After 11 relaxing days by the Atlantic in Le Gurp (I took these photos in 2005 the last time I was there) and having done quite a bit of gentle cycling through the pine forests of the Medoc, including a lovely 100 km trip along the Gironde to see the Rothschild vineyards, my legs were itching to cycle along the Loire, the last untamed river in Europe. Having been to the Loire region 4 or 5 times already in my life, my main interest was not so much the lower reaches (where all the famous chateaux are to be found), but the stretch from Orleans onwards heading upriver.

Day 1: Friday 31 July
Le Gurp – Royan Ferry 20 km, ave. speed 23 kmh
Royan – Nantes, awful 5-hour train journey
Nantes – Montjean-sur-Loire 80 km, ave. speed 21 kmh
The day starts early as I have to catch the ferry over the Gironde to Royan. The family also gets up early to wish me luck, and we arrange to meet if possible on Sunday evening in Chateauneuf-sur-Loire, where they are staying overnight as they drive back to Germany. I have a tight schedule as the ferry only runs every 30 minutes and my train leaves at 9 o’clock. As luck would have it a ferry is waiting and once in Royan I find the railway station quickly. I pass by the wacky church again – very strange architecture.
I am travelling to Nantes, changing in Saintes. This is the first time I’ve travelled with a train and a bike in France. It will also be the last time. Getting in and out of the trains is almost impossible. And once on the train you have to negotiate a narrow corridor and then manoeuvre the bike into a small compartment. A nightmare.
At least getting out of Nantes is not too bad and I am soon riding alongside the Loire. Unfortunately there are so many trees that I only catch a glimpse of the river with its islands and sandbanks every few minutes. Even in summer, when there is not so much water flowing in the Loire, it makes for a magnificent sight. After 15 kilometres comes Mauves and it is time to cross the Loire for the first time. Although I’ve been to the Loire region several times, I’d forgotten how big the bridges are. This one is nearly a kilometre long! The EuroVelo6 now leaves the river and climbs a hill, passing splendid vineyards. The effort is well worthwhile, the vista is amazing. In the space of the next 15 km I have to cross the river again twice. I then get lost as there are no signs for the official route, but using my bell’s integrated compass and the map I find an alternative route. Once again the route leaves the Loire and runs parallel to the river but several hundred metres away, so you could just be cycling through open country and not by a river. Come early evening I camp for the night in Montjean-sur-Loire, with an impressive view of the local church perched on the top of a hill.
On this first day I’ve not been entirely convinced by the route taken by the EV6 so far: It just seems to be avoiding “busy” roads wherever possible (they are not very busy at all), and criss-crosses the river for no apparent reason. And the signs take some getting used to: They are placed illogically for anyone cycling along the route. Often positioned at strange angles, anyone cycling towards them cannot actually see them. At least the maps are excellent, with route markings that give a good indication of the true state of the cycle route and the surfaces. I have already seen that the rough bits are very rough indeed, and I can sense that I will be diverging from the official route in the days to come.

Day 2: Saturday 1 August
Montjean-sur-Loire – Vouvray 180 km, ave. speed 21 kmh
I’m on the road by 8:30, the weather is a bit overcast, which should be a blessing as I fancy a long day in the saddle and can live without the scorching sun. I immediately cross onto Ile des Chalonnes, an island right in the middle of the river. This is probably the biggest of the Loire islands: 10 km long and well over 1 km wide in parts, lots of agriculture and farmhouses. About half way across the island I pass a poster with a picture of Lenin, advertising “Le Lenin Café”. What a surreal place for such a café. I just have to stop to take a photo – the poster is funny – and as I’m wearing the jersey of our local left-wing road racing collective it seems appropriate.
As I cross the bridge and leave the island I overtake a guy on a road racer. A few minutes later he’s back on my tail. He obviously wasn’t to be outdone by a “cycling tourist”. We start chatting (the usual round of questions). It soon turns out he’s 70 years old – Christ he’s fit – and we’re heading in the same direction for a while. This means I can ignore the map and just follow him. And follow I must as the he leads me up the hills through the vineyards. (I think this was a trick on his part to slow me down, but at least I get to ride in his slipstream!). We end up riding together for an hour and a half until Les Ponts-de-Cé, a very picturesque, old town built on an island in the Loire. It also has a canal and is thus blessed with not one but three impressive stone bridges. After crossing the Loire yet again, the official route keeps very close to the river for 10 kilometres or so until the town of Gennes. And then I can hardly believe my eyes. Sitting at a café across the road are two good friends of mine from our little same cycling collective. They can hardly believe their eyes either. What totally unexpected joy! And to cap it off, we’re all wearing our "team" jerseys. We had no idea we would all be in France at the same time, let alone in the same area.
Half an hour later we drag ourselves away from one another and I head off alongside the river again. The sight of large numbers of the typical Loire barges ("gabares") prompts me to make a rare photo stop. More bad signposting just outside the town of Saumur sends me on a wild goose chase – up a hill naturally enough! And to make matters worse I have a puncture (not me obviously, one of the tyres). Can't complain, only my second one with over a thousand miles under my belt in the past 3 weeks.
Once past the confluence of the Vienne and the Loire I decide to leave the official route (which makes various detours to take in the chateau at Chinon), instead following a main road back to a route right next to the river. I now pass my first atomic power station in France. It has a very ominous sign: “Beware of the fog”. The thought of atomic fog soon has me pedalling for all my little legs are worth. I pass the fairytale chateau at Ussé (I’m really not in the mood for traipsing round castles on this trip, having visited many of them in the past), opting instead (and quite wisely in my humble opinion) for alc-free beer by the river at Bréhément. The route now follows the course of the River Cher, yet another of the many rivers that feed the Loire, into Tours. As much as I hate crossing major cities, I have to say that Tours was relatively easy and around 8:30 I arrive in Vouvray and my campsite for the night. Vouvray has an excellent reputation for fine wines. But as all the bars in the town had closed by the time I’d pitched tent, showered and eaten (10 o’clock) I had no chance to sample them. You can tell we’re out in the sticks here.

Day 3: Sunday 2 August
Vouvray – Chateauneuf-sur-Loire 160 km, ave. speed 20 kmh
As I have a rendezvous with a delightful lady this evening, it’s another early start. Again I diverge from the official route, preferring instead to take the “high road” to Nazelles, passing through the little villages along the valley of the River Cisse. A wise move as I pass lots of nice stone houses – as well as some troglodyte houses. But as I can't see the Loire I decide to drop down towards Amboise, which I last visited 30 years ago. If you are ever anywhere near this town, it is a MUST, with a stunning chateau and, above all, the Leonardo da Vinci Museum (he lived here at the end of his life). I now opt to use the main road rather than the official route, there's not that much traffic and I want to see the Loire, not rejoining the EV6 until I reach the bridge at Chaumont (with a superb view across the river to the eponymous chateau). Shortly afterwards the signposting is again terrible, all compounded by a confusing plethora of minor roads. I'm not the only one having problems. Another lad on a fully-laden bike tells me he's been going round in circles for nearly a quarter of an hour. The "Loire à Vélo" is really not all it is cracked up to be in this respect! My annoyance at this minor blemish on the day is soon dispersed by an excellent bakery (the French really do know how to make gorgeous pastries) and then the glorious stone bridge at Blois, which I always find inspiring. After Blois the route sticks close to the river and is mostly along tree-shaded avenues (unfortunately not asphalted), that offer welcome respite from the sun. A stop for coffee and a water refill in the sleepy town of Beaugency precedes the day’s daunting task: Crossing Orleans. Again the signposting leaves a lot to be desired. And for some reason the route is funnelled through a park area that is a very popular recreational area. Not really the best choice for a major cycle path. And the EV6 is very popular. The number of cyclists with fully-laden bikes and trailers has been steadily on the increase ever since Tours. A stark contrast to my first Traverse de France. The route to Jargeau and then Chateauneuf is now along the aspahlted levee (dike). After a lot of rough surfaces in the course of the past 3 days, asphalt – even French asphalt – makes for a pleasant change. As will a hotel bed tonight – I haven't slept in a bed for three weeks.

Day 4: Monday 3 August
Chateauneuf-sur-Loire – Sancerre 110 km, ave. speed 18 kmh
After a good night’s sleep and after bidding adieu to the family, I set off along the Loire full of anticipation today: My destination is Sancerre, and along the way I’ll be passing Briare, both lesser known than many other places on the Loire but both vaunted as highlights of any Loire trip. I also resolve to take it easy today, having covered 440 km in the past 3 days. Just outside Chateauneuf the route again leaves the river, going across country for 5-6 km to the old port of St-Benoit-sur-Loire. The village is dominated by a mighty abbey, but for me the most impressive sight is formed by the charming cottages. The village could be something out of a Thomas Hardy novel. You’d certainly be hard pushed to believe you’re in the 21st century. The route continues across country (although the map shows a section of the EuroVelo6 due for completion by the end of 2008, there is no sign of or for it) to Sully, which boasts the last major chateau on the Loire. A mighty edifice it is too.
As of now the Loire changes character; gone are the bombastic chateaux and the countryside is much gentler. There are fewer tourists but more cyclists (quite a few recumbent bikes) with all kinds of trailers. I also notice the Koga getting some envious looks (remember the eleventh commandment: “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s bike”). Shortly before Gien comes a 4-km section of “medium”, non-asphalted quality according to the legend of the official route map. It is a mixture of deep potholes and sharp stones, all held together with loose gravel. If this is “medium”, what is a “poor” section like? I also realize that I’ve had 2 punctures since leaving home, and as I only brought 2 spare inner tubes, I’ll be in deep shit if I get a puncture now. Must do some repairs tonight! Gien looks attractive, but it’s on the wrong side of the river and Briare is coming up anyway. I content myself with a few photos while eating lunch next to the river. I’d been looking forward to Briare and its famous 600-metre-long aqueduct for weeks. I was not disappointed – it is one of the most impressive sights I’ve ever seen. The town is also very attractive – probably due to the fact that so many waterways come together here – and also boasts a mighty church, which I was about to take some photos of when another cyclist started badgering me with questions about the Koga, thus prompting a 20-minute chat and making me forget the church entirely.
The next 10 km section is truly idyllic: Houses relatively close to the river, with gardens coming right down to the riverside and the cycle path; children playing on the sand banks in the middle of the river. The idyll is spoilt by the nuclear power station at Belleville (second one today) and more signposting conspicuous by its absence! The next 20 km are again through woods and nice open country to the village of Bannay (with a church that thinks it’s a chateau) before using the towpath of the “Canal Latéral à la Loire” all the way to Sancerre. It’s a pity the towpath is not asphalted, however. Riding on deep gravel for 10 km is bloody hard work at the end of the day.
The nearest camp-site is just outside Sancerre, and although located right next to the Loire, it’s a devil to find with the maze of canals and locks. Once the tent is pitched and I’ve showered, I do my food shopping and then tackle the hill up to Sancerre itself. It’s a big hill, rising 140 metres over just 2 km. I must have looked a sight riding up the hill with "crocs" on my feet and a pannier full of food on the back of the bike (baguette suitably jutting out the top). The effort was well worthwhile. The view from the ramparts of the town is stunning – you can see for miles. The town itself is charming too, with lots of narrow alleyways, stone buildings, and its famous wines of course. I restrict myself to a single glass of rosé as I know I’ll be going down the hill at nearly 50 kmh – and that’s with the brakes on!
Today has been the most impressive day by the Loire for me, probably because this section was relatively new to me, rather than because my pace was a little gentler. I can highly recommend a visit to both Briare and Sancerre.

Day 5: Tuesday 4 August
Sancerre – Decize 110 km, ave. speed 17.5 kmh
Having slept well I wake around 6 and realize that the camp-site is right next to the Loire. Armed with a freshly brewed cup of coffee I go and sit by the river for nearly an hour – just watching the mist slowly disperse. At moments like this I can almost see the attraction of angling. Almost. The route once I leave the campsite follows the course of the Loire and affords an excellent view of Sancerre throned on its hill. My first port of call today is La Charité-sur-Loire. A large chunk of the town is built on an island in the centre of the river; an imposing sight with its two mighty bridges. With its massive stone-built church, cobbled streets and antiquated bookshops, the town has an almost medieval feel to it, and as I sat at a café I half expected to be pounced upon by the Inquisition at any minute. Leaving the official route I use the main road (no traffic at all!) that runs directly alongside the Loire’s lateral canal. It is a strange feeling when you pass by a pleasure boat seemingly gliding along the water so close to the road that you can easily hold a conversation with those on board. Originally constructed when the waterways were the main means of transporting goods and produce, the Loire canal is now the exclusive domain of pleasure craft and holidaymakers. After an hour’s cycling alongside the canal I arrive at the confluence of the Loire and the Allier, and whilst crossing the road-bridge over the Allier I can see a boat seemingly floating across a similar bridge of the same height some 20 yards away – another aqueduct on the Loire canal. The official route now uses the canal towpath (freshly asphalted). The shade afforded by the trees is very welcome on yet another gloriously sunny day. With the exception of the odd boat, the only other people to be seen are anglers, each of whom seems to have at least three rods in the water. Unfortunately, work on the asphalting of the towpath right through to Decize is still ongoing (due for completion in 2010) – and as we are in Burgundy, at times this inevitably means cycling over hills to rejoin the canal. When I arrive in Decize I am instantly disoriented (no signs for the campsite) and before I know it I've crossed four different bridges (over: the Loire, an old arm of the Loire canal, the River Aron, and the Nivernais canal). Water, locks and boats everywhere, lending the town real charm. I finally locate the campsite, nicely tucked away right next to the Loire and with a superb view of the bridge spanning the old arm of the river.

Day 6: Wednesday 5 August
Decize – Palinges 110 km, ave. speed 18 kmh
Tempted as I am to follow the official route today, and thus the Nivernais canal for a while, this would later entail a lengthy detour through the Burgundy hills to Bourbon-Lancy. Because I want to stay on the flat and close to the Loire canal I decide to take the main roads via Gannay-sur-Loire and Diou to Digoin. Luckily I meet an English couple in Gannay (the Union Jack flying on their tandem’s trailer was a dead giveaway!) who are cycling the EV6 in the opposite direction and who tell me that that the official route from Bourbon-Lancy to Diou is a dream of a cycle path and that the towpath from Diou to Digoin is more or less fully asphalted at last. They were right on both counts: The cycle path is one of the best I’ve encountered anywhere, and the towpath is an excellent alternative to the official route if you want to cycle along gently (20 flat kilometres next to a shaded canal, as opposed to 40 very hilly ones). Digoin is notable on two counts: Firstly it has a mighty aqueduct, and secondly this is where the EuroVelo6 bids farewell to the Loire, following from now on the Canal du Centre. This evening I wanted to stay in Paray-le-Monial, a well-known place of pilgrimage, but as there was a massive young people’s convention in the town, the town and campsite were both overcrowded. So instead I followed the canal along the main road to Palinges. And I’m glad I did. Another charming – and quiet – campsite right next to a lake.

Day 7: Thursday 6 August
Palinges – Seurre 140 km, ave. speed 19 kmh
I have a choice today as I head towards the River Saône: The official route, up and down hills in a circuitous fashion, or on “busier” roads but still right next to the Canal du Centre. I go for the soft option. This canal does not have the same charm as the Loire canal, but that could have something to do with the fact that there is no towpath for first 30 km as I pass through small “working” towns and then the ugly, former mining community of Montceau-les-Mines. Once there is a towpath, however, the riding is great, and it gets even better (even when there is no towpath and I use the main road) as it is all downhill. The boats now have to negotiate large locks every kilometre or so (sometimes 2 or 3 even closer together), a cyclist does not! In the course of 10 km I lose 170 metres in height until the canal levels out at St-Leger-sur-Dheune, and from then on there is a lovely shaded towpath all the way to the city of Chalon-sur-Saône. Despite the heat I decide to leave the official route and head into downtown Chalon so I can see its impressive bridges and architecture, and sample the wares from a bakery. As this is undoubtedly the hottest weather I've encountered since the day my knee-caps started sweating 3 weeks ago I take an hour’s break at a café right opposite the city’s imposing cathedral. I finish the day by cycling along and near the Saône to Seurre via Verdun-le-Doubs, where the Doubs flows into the Saône.

Day 8: Friday 7 August
Seurre – Baume-les-Dames 140 km, ave. speed 20 kmh
On leaving Seurre (a very dilapidated town) I again deviate from the official route somewhat and head straight across the flat countryside to St-Jean-de-Losne. I can tell that I am approaching journey’s end – the town’s church has the type of patterned roof that struck me four weeks ago when I first entered France. A couple more kilometres along the Saône, and then the EuroVelo6 follows the course of the Rhône-Rhine Canal. I deftly skip a ten-km detour taken by the official route, sticking instead to the canal towpath – a number of cyclists on road racers are using it this fine morning (it’s very bumpy and this is obviously where they all train for Paris-Roubaix!). Before long I’m in Dole, where I’d camped nearly 4 weeks previously, and I must admit to a feeling of regret that my holiday and “French adventure” are inevitably coming to an end. The canal is absolutely gorgeous from Dole onwards. First lined by an avenue of trees, at Rochefort-sur-Nenon the stunning landscape of the folded Jura mountains and the River Doubs begins to dominate. In addition, the canal is not recognizable as such: For the main part it is actually nothing more than the occasional lock at the side of the river to overcome differences in height (whereas the river has small stone cascades). At Thoraise it offers a true delight for the eye. While the river traces a 180-degree loop, the canal goes right through a mountain (unfortunately with no towpath – cyclists have to climb a steep hill).
Now comes a major shock: Dark clouds and the rumble of thunder, heralding a serious storm. I can also see lightning down the valley towards Besancon. The first rain on my second Traverse de France. It soon passes, and I ride on in light drizzle, passing Besancon through the pedestrian tunnel. A mistake as it turns out. 15 km later the heavens open and I have to seek refuge in a bus shelter. After half an hour the rain lets up and I decide to take a room for the night at the next available opportunity. Despite the drizzle, cycling along the Doubs is a delight. Tucked in between the hills and mountains of the Jura, the setting is beautiful. It is obviously a paradise for herons too. I must have seen 50 of these majestic birds in the space of 10 km. There are, however, no rooms to be had in any of the villages. Indeed there is very little infrastructure along this section of the river, and I end up cycling all the way to Baume-les-Dames. It's a wet end to an otherwise stunning day, and I can't help feeling I wished I'd spent the night in Besancon.

Day 9: Saturday 8 August
Baume-les-Dames – Basel 180 km, ave. speed 19 kmh
As I sat in my hotel room the previous evening I tried to plan how I would finish my “Traverse de France”. Now nearer to my final destination, Basel, than anticipated 2 days ago, do I stick to my original plan and follow the flat EuroVelo6 all the way to Basel (about 150 km) or do I ride along the EV6 to Froidefontaine and then cut across country to Basel, retracing the route I first took 4 weeks ago (probably only 120 km)? I opt for the former – after all it’s nice weather again. A decision I was to regret. The first 70 km along the Doubs to Montbéliard (a charmless town where the EV6 bids farewell to the gorgeous Doubs and then exclusively follows the Rhône-Rhine Canal and its side arm to Basel) were quite simply stunning. The initial section of the canal to Froidefontaine was also pleasant. Thereafter there is no infrastructure to speak of. No bars/cafés, no chance to refill my water bottles, none of the nearby villages had bars, cafés or garages that were open. None of the lockkeepers were working on the canal (the canal itself is hardly used by boats), so I couldn't get water there either. Shortly before Mulhouse is a café right next to the towpath. And that’s it. And then comes Mulhouse, where it's not possible to use the towpath as the canal passes the south of the city. Cyclists are sent off through the suburbs, and suddenly the signposting for the EV6 is non-existent! I get hopelessly lost. The area is deserted; the only people I find to ask directions don’t even seem to know there’s a canal or major European cycle path here. And to cap it all, what I see of Mulhouse is ugly. Very ugly in fact. After a frustrating hour cycling around in circles, I finally get pointed in the right general direction and manage to find the canal again. I’m still 40 or 50 km from Basel, so it's time to find a campsite or hotel for the night, preferably the latter so I can get a quick start in the morning and catch an early train from Basel back to Frankfurt. There are no campsites along this – admittedly very atrractive – section of the EV6, the few hotels are fully booked, and I end up cycling right into Basel. Mercifully – I already have 180 km on the tachometer – I find a hotel quickly, and after a well-deserved shower and eating the last of my provisions I head to a bar for some beers. The first one to wash away the frustration of the past couple of hours – the next two to celebrate what was a superb cycling holiday.

Postscript: It's now over two weeks since I completed my "Traverse de France". So what were the highlights? What were the low points? The only thing I should have done differently was to take more photographs (I only took about 60 myself, and have only used 25 of them to illustrate this "diary").
The lows: Very few and actually very minor – which comes as no surprise in view of the fact that I was on my bike. But there were some nevertheless...
1. The west wind on the penultimate day of my first crossing.
2. Getting across Mulhouse. Remember Michael Douglas in the film "Falling Down"? If you do, you get the idea.
3. Alberto Contador winning the real TdF, Jens Voigt crashing out of the TdF in the Alps and so close to Paris on what was probably his last TdF, George Hincapie failing to take the yellow jersey by 5 seconds at the end of the 2nd week of the TdF. There is no God. Trust me.
4. Travelling on a French train with a bike.
The highlights: There were far too many to mention them all! The main ones in no particular order of merit:
1. The River Doubs and canal between Montbéliard and Dole – I'm going back sometime soon.
2. The Burgundy, Limousin (Ambazac Hills), and Auvergne regions – in that order.
3. The courteous French car drivers (I cycled nearly 3000 kilometres in 4 weeks and never once waved a fist in anger, never once cursed a driver – not even under my breath) and the countless bar owners who always cheerfully refilled my water bottles.
4. Bumping into friends along the Loire, and all of us wearing our "club" jerseys – sublime serendipity.
5. The aqueducts and bridges of the Loire – simply majestic.
6. The stretch of the Loire between Chateauneuf-sur-Loire and Digoin.