Jun 22, 20233 min read

Days 32 - 35

Day 32 06/19/23

We took the day off today and toured the

Chateau d' Angers. Sarah and I took the tour and we got to see the Tapestry of the Apocalypse, created 1377-1382. What an amazing display of artistry and craftsmanship! Our description of what our eyes saw today would not do it justice, so here are the pics of the day ... Hope you enjoy.

Keep it rolling

Scott and Sarah

Day 33 06/20/23

Today we planned for a short ride because we thought that it was going to be raining. We do not want to get caught out in the rain again as it took two full days to dry out all of our stuff. Once again we needed to stop at a Decathlon. This time we wanted to see if we could find some rain covers for our panniers. No such luck; but we did find rain covers made for back packs which we hope will do the job.

It was a short but beautiful ride and we beat the rain. When we got into town we rode to the supermarket and had our first bike crash. Pulling into the parking lot we hit a low railing that grabbed the front Pannier and threw me off the bike. I landed hard on the ground but no injuries. Sarah caught the front cog on her leg and it left a nice impression, She drew a little blood but was otherwise okay. It's all part of the big adventure.

Checked into our camping hut which is surprisingly nice. It is a canvassed two bedroom dwelling with a kitchen. No running water or bathroom but those are nearby for us to use. I cooked penne with chicken, squash, and a nice pesto sauce. I know, Italian food in France, but it works. Looking forward to a beautiful Chateau tomorrow.

Keep it rolling

Scott and Sarah

Rode 20 miles

Day 34 06/21/23

Another beautiful morning! Last night was fantastic sleeping in our tented accomodations. This always makes the day brighter. It is so nice to not have to pack up the tent and all our gear but rather make a quick exit for the road. We had a few small hills as we left town but after that it was country roads and villages. The sweetness of the air from all the flowers is like riding through the best of France's fine perfume. The fragrances are stunning but not overpowering.

At some point early in the ride the path opened up into a field of yellow flowers that laid out before us like a carpet. We stopped to admire the beauty and capture the moment. We rode into Turquant and saw homes that were built into the sides of rock cliffs. These are called Troglodytes which means cave dweller or hermit. The people that lived here in the past built the homes and they are still occupied today. At one point we stopped and had coffee in a cafe carved into a cliff. It reminded me of Casa Bonita in Denver, a very unique place.

We arrived at our campsite and were soon met by a man named Jean who lived in Saumur. He was out for a ride and spent an hour talking to us. We would have loved to hear more of his stories but we wanted to visit the castle and had to leave. The Chateau D' Usse is also know as the Sleeping Beauty Castle, for obvious reasons. After a few hours of touring our last stop was the chapel. It was built in the 1400 hundreds and is still used for the family's baptisms today.

Back at camp we ate our standby meal of pasta, with ground beef, Bolognese sauce, squash, and bread. I think I have eaten bread everyday since we stepped foot in France. Our travel friends had another rough day. Craig has been getting flats on a daily basis so he eventually bought a new wheel. Yesterday he had to buy a new tire. Hopefully that will solve the problem. It is looking like rain tomorrow so we will get to try out our new pannier covers...yeah!