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Monday 22nd August 2016 Nevers to St Thibault It was a hot and cloudless day today. We left Nevers at about 10:00 and rode south over the Pont de Loire then picked up the ‘Loire à Velo’ cycle-way. This is a mix of cycle-way, back roads and towpaths with the route pretty well sign-posted but just needing the occasional nudge of assistance from the GPS. (The Satmap Active 12 GPS, by the way, is completely unequipped for dealing with the 1:50000 map of France which they sold me – there’s so much detail in it it takes ages to scroll up or down or zoom in; it needs a hefty increase in processor power!)
Anyway we bashed on and at lunchtime called in at the small village of Beffes where we got something to eat at a café called ‘La Crozet des Chemins’. They couldn’t do an omelette but we were able to have their ‘Vegetables Tatin’ with ‘salty ice-cream’. The salty ice-cream was actually ok. Unusual but ok.
When we’d finished there I crossed back over the canal we were to follow and waited for Andrew to finish faffing about. Minutes passed so I eventually decided to take a photo of myself whilst waiting and while I was thus occupied Andrew did indeed finish faffing and without bothering to look across the canal to where I was waiting he set off on the other side of the towpath. Busy taking my photo I hadn’t seen him and then waited another 10 minutes before going to investigate. Naturally I found him long gone by then and had to ring him up to find out where he’d got to. A bit annoying at the time but I then set off after him and caught up a mile or so further on.
Our next stop was La Charité sur Loire – slightly off the beaten Velo track but we crossed the river to see it and had a wander round the 11th century church of Notre Dame, a large, pale stone edifice bleached by the sun and with a host of house martins barrelling around its tower and eaves. Inside there was mould, dark and black, spoiling parts of the interior stonework, perhaps due to condensation from the hot, humid air coming in from outside and meeting the cold inner areas.
Carrying on we eventually came to Pouilly sur Loire, our target for the day but were unable to find any accommodation there, the only hotel, the Coq Hardi, being shut and due to re-open the next day. We decided to give up on Pouilly and carry on to Sancerre. It was very hot and sweaty now and really we were past Sancerre and almost into the neighbouring town of Saint Satur when we came upon the Hotel de la Loire, sited beside the Loire, of course, and actually in the small village of St Thibault. It cost us 92 euros but was a very nice place; we were put in the ‘Simenon’ room and after a much-needed shower and a wash of bits and pieces I read a bit of ‘Maigret and the Wine Merchant’ (in English) which had been left in the room for the cultural enrichment of guests.
For a meal that evening we only had to step across the road to the Ship restaurant where we got salad, omelette and a crème brulée for 20 euros and a bottle of rosé for another 18 euros. After that we decamped to the pub bit - it was just next to the hotel – and drank Grimburger beer (blonde and blanche) and played crib. Average speed: 10.3 mph Miles today: 50.2 Total miles: 50.2 St Thibault elevation: 482 ft | ||||||||
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