Châteaux, Chain Earrings, and New Friends

Day 41: Chinon to Amboise (57 miles / 1760 ft.)

The Loire Valley is magnificent!

Our morning began by carefully finagling the loaded bicycles down the narrow staircase from our tiny apartment. Once that mission was accomplished, we rolled out of Chinon and into one of those nearly picture-perfect days of riding.

The route followed the river valley before climbing into the nearby hills, giving us views across vineyards, changing leaves, caves carved into the limestone walls, and château after château. We passed Château d’Ussé, continued along the Loire through Villandry, and shared the route with a handful of other touring cyclists. It is a quieter time in the valley, but we certainly weren’t alone.

Early in the day, we passed another touring cyclist while we were “hightailing it” and didn’t stop to talk. His name was Xabi, originally from the Basque Country but now living in Barcelona. We figured that was probably the last we would see of him.

When we reached Tours, we discovered professional team trucks and preparations for Paris–Tours, one of France’s famous one-day bicycle races. If we had planned better, Tours might have made an exciting overnight stop, but at least we took a few pictures beside the trucks and soaked up a little of the atmosphere.

We explored a bit more of the city, including the impressive Saint-Gatien Cathedral, and then crossed paths with Xabi again. This time he was riding with Jules, a young French cyclist he had met along the way.

The four of us stopped beside the American Monument fountain, which honors the American Expeditionary Forces’ Services of Supply based in Tours during World War I. We made sandwiches, drank a couple of unusual Dr Peppers, and traded cycling and travel stories.

Before parting, we noticed that both men had pierced ears, so we gave each of them a pair of the earrings I make from bicycle chains. They immediately put them on, which made the gift even more fun.

From Tours, we pushed east toward Amboise, sometimes beside the Loire and sometimes wandering inland on one of my patented zigzagging routes. Despite our creative navigation, the riding remained beautiful through vineyards, small villages, and quiet roads.

By the time we reached Amboise, Xabi and Jules had beaten us there and were enjoying beers below the Château d’Amboise. Inside the château’s Chapel of Saint-Hubert is the site traditionally identified as Leonardo da Vinci’s tomb. We joined them for another round of stories, then Xabi stayed with us for one more cold drink before we finally continued to our Warmshowers hosts.

Anthony and Angélique welcomed us with a tour of the house and an amazing private basement suite with a bedroom, shower, refrigerator, laundry, and all the privacy we could possibly need. After getting cleaned up, we went upstairs and played with their three-year-old son, Louis, before sitting down to dinner with the family.

In true French style, dinner unfolded slowly. We began with sardines wrapped around green olives and served on toothpicks. The main course was what we all decided to call potato pie, covered with a delicate pastry crust that Angélique had decorated with the outline of a leaf. Next came salad with vinaigrette, followed by bread and two cheeses, goat cheese and Roquefort.

For dessert, I had a baked apple, while Lisa had a baked pear, both glazed with sugar and served alongside Angélique’s homemade lemon cake.

Their 16-year-old daughter, Rose, joined us and did a wonderful job practicing her English. We spent the evening hearing about the family’s bicycling, sailing, and travels through South America. Most amazing was Anthony’s four-year adventure across South America, which included canoeing alone on the Amazon. Every time we think our bicycle trip sounds adventurous, we meet another Warmshowers host who raises the bar considerably!

Once again, we looked at the clock and discovered it was after 11:00. Exhausted but very happy, we headed downstairs to our private little apartment for a good night’s sleep.

Tomorrow brings a big ride to Orléans, but tonight we fell asleep thinking about another beautiful day filled with châteaux, autumn colors, chance encounters, bicycle-chain earrings, and the kind of connections that make touring so special.Read more