Nevers to Chateauneuf-sur-Loire - Day 7-9

 We stayed in Nevers for two nights and left on June 7th at 10 am to meet our friend Sandra at the bridge. While waiting there, another cyclist from Quebec, Rene arrived and was asking directions. It was his first day. So he joined us or the rest of the day. We stopped at a small village and bought supplies for lunch and then continued to 30 km for lunch. The ride turned out to be the longest yet at 74 km and an 800 ft 2 km climb at the very end of the day to our Panoramic hotel in Sancerre. 

The next day we woke up to heavy rain so we delayed our start to 11 am when the rain was a bit lighter. Then took the 2 km downhill and then headed west along the Canal Lateral. The trail was along the canal path, Loire River, and levee tops. It rained hard several times during the day. We arrived in Briare at 4:30 pm with everything covered with white mud of the trails. We rode 54 km and 558 EG. 

We left Briare in good weather and had no rain today. We rode through several small villages and long the canal and river Loire at times. Had lunch in one village on a bench. After 30 km we arrived in Sully-sur-Loire with castle dominating the skyline. We stopped and visited the medieval castle of Sully with 265 steps through the different rooms. Then another 20 km to Chateauneuf-sur-Loire in head wind. It has been very windy every afternoon riding north and west. Our Gite in Chateauneuf has been some experience. No towels, no soap, semi-clogged drains, and not cleaned for rental interior.  

We went to the Friday market in town and bought lots of vegetables and fruits for the next few days. I'm not sure who will carry them. 

Digoin to Nevers

 In Digoin the two major canals coverage. On our day off we visited the ObseraLoire next to the lateral canal and determined our direction out of town. On the next day we bicycled over the canal bridge over Loire River and continued on the quiet and flat canal pathway for 33 km.  It turned out to be a lovely sunny day.  

Right before Bourbon-Lancy where the trail ended we past an American couple from Wisconsin going the opposite direction. We stopped and chatted for while and got advice on the rest of the days ride. We had met a French cyclist Alain who was also trying to determine the direction, but he was much faster and had gone ahead. 

After we took the direction given by the American couple we followed D15 to D30 in direction of Cronat and just before we reached Cronat and while crossing the Loire once again run into Alain coming in the opposite direction!!!  It turned out that he had taken a much hillier route and even though much faster we had cought up with him.  We rode 55 km with EG of 381 ft.  

That night in Cronat a major weather system came through with a lot of thunder and lightning and heavy rain setting off the church bells several times.  Our next days ride was also along the canal pathway quiet, flat, beautiful and sunny in the afternoon. 

Towards the end of the day we came to another Frenchman bicyclist stopped on the side of the road. We stopped and asked where he was going. He pointed to his nose and said I am follow my nose!  The nice man gave us a small map brochure of the area since we didn't have a map of the area.  

We rode 59 km and EG of 397 ft, having to dodge all the tree branches and debris from the storm the night before arriving at Nevers about 3:30 pm . 

Days two and three - Cleppe to Digoin

 Wed. June 1, We left our hotel in Cleppe near Loire River and headed north as the rain started.  This ended being a very picturesque, hilly, and long day. We rode 60.2 km with an elevation gain for the day of 3,238 ft. It was very hilly.  At noon we stopped in Jodard at a small grocery store and bought local cheese, smoked Salmon, yogurt, and Apple's for lunch.  The lady shop owner was from Morocco and gave us some dates. We then rode another 5 km to le Roche castle and had a picnic under some trees and away from the rain.  The rest of the ride was still up long steep hills and then down the other side. We arrived in Roanne at 4:30 pm cleaned up and rested until headed out to a restaurant across the street for a dinner of tastey roasted chicken and fish.  

Thursday June 2, we left our room at 9:30 am after a hearty breakfast.  It looked like it was going to rain again but after an our the sun came out and it warmed up. About 2 km from hotel we found the bicycle path running along the canal and was able to follow it to Briennon. From there we crossed the river Loire and found the Void Verge which took us for 45 km north and then west to Digoin. We stopped at 25 km and had lunch of our leftovers from the day before. Today's ride was even longer at 69.2 km.  But the trails were flat with an elevation gain of only 413 ft.  However this was very welcomed as we were very tired from yesterday's ride and the long ride today. Our hotel is lovely and we are having dinner at the hotel tonight. 

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Our start in the rain just east of Loire. 

Lunch break in St. Martin

Hotel in Clippe. 

Crossing Loire

Le Roche Castle

Canal de Roanne a Digoin. 

Lunch on the Voie Verte. 

Our hotel in Digoin. 

Canal lateral a la Loire, passing over the Loire River. 

L’Eglise