Day 61 Perrier, near Ciry-le-Noble to Pierrefitte-sur-Loire. 71km, 3:15.
We met a young German couple at breakfast who are also cycling along the Loire Velo 6 towards Nantes. They cycled until about 8:30 at night and clock over 100km a day. Their trip started from Stuttgardt to Mulhouse where they joined the Velo 6. They don't book accommodation, they only start looking at about 6:30, so they have stayed in interesting places. Fortunately we have more time!
There was a choice as we set out today: to cycle a more hilly route through the farmlands or the straight route along the Canal du Centre. We decided to do the more hilly route. It was a great choice as we cycled through beautiful fields with magnificent Charolais cattle grazing along the way. Southern Burgundy is Charolais country, there are open fields as far as the eye can see with indigenous forests creeping into the fields in pockets.
We passed through the village of Paray-le-Monial where we stopped for lunch. The beautiful Sacred Heart Basilica is right next to the TI. It was built in the 12 C. The North entrance is the most ornate of the three entrances, it is beautifully sculptured with a rosette frieze ( helixes and four-leafed clover ). The two towers in the front of the church are from different periods. The one on the right remained from the previous church and is from the 11C and the one on the left was built in the 12C. The simple lines of this Church were particularly striking.
We met up with the Euro Velo tourgroup just before Paray-le-Monial again. They are doing a shorter distance today than we have planned so will probably only see them again in 3 days time.
We caught sight of the Loire in Digoin where the Canal Lateral du Loire crossed over it. For the rest of the day we cycled along the canal, with a few glimpses of the Loire. We arrived at our accommodation quite early. Benoir and Adeline, our host and hostess were not quite ready for us at Le Chambres de Hote in Les Graves. It is rustic accomodation and full of character. Benoir and Adeline were very welcoming and asked us to have dinner with them at an extra cost of 12 Euros each. We were delighted and accepted immediately as there were no open restaurants. Adeline is Finnish and spoke good English, this helped as she translated for Benoir and us, it worked very well to have a resident translator.
Adeline promised that Benoir was an accomplished cook. Indeed he is, we had the most delicious meal of melon and Parma ham, roast chicken with black girrelle mushrooms, collected and dried by Benoir, and pomme frites, caramel glacé and butter biscuits, cheese from the mountains nearby and coffee.
We are just love staying at Chambres de Hote and Gites, as one gets to chat to the locals, sample their delicious food and discover the amazing hospitality of the French. Viva la France!
We stayed with the canal.
It should be a mantra: Own less, travel more, eat better!
ReplyDeleteIt's a lovely, gentle part if France, isn't it? We spent some time at Pierrefitte-sur-Sauldre and I did some cycling and canoeing on the Loire - at a time when the sunflowers were out! You guys are really seeing the various parts of the countries you're passing through. Where are you planning to finish - Nantes?
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