Video of our adventure along a part of the Loire River cycle route between Tours and Nevers. For more detail see our blog at https://tallmoores.wordpress.com/2025/05/12/tours-to-nevers-la-loire-a-velo-week-6-7/
So, are we in Logan at the IKEA? Non F IKEA in we have found an IKEA just by accident. So, we’re having breakfast here. We’re leaving to uh and uh we’ve had a nice relaxed morning. went to breakfast. Um, but we miscalculated and so we possibly have left it a little bit too late to get to our ideal camping spot, but we’ll see how we go cuz it’s looks like it’s mostly going to be flat today along the river. Uh, so we should be able to get good time as long as this headwind isn’t in our face the whole way. I’m looking down from the royal chateau in the town of Ambas. And you can actually tell it’s offseason cuz this will be so crowded in the summer. Royal Shat. So these are the musicians of Bremen. They’re just just a bit far from home and they’re in the Vula and they’re providing bit of entertainment over the noise of the wind. So up on top of the hill. It was hard work because the wind was just coming across the plains and hitting us straight on and it was hard. But now we’re down next to the lan forest in the forest and it is far far easier. We like the forest. Oh, you are a beauty. We’ve seen these sailboats all the way along. Haven’t seen any sail yet cuz I’m not too sure how you can sail on a river. Maybe the motor conditions at the end. Don’t give it away. It’s been a long day with a horrid headwind. We’re in blower and just 4ks to go. Still riding into the wind. Leaving our campsite from last night at Oh, I can’t remember its name. We are heading for luxury at the chatau. I’m coming home. And it’s uh still the chilly wind off the Swiss Alps, but at least there’s a little bit of sun poking through every now and again. We’re heading into Chateau de Shamborg, which is a UNESCO and a top 300 site of the world kind of experience. So join us. These chateau were definitely designed to impress because you come through these beautiful forests and then suddenly there’s this massive structure ahead. Looking down on the gardens from the chateau de Shamborg is Ethl Mall. Just amazing symmetry in this place. It’s absolutely beautiful. The spiral staircases are the feature of the chatau inspired by Leonardo da Vinci. We’ve just been finding out the history of how all the artworks from the Louv were moved to the Shamboard Chateau for those 5 years of the Second World War. So yeah, the art world owes a lot to this place. It’s the Manife Chateau de Shamborg from the 1500s, King Francis I, and it’s been built on over the about 300 400 years since then. We’ve just been exploring through the chatau, and it’s been absolutely spectacular. We’ve enjoyed our morning at the chatau, and now we’re heading out. Nice cycle out from the shadow. Just a 25k ride to our campsite which is good. We’re in the forest of Shambar and we have been for a while cycling out. It’s very extensive and very beautiful. Cycling along the l and we came across what do you know a nuclear power plant. Who would have thought weather appears different this morning. There’s a bit of a haziness in the air and uh not too sure what it’s going to bring today for us today cuz it was looking rather gray this morning. But it’s cleared up and the wind has died down and it is beautiful day. The French bread is warm from the bakery. And I know I’ve always been addicted to travel, but now it’s very clear that I’m a bit addicted to French bread. So, I don’t know if you ever going to get me back from France. It’s the bread. We’re cycling into Ola and it’s turned out to be a perfect day and there are so many people out on the cycle ride. We’re here in Oolans on the 8th of May which actually happens to be a victory in Europe anniversary day and also the anniversary for Jonavar freeing or the city in 1421. So very busy day here today. There’s big festivities planned, but we’re just passing through, so we’re going to miss those. Looks like the parade’s about to start. So, we’re just about to leave Orleans and uh suddenly we noticed there were horses kept dropping along. Don’t have our picture. She did just in time to save us. So, Ethel, what is special about that lady on the horse there? That’s um she’s reenacting Joan and Arc’s entry into Orans from 8th of May in 1400 and something. Well done. And why is that important to your family specifically? Uh because my mother’s name is Joan and she’s a powerful woman, too. There we go. Not all bridges over Lua are from the Middle Ages. Here’s a steel suspension bridge. And there’s Gale. So many other towns have got different ways to engage with the river. This town has got quite a a natural engagement with lovely benters all the way along and a very wide flat river. So this is a beautiful project which is a cemetery to extinct plants and it’s a local biodiversity improvement charity. This morning we had a bit of rain on us as we left our campsite and uh the clouds are looking rather ominous, but hopefully we do our 55ks without any rain on us. We’re in Suli Salo. We’ve done our first 10ks and this is a busy town, but this is making waves. It’s the chief attraction. No, not at all. The cake. It’s breakfast time. And again, we’re riding through the countryside and came across a nuclear power station. Off we go. We just came around the corner and look what we’ve seen. What’s it? It’s a very impressive city of Guin. We’ve just found out that there’s no bathing allowed all the way down the L. That’s why there hasn’t been anyone swimming. Not cuz it’s freezing cold. These French people would be swimming if they could. We’ve arrived at the canal bridge into Bria. Uh looks like a really old system here and at a good time when there’s a boat going in. We’re riding along the route of the black bass. There’s a canal along next us and we just around the corner from our campsite. This is our tent. Athl is retreating downstairs. And downstairs is a little table area which he’ll show you soon. All right. Now, this is also just showing you what this is all about. to translate. This is our little campsite and it’s on just next to what used to be the the lock house for the canal going off the D. And up we go the staircase into our road. On our ride today, we discover some moose. Some chocolate moose. Very nice. On the banks of Lua. Getting out from the campsite along the canal and crossing of the Lua on the old bridge that the horses went on. We’ve just arrived at the Mantelot lock and it feels just like the place we arrived yesterday with the beautiful little bridge and the lock and even the house is the same. So free. Good day mate. We’re here in France and this is a chalet de and this is a a something else a ch whatever and it’s another nuclear power plant. Who would have thought? There are so many nuclear power points on the law. This church looked like it had great ambitions. It wanted to be a big cathedral and then they realized, whoops, we got no money, so we’ll have to drop the height of the roof. We’re in the town of Sherati Sila and we’re actually on an island in between the two parts of the bridge. Off we go to explore across there. This morning we woke up early because uh there’s rain predicted for this afternoon and although it’s was a nice dry night, the clouds on the horizon are looking a little ominous. So, we need to get going to get to Ne’s before the rain starts. It’s Mother’s Day. That’s me. I’m a mother, but I’m riding far away from my lovely girls. So, I’m thinking of them a lot today. I’m thinking of my own mother and also hoping that we make the 40ks to never before it rains. Yes. But fortunately, it’s a beautiful morning. Yeah. Beautiful fields. It’s about 9:00 a.m., so it’s a kind of early morning glow, but look at those great storms out there. So stunning. As we cycle past the fields, sunshine is so beautiful. But on the horizon, there’s a storm that’s chasing us. It’s a Sunday morning, so not much traffic out here, which doesn’t really matter because we’ve been riding along the levies of the L. uh come across this canal which is running parallel to the LA where a harbor for maintaining boats. We have seen our first wild boar wandering across the well galloping across the fields. It was massive. We’re back along the canals and we’ve seen one of the few boats um on the canals. surprised me how few there are. Seen quite a few ruined industrial boats, but I think it’s only pleasure boats that now on there. We have the lua below us, but we going over the lua on a canal bridge, which is quite cool. The power of the lua. And then you’ve got this crazy experience of the lock and the canal that goes over the river to let the boats get across and carry on their journey. It’s just so different to what we’re used to. It’s great how these old industrial archeries of railway lines and canals have been repurposed to be places for people to engage with nature. Quite a turnaround. Cycling into Nevers. church signaling the end of the day. And there’s our campsite just waiting for us to come to bed.
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Another nuclear power plant… Who would have thought! 😂