2019 - Loire Valley by Bicycle with Bob: 2019-09-22

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Day 28: Sat 28 Sep – Chalon-sur-Saône to Tournus, 60km; total ride: 665km

This weather is developing a bit of a pattern, “cloudy with a few showers”, however we’ve managed to dodge it up until now and we’re hoping to continue with that luck. In fact, we didn’t see a drop of rain all day. 14 to 19 deg, perfect again.

After Bob consulted with the Tourist Info people and the lady who owns this motel, we decided to head for Tournus, a city on the Saône, which was not on our radar previously. They also recommended some other places which we hadn’t considered.

As Bob’s AFL team, Richmond, is in the Grand Final starting at 0630h this morning French time, he was understandably a little distracted from when he woke up until after brekky. He would have liked to watch it on his phone but the WIFI wasn’t up to it, so he had to listen to it live streamed instead. He was very happy with the result Richmond flogged Western Sydney.

We ended up riding away about 0830h into a gorgeous sunny day. However, it wasn’t long before the clouds rolled in and made it another overcast day. The first 30 km was on a beaut rail trail, smooth and flat. I knew immediately as the tell-tale signs of cuttings, banks and under/overpasses were all there. My thoughts were confirmed when we came across the first of many ex-railway stations.

Unfortunately, Tournus was not on the rail trail but 25 km East over several character-building hills. We well and truly made up for the lack of lumpy bits on the first 30 km. We still made good time though and were at our destination before 1300h. Just in time to enjoy our lunch sitting on the banks of the Saône overlooking the small marina.

We then rode the 2.4 km to our motel to find they don’t start booking in till 1600h, quite a long wait. I don’t like the French habit of late book in as I like to get my bike and luggage stored away and go walking around the town. It is what it is and as the saying goes “when in Rome ...”. I do note though they still want you out of the room mid-morning.

To kill an hour or so we headed back into town to check out the Abbey, which started as a Romanesque abbey church about the year 1,000. Amazingly there’s parts of the original church still standing, like the crypt and some paintings, although a lot has been rebuilt. The Abbey was dedicated in August 1019, so there has been lots of celebrating this year so far and that will continue till December.

After 1600h we returned to the motel and booked in. Dinner was an in-house affair, well above the standard normally associated with a chain motel.

Our very pleasant hotel at Chalon-sur-Saône

Our path for the first 30km

Early morning on the Rail Trail

First village of the day - Givry

Givry War Memorial

Farmhouse beside the rail trail

an overpass on the rail trail

The Smart Flower - solar panels that follow the sun and can be used to re-charge EVs for free

A mural near the Smart Flower at Buxy

Old railway station at Buxy

The back of the medieval church at Buxy

Mural

One of the few remaining medieval buildings at Saint-Gengoux-le-National

A well deserved cuppa at Saint-Gengoux-le-National

Medieval building

A humble little pad at Nogent

War Memorial at Mancey

Lunch beside the Saone

Lunch stop at Tournus

Saone

The Abbey Church of Saint Philibert, Tournus

Our hotel for the night

View from the restaurant

Entrée - duck brawn with salad

Main - veal with potatoes, prunes and cheesy side

Friday, September 27, 2019

Day 27: Fri 27 Sep – Chalon-sur-Saone

More rain predicted today, however apart from a couple of minutes of drizzle it didn’t eventuate. 14 to 19 deg.

Ride: 12km; Walk: 18km

Had brekky in the motel, good coffee, croissant, and bread, and then headed into the city on our bikes. Locked them up in a private bike shelter reserved for cycling tourists. It’s nice to feel a little special. We set off on foot with the local map into a city with a relaxing atmosphere. The Friday fresh food market certainly added to that atmosphere and the splash of colour didn’t do the photos any harm either. The standout for me was the square in front of the Cathedral. Here, the fruit and veggies stalls were set up and that, along with the medieval buildings and the town flags which were flying made for a photographer’s dream. If I had the right equipment and talent that is.

After wandering around for a couple of hours the caffeine from brekky started to wear off so we topped that we down near the Seine (Saône) River. It so happens that the source of the Seine (which is 777 km long) is not all that far from here.

After a baguette for lunch in Theatre Square, from where we watched the market people packing up, we wandered again. We are quickly learning that if you wish to visit a museum you can forget about from about 1145 to 1400h as they are closed. I suspect the French love their food so much they want to take their time over it and wouldn’t think of rushing a meal or eating it at their workstation. Not a bad habit to get into.

The Photography Museum, dedicated to the French inventor N. Niepce was interesting but the current exhibition was a bit of old rubbish, in my humble opinion. Call me old fashion but I like most art and photography to be a true representation of the real thing, or even an abstract version of the same.

About 1500h I was starting to feel like a rest, so we opted for some timeout back at our room. Bob needed another caffeine fix, so he stopped at the café just around the corner from the motel.

Dinner was a trip to the supermarket 500m away for some smoked salmon rice paper rolls with tabouli and a carrot salad. Very nice, and healthy to boot.