NEUNG - 08-OCT

 

Today was our second ride in the Loire Valley. The terrain is very flat with lightly traveled roads and long straight stretches. Even though it is warmer here than at our last locations many of the roads are wooded sections through the forest. Not sure if the forests are original or plated to harvest the lumber which is stacked along the roadsides probably drying before heading to a sawmill. 

Our house is in a fairly modern subdivision which was probably farmland. Our closest neighbor is a donkey that lives in an enclosure which may be part of this house or the next one over. 

Houses here are more half timber with brick and cement filling the spaces between the wood. A far cry from the predominant stone structures in the Dordogne. Not clear the vintage but guess the medieval stone villages predate this areas. 

This town is planning a festival for breast cancer awareness. Pink umbrellas are hanging from everywhere. 

Gray herons are everywhere but we have yet to see a live one. We even have one in our back yard. 

Watch our for these critters which inhabit the surrounding woods and fields. They even have warning signs that have a picture of a deer and extend for 3 km - amazing how the animals can convert from miles to kilometers. 

A bit more creative this sculpture made from a dead log is actually mounted in the water giving a greater sense of realism. 

Early aviation started in France long before the Wright Brothers. Not sure if this is just a sculpture or replica of one of the earliest flying machines. 

We are always interested in what is growing along the way, especially those fields under cultivation. 

Had to use an image search to identify this one. It might be a wild sunflower plant but not sure what they do with it. Not the traditional sunflower plant we have seen all over the country. 

Since we finished our ride earlier than expected (flat rides go much faster with fewer stops) Kim wanted to drive over to see the actual Loire River. It was a lovely drive with an expectation for an ice cream stop before heading back. This was not to be since it is Sunday so any place that would have been open earlier in the day was closed by the time we arrived. Oh well, another day. 

There are many chateaus in this area so classic castles are plentiful. Having toured most of the most famous on earlier trips we are only planning to return to Chambord on tomorrow's ride and skip a return visit to the rest. This place was on our ice cream drive and dates back to the 17th century. It was an abbey not a chateau but equally majestic 

It has been repurposed as a Grand Hotel once the religious order vacated. More profitable. 

We made it to the river so our quest was successful. Lots of cyclists going in every direction on this warm, sunny, beautiful day. 

Not a lot of water but enough to qualify as an official river with a bridge crossing.