Muides-sur-Loire to Vauvray
I overslept — not by much, but unusual for me in a tent. I started around 6:30am. First stop was Chambord. Wow. What a beauty. I think it’s the most gorgeous castle I’ve ever seen. In its complexity it reminded me of Gaudí. After seeing it I could have packed up and gone home.
Instead I went to Blois and its castle — both quite lovely — and then made a significant detour to Chenonceau. Unlike Chambord, you can’t simply cycle into the grounds; a ticket is required. So I approached from the other side of the river. The view was good, but it wasn’t quite Chambord. If Chambord is worth every kilometre of detour, Chenonceau — seen from the bank for free — is a slightly harder sell.
By noon I was back on La Loire à Vélo in Amboise. The Royal Castle was very impressive. I skipped Clos Lucé, where Leonardo da Vinci spent his last years.
I finished the ride in Vouvray. No sooner had I finished pitching my tent than I went to a tasting at Domaine Huet. All white wines from Chenin Blanc. As tends to happen at these tastings, once the planned lineup was done, out came the special editions — rare wines, not for sale. So after six or seven, or probably eight glasses, I bought a bottle. A half-bottle, because bag space is finite, but I bought it. Those extra glasses always get you.
Today in numbers:
110 km — distance cycled
440 — rooms in Château de Chambord, where King François I spent a grand total of 7 weeks in his entire life
1.3 million — visitors a year at Château de Chenonceau, second only to Versailles
4 — architectural styles represented within a single courtyard of Château de Blois, spanning four centuries of construction
1516 — the year Leonardo da Vinci arrived at Amboise
372 — the year Saint Martin founded the Abbey of Marmoutier near Vouvray and planted the first vines
40°C — temperature in Vouvray on my arrival