with sauce au beurre Stu had lamb leg slice - all very good- cheese then nougat glace Stu had sorbet.
Sat with David and Gill and Bernard with Malc and Anna and Paul Rivera ( Florida). Found out that Sue was a Girton 77 to 80 - engineering  and Paul at Downing medicine.  Stu went back to hotel as too tired to go to son at lumiere.  No son et lumiere till 7th July so walked back up hill about 11 pm only just dark and still warm!

32 miles:

Tues 5th July
Good brekka. Lots of home cooking. Chris and Toby (tour guide) went for a run. Stu stayed to get tandem repaired - he went to bike shop - moderate success we have most gears no the top 3 though so can't go so fast. 

I walked down to town and the chateau with Gill. 

 Lovely hot day. Chateau set on a lake-like moat. Oak-panelled rooms. Set off about 11 when bike was fixed. Very hot day.   Passed little old villages with troglodyte buildings set in cliffs.  Coffee stop at in a town square with interesting donjon with tower and statue on top. 

Lunch at 2ish by the Indre river - beautiful green tree lined area. 

Through more fields then a straight Romand road D25 to Loches arrived about 6 pm.  

hotel right on main street in the shadow of the medieval citadel. Thick stone walls - backing on to river. Room huge with fireplace and lance and axe over. View on to river. 

Had to take bikes through hotel to store at back.
Walked up to top of citadel and to look at tallest castle keep in France. 

Down to old town for a drink in little square.

Dinner in Hotel George Sand overlooking river. Amuse bouche asparagus puree with parmasan biscuit. Fois gras, cod, pineapple with coconut bisc. Excellent. Wines : Mentelous salon (like Sancerre but cheaper!) Vouvray demi sec (chenin blanc) , touraine gamay-Stu's red. Slept very well.


38 miles:

Wed 6th July
Set off about 9.30. Patrick was up early snapping piccies of hotel and river - very amusant pic of Chris at his window.  Stu adjusted gears so now we don't have the lowest 3,  but we can go faster.

Headed thru town. Beautiful 18thC architecture. Up hill onto Forest road then fields off road to ancient farmhouse with ducklings and cats very cute. 

More rolling very open country with dramatic black clouds but no rain. To Luzille for coffee at about11.15 and bright sunshine at theonly bar in the ville. Oatmeal gingers go down very nicely with coffee.
Carried on north to river Cher which we crossed and then turned right to Chennonceau. 

Had lunch while others visited Chateau where we had been last September. Dutch couple on recliners _ hers had electric assist.
Delicious lunch pate foie gras and salad and fizz
 Walked up through vineyards.

Back along this bank of Cher. 

Challenging path - grassy with ruts but river Cher wide green and unspoilt by human hab.
Arrived Montrichard about 4.30 and cycled through outskirts to reach the Monmoussant caves - very steep hill up- for a wine tour and tasting - disappointing fizz.

Back into town 5.30. Huge suite of rooms on first floor of annex of BelleView with view of river. And bridge.

Showered and walked around town. Large donjon (keep) dominates the town.
But closed by 6pm too late. Shops open bought foot cream - had run out. Little boutique selling Esprit!  Linda bought a dress!
Sat for a drink in town square. Gill H had changed rooms as bed not long enough for P.

Meal in hotel with river views. Amuse bouch - green with cheesy bits!  More pate frois gras, boeuf, cheeses, choc pud. Wines Muscadet from Nantes region - I don't like.  Touraine sauv more to my liking. Chris and Linda pink. Stu gamay red.  Paul Rivera 74 from Florida sat with us - a history teacher keen cyclist and Europhile.


27 miles:

Thu 7th July
Pink sky in the morning. Photo of bridge at Montrichard.

Brekka slightly chewy pain choc!  Gill Hughes Birthday.  Set out at 9.30 along river towards and past the wine caves and the mushroom caves - producer for all France. Up hill to forest and rolling hills. Sunshine with clouds rolling by. Fairly flat with wind behind most of day. Thru Fiengs and coffee at Fougere + lovely ancient chateau.

On to Cheverny (Capt Haddock's Marlinspike Hall) for chateau viewing. Perfect simple lines with 100 hunting dogs best interior with wedding dress and armory.

Lunch in snackery sitting outside atill sunny but drops of rain. Then final flat thru amazing forest tracks some gravel to Chambord arriving from south. 

Sat and imbibed at Hotel St Michel where we r staying with views of chateau while others went around as we visited last May. Shower and sleep then to dinner with view of chateau.

Sang happy bday to Gill Hughes.

 Cake for dessert. Duck for main. Sitting outside with sun setting on chateau.
Son et lumiere not open yet but some rehearsing going on, so to bed late.

33 miles:

Friday 8th July
Set off westerly direction. thru forest after breka. Stopped in outskirts of Blois for coffee. Carried on thru more forest with gravel for several miles towards Chaumont. 

Crossed the line of Tour de France at about 11.45. Picnic lunch by side of the road with hundreds of others as the build up to the tour went on.

Some of us did a side trip for coffee and loo stop down very steep hill to Chaumont. Had coffee on the corner as the caravan of the tour went by. 160 vans of advertising.

Cycled back up the hill around the chateau. Stu had to get off before me!
Back at the roadside waited til 3.30 for the tour to go by. They were mainly eating as they went by!

Hundreds of cyclists and support vehicles.

4pm continued on towards Amboise strong headwind and rolling road. 

Very tiring for everyone. Ice cream and coffee en route.  Then hill up to Hotel le Vinci in Amboise. Rose wine on terrasse after shower.
Meal downtown shrimp tartare, boef, choc praline and cheeses. Taxi back uphill thanks to the chef.


43 miles:

Sat 9th July
Coach back to Montruiel at 845 via train station at Gard de St Piere des Corps outskirts of Blois.  Tandem in hold of coach....just.  Loaded onto car and off at 11:30.  Quick and easy drive back to Calais, then had to wait 2:30hrs for next shuttle at 20:50.  So back to M&A's around 10 when we had a pizza and unwind, and 'so to bed' to sleep.  V. tired.

25 June - 1 July: Pyrenees, and a shock to my system

Sat - Flew with Malcolm from London City Airport (very pleasant experience) with CityJet to Pau, picked up car and drove just under an hour to Gite near Laruns.  We cached 2 cars at the end of the walk for day 2.  Paul cooked a great meal with the rest of the crew  (John, Martin, Terry and Rachel)

View from Gite down valley towards laruns

Sun - Amazingly remembering commitments from the night before, we all got up by 7, breakfasted and left by 8 to drive to the next valley via a delightful high pasture to park at the start of the Chemin de la mature.  Set off walking at 9:20 along the cut out path in the cliff face (constructed in napoleonic times to bring down trees for ships masts - but how did they do it round the corners??)  through woods, then into a high valley. It was hot, I was sweating profusely, and feeling tired and breathless. I stopped a couple of times and drank 1/2 ltr each time and had a snack, then had to have a 'No 2s' by the side of the path.  I d'dnt feel any better.  After a longer break for lunch where I ate an apple and a slice of quiche the others set off, but I was feeling very lethargic, just couldn't be bothered to get going,  I struggled along, managing a few paces before I had to stop, blood pounding in my ears, completely exhausted.  After a minutes I got going again, and it kept getting worse, I just had no energy or desire to go on.  If there was an option to turn back I would have done.  No chest pains, so not  heart attack, but I was seriously worried that I had some sort of heart failure.  John and Malcolm waited for me, and we decided to go on slowly, Malcolm carrying my pack which helped a little.  It was almost 'call for the helicopter' time.  I felt nauseous and was heaving, then eventually at one stop vomited up lunch.  I felt a little better and continued stop/start to the col where the others were waiting.  With 4 doctors there, and experience of walking conditions, we decided it was either a d/v virus or heat exhaustion.  The rest went on to the refuge which we could see 300 metres below, and I continued stop/starting.  Paul ran back with a 1ltr of rehydration fluid they had made up, which I drank some.  What a relief to get to the refuge.  I sat on the terrace quietly, sipping a can of coke and the rest of the rehydration fluid, whilst the others downed their beers - they knew I wasn't well as I couldn't face a beer!

 Very slowly I started to feel better, managed to eat the dinner and drink lots of water.  Very small pee, so the heat exhaustion/dehydration theory seemed likely.  Into bed by 8.

Evening view of Pic Midi D'Ossau from Refuge terrace

Mon - Slept well, woke up feeling better, but not 100%.  I had lost my confidence in my ability to walk uphill.  I decided to walk out the easy short route via the lakes to the cars, which took me 1:30hr at an easy pace - it was nicely graded downhill.  Drove back to Gite, showered and just stayed indoors all day lying on the sofa reading and dozing.  Still not my usual energetic self, but not going to die!  An excellent dinner at a local hotel (foie gras, confit canard) though I didn't feel like joining in the repartee that much.

Tue - Still not 100%, so with John (who was suffering a knee pain) we went up the gondola and took the Train d'artouste to the lac, gaining 2000m with no effort, then walked up about 300m to the refuge, taking it slowly but nothing like the Sunday experience, still not confident in myself.  The others walked up the side valley (my planned exit route) and arrived before us, with enough time to have a couple of beers already!

Back on the beer

We joined their outside table and drank the refuge out of Buds before dinner, served outside in the sunshine, it was the best refuge experience we have had.  Great craic, especially when Rachel was told we called Terry and her Terry and June, then Terry said he had been mistaken for Julian Clary so they are now Julian and June.  Rachel's 'woof woof' joke had me in stitches, but it all wasn't as funny in retrospect so I blame the beer and wine.  The hut was small (with an outside sleeping tent) and we were inside on mortuary shelves.  Big thunderstorm during the night and rain which meant when I got up to pee I just performed at the door, justifying it by the rain washing it all away.

Wed - John decided with his knee to walk back to the train, I went on the the rest up the col enroute to potentially climb Balitous, but half way up a boulder field which went al the way to the top I decided I had had enough and wasn't enjoying it, still not my usual self, so I about faced, back to hut then went down the way the others had come up, which had a 100m of 'passage orteg' with steel wire ropes to help you round a rock face smooth ledge - it would have been better to climb up than down, but I had no choice, I was relieved when it was over, and from the col it was down hill for 3 miles to the car though a steep valley then wood.  Back to Gite by 12 to find John (with key) hadn't arrived so popped into Laruns for a coffee and to eat my sandwiches for lunch.  John and Paul (who had returned from the col to the train where they had to wait for the first on till 11:30!) arrived about 1pm and we cleanup and bought some wine and toulouse sausage for dinner to go with the heated up (lots of) remains of the Sunday dinner.  The others got back about 4pm, and we drank and ate the rest of the evening.  Heated debate at dinner about green issues, the environment, China and how we as individuals could affect the outcome, the a general agreement that we couldn't so "we were all f..ked anyway so might as well enjoy life".  I didn't feel inspired, lay on the sofa most of the evening and just listening in.

Thu - Malcolm and I caught the 12:50 flight back, and an easy tube ride to Chorleywood.  Mrs M and Nigel got back from Stamford at 6:30 and we went for a Sathi - Nigel was the most animated and social I have every seen him.

On reflection, I had not been 'up for it' after my episode, and had done nothing to help around the Gite. Mostly I just sat on the sofa.  This is NOT my usual self, so I remain worried.

Fri - Went to doctor's - BP was high (lower reading 100) and he booked me for blood tests and an ECG a week on Monday.  Said I should avoid major exertion till we checked me out, I didn't tell him about the cycling!

Put tandem on roof of car, got cycling gear sorted and laid out casual clothes.  Printed off maps and loaded routes onto Garmin.  Time seemed to wizz by.  In pm sat on sofa (this is getting a habit) watched wimbledon (Tonga lost and Murry doesn't look as good as Nadal) and typed up this blog.

20 - 24 June

Mon, Tue, Wed - Hung around Chorleywood.  On Monday went up to Kennington to clear up wood and shower door from J's flat.  Tuesday jazz/folk at the Peppermill with Hs, after which we activated our Twitter accounts.  Got stuff ready for Pyrenees next week, shame about the body.

Thu - nice cycling weather, breezy, cool air, warm sun, incipient rain shower clouds scudding across sky:

so cycled into M&S Ricky to get a treat for dinner tonight.  They do such tempting food items, its a good job I was on the bike with a backpack so I was limited in what I could bring back.  Then down into vill to pick up few items requested by cleaners.  I do like the Dahon Cadenza (my 26" folder  [though it doesn't look like a folder] with butterfly handlebars - its nippy, responsive and comfortable for short and longer rides)

 Then on internet to book up for the London to Paris logistics  http://www.justgiving.be/Lulu-Marshall-London2Paris for the support vehicle crossing and hotel booking.  That took ages to find some accommodation on route.

Fri - Cycled in am with Dr M to Mt Vernon and back.  Traffic to Ricky not nice, but up through Moor Park was delightful with views across golf course in the distance over Watford.

11 miles.  A good way to start the day.  Bought some cakes at the Watford Mencap stall in CW:

The local fundraiser staff erected a floppy poster. They know about Lulu's LtoP Bike ride in August, and our LE2JOG.

Watched Wimbledon, then cycled to/from Mt Vernon in afternoon with Dr M,  another 11 miles.

13 - 19 June

Mon - Recovery day putting bike and roof rack away, washing/drying cycle gear, playing with routes for pyrenees, Loire and Ireland on various mapping sites and downloading OSM base maps of France to the Garmin 605.  Cold in the morning, warmed up slightly when the sun peaked through, but generally threatening dark clouds.  Walked to vill for a bit of shopping.  Murray won Queens.

Tue - What a change, sun out!  Out gardening early, removing caterpillars from cabbage patch.

Wed - Rex cinema in the evening to see 'The Way' with Martin Sheen.  Very easy watching.

Thu -  Granny to MRI scan.  Luku & Mrs M went up to London shopping, I joined them for diner at The Dean Street Townhouse (Vg) then onto see The Jersey Boys (excellent).

Fri -  12m ride to Chipperfield Larder for tea and lunch snack with Lulu (in pitter patter rain), then we drove to near Broadway in the Cotswolds for a Guitar Weekend, trying to avoid the traffic and queues on the M40.  This is where a satnav needs a map to be able to go for the small indirect roads, which we did to good effect.

Sat -  Whilst the Guitar sessions were in play, I cycled to Cheltenham.  There was a large hill on the way as you can see:

The forecast was "sunny intervals with rain showers".  There were no sunny intervals.  I popped in to the Ukelele festival in the town hall, but didn't buy one as I was overwhelmed by the choice. On the way back I got wet and cold so sheltered in the 'Fox and Hounds' in Broadway along with coachloads of tourists.  After a couple of pints and a packet of crisps I sampled the few delights of Evesham.  The River Avon is pretty, but the town is down market.  48 miles all told.  In the evening there was a great group jam sessions and performances till the wee hours.

Mrs M says the guitar retreat was great.  Good organisation and teachers with varied and interesting attendees.  Amazingly it is run by my namesake:

http://www.guitar-retreats.co.uk/

Sun -  Walked into Broadway, about 3 miles round trip, then read till course finished.  Back home in a couple of hours to a cold house.  So much for summer and global warming.

6 - 12 June

Mon - Wet day, pottered round house fiddling.

Tue - Train/Bromptoned into Kennington, then cycled to KingsX to see the British Library Sci-Fi book exhibition - I must be a geek to find that I had read many of the stories on display.  14 miles on the bike.

Wed - Typical BBC 'sunny intervals' i.e. it can't make its mind up to rain.  To avoid the cleaners and their whirlwind attack on the house, accompanied by hoover noises, pop music, mobile phone calls and portuguese chatter, I cycled to Chipperfield via Sarrat/Church End where I sampled a bacon roll and mug of tea (only 2.95 all in) at The Ladder, a real find.  Sheltered from the rain there, and cycled back via Chenies trying to avoid the puddles.  Over the Aspley Heath in evening for a meal out at 'The Purple Duck' with C&L for Chris' birthday (on friday).

Thu -  Queen's Club Tennis.  Saw Roddick, Murray (looked grumpy), and Nadal (looked a little weary) win, till the cold weather forced us to find a pub nearby.

Fri - Duties around Chorleywood

Sat - More fiddling around

Sun - Tour of the Aylesbury Vale (supposedly 35 miles) for Stoke Mandeville Hospital.  It was raining.  Forecast was more rain, and for once the forecast was right.  Start was to be at 10 but we set of early as didn't want to hang around in the rain.  It would have been a great route in the sunshine.  As it was, no coffee stops and cold, rain, wind, and it ended up being nearer 40 miles.  I was frozen.  Well done Team Hudgell!

Turned up car heater to max on way back, but still cold.  my goretex jacket isn't very goretexed! After shower we trained into London for afternoon tea at One Aldwych with kiddies.