Day 72. Saumur to Rochefort-sur-Loire. 71km, 4h30.
Breakfast was a delightful French version of Fawlty Towers, so we set off late after homemade plum tarts and advice from our host, Serge. We wound our way back to the Loire past paddocks of horses as the National Equestrian Centre is nearby, and then followed the left bank through small villages of houses built against the cliffs.
We crossed the Loire at St Mathurin-sur-Loire and cycled through fields of flowers cultivated for their seed. It was a route full of twists and turns, varied surfaces, with short distances between villages. We bypassed Angers, crossed the Maine River where it joins the Loire and then headed up into the hills above Savennieres. Near la Dagueniere we clocked 4000 km for the trip.
The Loire has become progressively bigger since we first reached its banks. It is the longest river in France and drains more than a fifth of the surface area of France. The Allier, Cher, Vienne, Indre, Maine and many other rivers all add their contribution. The Loire is a gentle river, often dividing around islands, and as the surrounding land is relatively flat, it drains an enormously productive farming area.
We had an appointment to visit Coulée de Serrant at Château de la Roche aux Moines, the wine cellar of Nicolas Joly, the pioneer of bio-dynamic wine production in France. Vineyards are sprayed with milk or whey, fertilized by cows and sheep, and foliar feeds with a host of natural teas. Unfortunately the winemaker, Virginie Joly, was not around, so we were given a brief taste of their 3 excellent Chenin Blancs, all 2012. The grapes in this region are grown on slate soils, imparting a high acidity and green apple and honey flavor.
We then stopped at Domaine Tailandier, where we had been 10 years ago. We received a warm welcome and were given an excellent overview of the wines of Savennieres (dry Chenin Blanc) and Valle du Layon (sweet Chenin) wines by the winemaker's Japanese wife. A very enjoyable tasting of 2 to 10 year old wines. The older wines develop a distinctive honey taste without losing their freshness. The 2004 Sec and 2009 Demi-sec were particularly good. The French drink more sweet or semisweet wines with their food than we do back home, particularly with strong cheeses, fois gras, oily fish and spicy dishes. It makes sense.
We then crossed the Loire to Rochefort to our overnight stop, Molin Geant, an old mill (1500s) and farmhouse on the outskirts of the village. We were given a warm reception by the hostess, Elke, who invited us to cook our own supper in the kitchen, and then laid a table or us and provided wine and dessert. We had spectacular views over the Loire valley from the lookout lounge on the top of the old mill-house where we were accommodated.
The view from the top.
Relaxing at the top of the millhouse after a long cycle.
Well done on clocking up 4,000 Kms! What an achievement. Staying in Chambres d'Hote sounds a much better idea than camping out - I will probably do it that way next time too. Besides being a bit mor comfy, you've met a lot of interesting people.
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