October 5th, The Valley of the Kings, Part 2

The climb from my hotel on the banks of the Loire in Chinon, Hotel Agnes Sorel, takes me up a mile-long climb past the old city and out of the valley. Caves advertizing their local wine line the road. I can see the new construction off to my right, cranes on the horizon and modern buildings, but I head straight, preferring to leave Chinon a medieval memory. A couple of rondpoints and I'm riding to Huisme and back down to le Loire.

The sun is up a bit and we're looking at a high of about 16, cool enough for arm warmers. Steam is still rising from the river as I speed through Huisme and promptly miss my turn. I'm looking for the Route du Pont and I'm convinced it doesn't exist. The small departmental I'm on is fine, beautiful pavement and wonderful woods and river scenes. Small boats lie anchored in the river and I can't believe how good it feels to be on the bike today.

Rigny-Usse comes up just a few k's down the road and I discover the road to the bike route I was looking for. I stop and look over my shoulder and there is the Chateau Usse. Amazing, a cinderella castle rising about the Indre River and forests of the Loire.

The road is completely level, riding on the bank of the river. Some distance down the road, I see another cyclist with a high cadence, very thin and I tuck in to catch him. I'm doing about 22 and the catch is taking some time. Finally, I'm on his wheel. He's in a Caisse d'Eparne (literally--chest of savings) outfit and he must be 70 years old. Incroiable! He is all smiles when I joke about his 'club' and he asks me if I have Armstrong's legs in addition to his bike. I get stuck when he asks how much it costs, mixing up mil (french) with millionen (german). We laugh and he is off to Langeais and I keep going tout droit to Villandry.

The wonderful thing about travelling is it's ability to change the traveller, if the traveller is willing. Being alone and being on a bicycle seem to help the process. The bicycle is also a shared passion that connects our cultures. Breaking the wind for the group, waiting for someone to catch your wheel, offering to help fix a bike, are universal gestures that create goodwill and further connections. It's the initial mindset that is important, that willingness to be vulnerable. And it's something that comes with time and energy, but the results are worth it.

Another chateau in Villandry drives home the point the disparity between the royal and peasant classes. Each chateau rises above the cold, stone hovels that comprise the villages. I'm imagining how the revolution changed things here, wondering what happened to the owners of the chateau; were they dragged out and killed immediately? Did they face jail and trial and guillotine? Did they escape? Seeing the splendor now makes all of the dry history a bit more real.

I climb out of the valley, passing a cadre of older, British cyclists on the way up. On top, the land levels out into farmland and I can see the awful D751, the straightline back to the car in Chinon. I had planned to take it 21k back, but decide to slip back into the valley at Aznay and do a longer return loop on the quiet roads of the Loire.