Month: June 2008

11.06.08

Saumur to Montsoreau GR3

A good day, at last a bit of up and down – the GR3 follows the south bank of the Loire upstream southeast by climbing the 200ft escarpment that looks north behind the chateau. It then dips up and down passing through the first vineyards we have seen in France – the local grape appears to be Cabernet Franc (part of the Bordeaux mixture for all the great wines of that area). But here used to make Rose wines such as the good Cabernet de Saumur we enjoyed last night, this is significantly better than most of the Cabernet D’Anjou that also comes from around here and is all we see at home.
The GR dips up and down the cliffs in which generations of French troglodytes have made their homes. Most of the shallow cave systems that have been excavated are now used as garage space and the rocks that have been scavenged from past collapses used to build homes next to the cliffs. But some are caves growing mushrooms and one we passed has turned into a hotel. Some of the chimneys from these open on to the cliff tops looking very odd when a chimney emerges from the grass on the cliff edge.
The paths used by the GR are obviously very old and it is easy to envisage that we are following paths more than 2 millennia old and maybe used by Roman winemakers.
There is an extensive acreage of vines along the cliff tops extending well south on the calcareous very well drained soil. These have just set fruit, and spraying to prevent mildew and tying back the trailing vines (the latter labour intensive) is well underway.
The steep slopes although short have tested the knee joints of both of us and while no dramatic problems have arisen it is obvious that we shall have to be careful and hope that the terrain continues to provide a gentle stressing of those parts that have become unaccustomed to this type of exercise over the last four weeks.
Tomorrow we should be in Chinon on the Vienne, the north flowing Loire tributary that we will follow south for some time to come. We also have a chance to replace items like socks and restock small amounts of spices and suchlike that it is impractical to buy on the way!

Link to where we are on Google Maps

10.06.08

La Breille Les Pins to Saumur.

Up at 06:30 to a cloudless sky and therefore, an early start at 07:00. We were still later out of the campsite though than most of the inhabitants who were living in the static caravans. They seemed to be of east European extraction and we assumed that they were probably fruit picking for a local farmer.
A quick 3.5 miles through the nearby woods and over a small hill to Brains sur Allones. As Tony put it “brains for breakfast”. At the top of the small hill in the centre of the wood we could see in the distance a large block of flats, (“abot loike yow cud see in Dudeley from Kinva Edj”) this later turned out to be the chateau above the Loire at Saumur. We next saw it at 11:30 as it appeared from behind a farmhouse after a mainly road walk that got steadily hotter until we hit town on the island in the Loire linked by 2 superb bridges 1 to each bank, which is about 1km long and is maybe a third of the town of Saumur. About 13 miles today and a hot afternoon lying on campsite and shopping for dinner in town. Saumur is probably the size of Worcester and is the largest town we have been in since Laval (which was wet and horrid).
We shall now process gently up the Loire valley over two days to Chinon, a slightly smaller town, where with the aid of the miracle of modern telecommunications (well it is a latter day pilgrimage), we may meet up with the two most important people in our lives on Thursday evening.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

09.06.08

Noyant to La Breille les Pins (well not really)

A good long day of three surprises. We are now passing through an area of very well drained sandy soils much more in use for arable farming than the rich cow lands north of here. In spite of this, these three ladies caught my eye early in the morning. The sun however was not rising and the day remained cool until midday when the sun banished the cloud giving us temperatures up to 30degC. Also early in the morning the first surprise a barn owl looking for a roost after a hard days night.
The second surprise was a metre long Grass snake snoozing in the sun about 13:00hours. He was very surprised in the grass in the middle of the track when we thundered up one in each tractor rut, and did not know which way to go, finally shooting across my rut 2 ft in front of me. I DO NOT LIKE SNAKES. Even harmless ones.

Mid morning we arrived at Parcay-les-Pins hoping to find a midmorning cup of coffee. But the village bar was closed all day Monday (but they do claim to speak very good English!). We availed ourselves of the bar’s seats in the square whereupon a local asked us whether we needed a drink of water; how kind but we still have plenty in our water bottles. A quick visit to the local shop got a couple of cans of fizz to drink and also showed that the most popular newspaper being sold there was the Daily Telegraph. More signs suppose of French villages being taken over by Brits. How awful.

We pressed on in the heat after lunch, expecting to arrive at La Breille les Pins campsite about 15:00. I will not dwell on the minor navigational error that made us about 30mins late, very hot and glad to have got there. Then the third surprise of the day, the campsite we had got off local leaflets in yesterday's campsite was not where we thought it was but 2 miles away by road. With hot feet we pressed on after directions and a beer from people in what we think was a closed local club, we probably got club rates at 1.6 euros each, I think they took pity on us.
Day still hot and washing drying well in the breeze as this blog is prepared in the most comfortable place yet – a settee in the games room on the site on a fair sized lake.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

08.06.08

Sunday Le Lude to Noyant

Not our day of rest – about 16 miles including a bit of difficulty finding the GR36 (our new route down to Saumur where we pick up the GR3 up the Loire). We then did a mix of road, field, wood and marsh, the latter only a short section and easily, with our hard won expertise, circumnavigated.
On the one occasion we lost the route we passed through the small village of Disse sous le Lude where a motor bike cum tractor convention/car boot sale was in progress, we thought about buying a vintage tractor but could not see how to get it home, but it would have been really useful!!
We scored points for another hare and a small deer and the day passed in the usual fashion, arriving in Noyant at about 15:00hrs. This is just about the smallest Municipal we have been on with 12 pitches only and absolutely nothing open in the village, not even a single bar, on a Sunday afternoon. We had planned ahead yesterday for this eventuality, so we are carrying 2 days food (for today and tomorrow) as getting food in little villages in France can be notoriously difficult on Mondays.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

Notes on the geography of the last few weeks.

We had not realised quite how flat this area of northern France is. In the north of Normandy around Cherbourg the land is about 300ft above sea level and obviously as we followed the coast down to Le Mont St Michel we never rose above 100 ft and often were walking along the shore line which was crossed by multiple small rivers/ streams each with their own mini estuary culminating in the walk across the sands of Le Mont St Michel with it’s three main water courses entering the sea there. The most southerly of these was Le Couesnon flowing north from the high (300ft) lands south of Fougeres.
Travelling southeast to Laval we met the Mayenne at Laval at a height of somewhat less than 200ft having “peaked” at about 600ft around Ernee as we crossed the watershed from those northern flowing steams to those draining southwards into the mighty Loire including the Mayenne joining it at Angers and the Sarthe flowing from Le Mans at the dizzy height of 150ft down to the Loire also at Angers at 49ft above sea level. This drop of only 100ft over 52miles as the crow flies and with the surrounding country not rising above 150ft with few exceptions, goes quite a long way to explaining our problems with land drainage during the last 10days and the size of these sluggishly flowing rivers. Most of which with the weirs and locks on then are navigable to boats a lot bigger than British Narrow boats.
We are currently at Le Lude on the Loir (110ft above sea level) a tributary of the Sarthe and the chateau here is poised a dizzying 30ft above the river on “high” ground.
I hope that the next few days will see no more of the sort of ground we have been covering and the soils seem sandier and better drained than further north. But we shall not get above 500ft for several weeks until south of Poitiers, and over 1000ft until south of Limoges, as we reach the watershed between those rivers draning northwards into the Loire and those southwards into the Dordogne which loops south then west to enter the sea with the Garonne in the Bordeaux estuary.

07.06.08

Day off in Le Lude.

Morning well spent talking to tourist information lady, getting campsite info and washing. Afternoon visiting the local chateau in town which was more interesting than most being still lived in and with a guide who made the effort to speak both French and English. Medieval stronghold pre 100 years war, captured and held for a few year by the English, protected better than many during La Revolution with many treasures rediscovered during a major reconstruction in the 19th century and more or less in the same family since (haven’t the French heard of inheritance tax?). Very well preserved and although the pictures of the past family members got a bit much there was a very nice old Flemish oil painting. Though the highlight were the old kitchens with wood burning ovens and copperware with vaulted ceilings still used to make the preserves on sale at the gate.
We had our first barbecue ce soir which explains the lateness of this blog . On the banks of the Loir with some dry wood and the grill Tony has been carrying, we had to use it or it would be going home next week.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

06.06.08

Bazouges sur Loir to Le Lude.

Both these towns are on the Loir, a tributary via the Sarthe of the Loire (which is the one you’ve all heard of). Both are very pleasant with a river big enough to boat on may be the size of the Wye at Hay, but since we are still in the flatlands they are slow flowing and with weirs to control and increase volume of water retained.
They are however 18 miles on foot apart. It was a good day with about half of the walking on roads and half on forest tracks (without significant mud or water). Le Lude is a bit bigger and has allowed us to solve two impending problems , a bank with a guichet (or ATM), and a 24 hour petrol station which allowed us 650mls of unleaded at 1.20 Euros without asking awkward questions in a language we are ill prepared to answer in. Thus we now have money and stove fuel.
On the way here we saw a hare, it started up from a ditch by a house we passed and ran 50yds down the road. We suffered the addition of about 3/4mile to our route to go round what we believe to be a hunting enclosure for boar.
The camping here is by the river and we will stay here for tomorrow to gather a bit of data about the next leg to Saumur about which we have little idea of where to stay apart from one site in a not ideal position. We need to talk to the nice lady in the tourist info who was just shutting up shop as we arrived and was already late.
Photo of the Chateau at Le Lude which is quite startling in the middle of a small town.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

05.06.08

Thursday Precigne to Bazouges sur le Loir

A good afternoon drying and we walked out in good order today, it was not to last. The route joined the GR and passed through the usual pleasant green lanes, some of which had been mown presumably by the local communities, the lanes gradually became boggy and then disappeared under water, we did our usual trick of getting through the hedge to find a nearly dry green lane paralleled ours. Great we thought, but after a few hundred yards the green lane entered a meadow with planted trees and there was now a wide full ditch between us and our original path. It rapidly became apparent that this was a water meadow and loud cursing could be heard as the water level topped the boots. At this point with one of your gallant heroes up to mid calf with full boots and the other removing boots and socks for sandals finding dry land was a priority. This appeared as a metalled road on the other side of a 4 foot ditch crossed on a bridge of sighs, creaks and snappings of some well seasoned old branches. As we gathered our wits and assessed the situation it became apparent that apart from one of us undoing the good of the previous afternoon re prevention of trench foot, we were unscathed. But were rapidly being treated as donors by the local mosquito population, still even if France is no longer rabies free it does not have malaria.
We had lunch in the pleasant town of Durtal and then through wooded hills (well what passes for hills round here, 300 feet above sea level) and down to the town of Bazouges with some nice old buildings on the opposite bank to the campsite.
We then shopped in the corner shop run by a pleasant Moroccan Frenchman and even managed a conversation about Moroccan cooking!!. It may be that since French was not his native tongue either he was more willing to try hard to be understood. Confit de citron preserved lemons.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

04.06.08

Sable sur Sarthe to Precigne.

A rest day! Well only 6 miles, late start tents almost dry, finish for lunch and washing with a good chance of drying . Another interesting stile – see the blog still to come (too many photos to upload from here). We first walked into town to cross the river and picked up the GR 365 on the opposite bank, after ¾ hour we were 100 yards from our camp last night, another dog leg in the route results in us being only 4 miles away from yesterday but 6-7miles walked. The walk down the bank was much better than on the roads and startled this frog ? species with a bright green stripe from nose to tail.
Now at our ease in the Municipal at Precigne watching washing dry (hurray) , a necessary duty as clouds still threaten, but currently in warm sunshine.
When clothing suitably dried, then time to stroll into town to find a cool beer and other liquids to go with tonight’s tea.
Feet feeling relaxed today after just a few miles and not too much road walking.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

03.06.08

St Denis to Sable sur Sarthe

We knew these two days would not be fun, we had 30 miles by direct road to link up the 2 GR systems. This second day was well started by the previous afternoon in St Denis with sun and breeze so we started drier than for some days. It was still trying to rain but very slowly cleared during the day. The meteo Tim saw on the papier of the monsieur in charge of the café/bar we had coffee in yesterday agreed with Geoff’s text that we may be due a few days good weather, I hope so, this may mean we can smell less like the pilgrims of old. We arrived in Sable at about 1400 and pitched tents to dry them out 17-18 miles today and then walked into town. The site has red squirrels, seen as we arrived and the weather has looked up since, now sitting in the evening sun drying out after a meal that only had to be carried 1 km from town. ( So for Ali, plenty veg melon and nectarines and tomatos, as well as the standard bottle of wine, missing for the last 2 days ). Next few days are not problems of carrying food or shopping and so we look to be in or around Saumur for the arrival of our two gracious ladies. (The first supply visit).
Really no interesting pics to show views or whatever so some sculpture from Sable from our shopping expedition and a view of the Harris Butchers bag that has been with him since Tim started (thanks Mark).

Link to where we are on Google Maps

The End of the Day.

This was on the Campsite at St Denis in a brief moment between heavy thunderstorms.

02.06.08

Laval to St Denis du Maine

Set off in the rain after a wet night. Walking down the main road for the first hour in the rush hour in the rain with articulated lorries only inches away was no fun but it made the rest of the day during which rain was intermittent on the side roads seem quite pleasant by comparison. Much of the day looked like the photo.
We arrived at St Denis at about 13:30 having covered 15 miles and starting at 07:30, well we certainly didn’t want to stop. Found the campsite very nice on the shore of a small lake, but it is Monday so no shops or bakeries open. Still we have food for tonight and a Mars bar got us here. I think both our BMIs are dropping.
However the afternoon provided some precious drying time a breeze and the sun came together, even though clouds threatened and close observation was needed to prevent steps backwards in the drying process. Someone’s socks have been wet for days!!!
A little amble up into the village to see a) the local hotel closed and up for sale (anyone fancy a little lifestyle change?) b) the historic church stuffed full of statues, limestone frieze, carvings and C14 wallpaintings (so much to see in 1 place with an English soundtrack) and c) the ancient village washhouse which seemed to be a large wooden platform that could be lowered into the river.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

01.06.08

Sunday Port Brillet to Laval or St Pierre le Potier just south.

Comfortable night spent out of the rain in the Auberge, started walking at 08:00 after le petit dejuener. Got a different baguette from the boulangerie opposite, with seeds (Les Grivels I think) very good for lunch.
Tony got fairly stressed when his HTC Kaiser (phone, pda, gps, camera et al) refused to boot up at the start of the route, but after much bad language, and a phone call home to discover how to do a hard reset on the device (how can you press all those buttons with only 1 pair of hands), he finally got the machine going again and all the software reloaded. It’s amazing what you can do when you are walking along.
Uneventful walking along green lanes paralleling the main line into Laval, until I was startled (Tim) by the TGV to Laval that crept up behind me, I thought I was being run over.
At one point the pathway did a detour of ½ mile or so to get over the A81 autoroute. Why? The path was there first! Why wasn’t there a suitable bridge over the motorway similar to the superb bridge that takes the Pennine Way over the M62 in Yorkshire?
We walked through Laval and down the River Mayenne which is navigable with quite large locks and weirs and a superb chateau close to the river.
Our first choice campsite had closed – taken over by a Macdonalds and a van sales yard – such is progress. We also chose to sit in a bus shelter like 2 vagrants for 15 minutes or so when the rain got particularly heavy while waiting for the rain to ease. Why does the 2 km you don’t feel you should have to do feel the worst?

Link to where we are on Google Maps