Wed 28 May 2014 Cumulative distance 1154km
The sun was shining as we left Château du Loir and we headed first to Le Lude and then on to La Flèche. The skies soon clouded over and it was cool but at least it didn't rain. We had no idea what to expect in these towns and, in La Flèche, we were pleasantly surprised to find a very picturesque town on a bend in the Loir river. Although underwhelmed by the 'Plat du Jour' we received at a small brasserie in one of the squares we enjoyed the break and in the early afternoon we pushed on towards Sablé-sur-Sarthe.
The back roads and bike paths took us through some beautiful areas of dense forest and wide fields of crops. The traffic was generally light, even on the short stretches of major roads we were obliged to use.
One peculiarity was a major road with three marked lanes. It was unclear who had priority to use the centre lane and it seems that traffic in both directions can utilise this centre lane when overtaking slower vehicles. We can only imagine what could happen if two vehicles travelling in opposite directions tried to use it at the same time. However this is a system that is used in numerous places across France and so they must have some sort of system to make it work (without too many fatalities).
On several occasions over the last days we have admired the ingenuity of cherry growers in using a large bird kite, attached by a string to a tall pole, to keep birds away that would damage the cherry crop. When the wind blows the movement of the bird kite appears quite realistic.
We reached Sablé-sur-Sarthe around 3pm and soon found the tourist office who directected us to a suitable hotel. After a pause to rest and refresh ourselves we went exploring, before enjoying an aperitif in a bar, and then finding a small crêperie for dinner.
Leaving Château du Loir
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La Flèche
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La Flèche to Sablé-sur-Sarthe
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Sablé-sur-Sarthe
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Château du Loir
Tue 27 May 2014 Cumulative distance 1074km 3 weeks on the road
Today we departed the Loire Valley and the numerous châteaux that line its banks. Our route followed minor roads in a generally northwesterly direction and took us through some beautiful areas with interesting small villages and towns. Cunningly we followed a minor river for much of the way, making for an easier run with no major hills.
Although still cool and overcast, there was little wind and no rain. Further improvements are promised and we are all looking forward to warmer weather when we can stow our cold weather gear for the rest of the trip. We made good progress as there was virtually no traffic on the tertiary roads and, having bought some pre-prepared sandwiches in a bakery along the way, we enjoyed our lunch sitting on a bench by the road in one of the small towns.
We arrived in Château du Loir about 3pm and cycled out to the railway station to yet another 'Hotel de la Gare'. As on previous ocasions we were pleasantly surprised to find a cheap but clean hotel offering us all the basic facilities that we needed.
Dinner proved to be interesting with a limited menu - the choice of main course being either steak or a locally-made pork sausage. Having seen this sausage offered on various menus over the last week or so, David, in a lightheaded moment, decided to give it a try, despite the obviously warning looks from the waitress taking our order. She even fetched a French-English dictionary to ensure that he knew what he was getting into. It would appear that the sausage was only put on the menu to ensure everyone chose steak!
When it arrived, one bite was all it took to determine it was inedible - we even joked that the hotel's dog would have trouble handling it and Denis indulged in a Pythonesque fantasy about the upcoming dog/sausage battle. There was a definite "I told you so" look on the face of the waitress as she cleared away the plates. Fortunately the meal was far from a disaster as there was enough steak to go around and the dessert was superb. We all laughed heartily when we heard the dog growling in the backyard.
Heading west towards Brittany
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