Yes with all it's castles and little picturesque villages, it is definitely worth cycling, walking or canoeing this river with such a big history. With canoeing you have to know certain things, the Loire is a tricky river. Claiming deaths each year. Swimming is not adviced. Sand banks moves so watch where you are camping AND ALWAYS check the weather forecast before you set of!!!
Cycling gives you other challenges; the wind is my most hated. Second are those snotty people that think because they have the right gear, they are the lords of the pathway. I got snubbed many times especially by those sunday cyclists with all the newest top rated gear... but I met Phillipe(1), at a picnic spot at St. Remy La Varenne, we cycled along the road together although he could have gone faster but we chatted about things . Then he showed his new flashy bikebags; they were held together by barb wire!!!!He was not happy : they cost along and won't even hold for a couple of weeks. AND he got lost even though he has the booklet. That made me feel good .... until the next day, when I found myself WAY of the route and I had to push the bike up a hill, doing 10km more than I should have.
At times I just hated it all...one of days was when I finally got to the campsite but it was closed...then I saw 2 donkey's and a little tent. So I cycled in, nodded at the last and put myself as far as possible from her. I just did not want to be polite, the next morning at 7 she said"knock knock, are you coming out? For a coffee? Italian!!"
Wow. So that is how I met Claudie. She walks every year with her donkey's for a couple of months. Puts up a yurt in villages where she is invited and offers help to women and children with traumas. We talked so much that I ended up staying another night , she offered me a job: cycle ahead, with a trailer and the yurt , put it up for her... now that would have been a nice job EXCEPT that I was going to Bulgaria... did I tell you? That THAT was the plan..
Phillipe (2) was a present . He sat in front of his tent, grumpy, not saying "hello". So I put my tent the wrong way around as there was a family with 2 screaming kids, which they seemed to love and think we're the most lovely kids on earth (NOT).
The next day he catches up with me and starts talking....well we didnot just leave each other there. We met up for lunch, then at the next campsite. As he was much faster, I cheated and got on a train for 20km. Not calculating it right, so I got there before him....couldnot even lie about it.
This camping had indoor pool and a kebabplace around the corner. He talked about his travels, just amazing AND which was more amazing was that he did not laugh at my plan to get as Easy as possible. He gave me alott if good advice and one of them was "Kadiri island",Togian islands.💘 That was paradise:
But I am getting ahead of myself...i am still telling you about the Loire.
I will try to tell you about the nice encounters I had... especially the ones just before Dole.. but that is for my next letter...I don't want to keep you to long😉