By Maggie LaCoste
Today was bicycling heaven! Clear skies, perfect temperatures, a flat, shade-covered route along the Loire, and to start it all, market day in Montsoreau! Market days are one of my favorite experiences in France. No matter how big or small the town, market day is the social event of the week! If you ever want to really experience life in France, make sure that you find at least one market on your trip to France!
Market day in Montsoreau was perfect: charming, intimate, friendly and just the right amount of frantic as the favorite vendors run low on their products! Whether you buy anything or not, you just have to be part of the event, even if you don’t speak a word of French! What a perfect way to start Sunday in France.
We had plans to go to Sunday Mass in Montsoreau, we even checked Mass times on Saturday evening: 10:30. We arrived at 10:25 only to see the parking lot emptying and people leaving church! Ah, the beauty of France! So we got on the road a bit earlier than expected, with a much shorter ride planned for the day, less than 35 km to a favorite town, Chinon. This would allow plenty of time for stopping at local vineyards and a nice long lunch.
The route today was primarily along the river, so it was peaceful and flat. First stop was Candes Saint Martin, regarded by some to be the prettiest town on the Loire. Whether it’s your favorite or not, it’s a fun stop for coffee and to visit the famous church is Saint Martin. The very narrow streets below the church were full of frustrated tourists in cars with no where to pullover to stop and visit the beautiful church. Of course, this is no problem for bicyclists! Saint Martin is one of the most important people in the history of the Loire, so a visit to this church, founded in the 4th century was a highlight of the trip.
In seemingly no time we were across the River Cher looking at the Chinon castle. Crossing the bridge with the castle dominating the landscape in really an awesome experience. We arrive at the Hotel Diderot with time to relax and explore one of our favorite towns. Yet another great day on the Loire!
