Holland December 2010

Woken up at 6.30 (5.30 UK time ) to be informed that breakfast was now being served. We had ours an hour later in the cabin, still an hour before we disembarked. Drove to Utrecht an explored the old part of the town. Car parking is mainly multi story car parks in the centre so we had to park just out from the centre. Had pea and ham soup for lunch. Visited the Rietveld Schroderhuis in the afternoon. The house is now Unesco listed and is an example of De Stijl movement, however the guide book was wrong and it was closed on a Tuesday. Drove to the hotel for a swim and time in the sauna instead.

Loire a Velo

After breakfast we cycled a 14 mile section of the Loire a Velo. Leaving the car in the hotel car park and and heading in an easterly direction alongside the Loire. The route was one of the prettiest we have done. It followed the banks of the Loire out of Saumur then climbed up through the vineyards and even the middle of a troglodyte street. We stopped at a local market to buy provisions for lunch: ham, yellow tomatoes and bread which we ate on the banks of the Loire before heading back to Saumur. We arrived back at 2.40pm with just enough time to drive to the Caves Bouvet Ladubay to taste the sparkling wine made by the "méthode traditionnelle" . We did not have time for a tour but managed to sample 2 whites, one rose and a sparkling red. It was now 3.55pm and time to set off to Le Neubourg. The French motorway system had been expanded since our 2 maps were published so we were pleased to find it was motorway almost all the way. We arrived in Le Neubourg in around 3 hours with a stop. The only downside being the 24 euro toll.
On arriving in the town we realised we had cycled though it last year on a Velo Verte.
The hotel turned out to be a modern construction with a pleasant well furnished large room. We ate in a nearby Creperie, the only resturant in the town that was open.

Decathlon Hopping

Google maps said it would take about four and a half hours to get to Samuar. We ignored the route which would have gone by the motorway from Bordeaux and went accross country. The first stop was just outside St Emilion at a large cooperative for some more wine tasting. The next stop was at the Decathlon in Angouleme the 3rd of the holiday. Cycling trousers fom the clearance rail and clear glasses purchased. Then it was a picnic lunch before heading to Oiron. Lady Grey had remembered a rather nice peppery wine we had tried several years before and wanted a 'degustation' from the producer. We arrived just after 5.00 having stopped in a second Decathlon. Our guide book said the cave was open until 7.00pm but it was shut and there was no answer from the phone. Managed to buy several bottles from a local supermarket, but will it taste the same?

Spotted a third Decathlon on entering Saumur but no bargains to be gained here.

The hotel in Saumur, Hotel Du Park, turned out to be modern comfortable but lacking some of the charm of an older building. We had time for a quick bike ride before dinner in the hotel. Planning to do some of the 'Loire a Velo' today.

Wine Tasting

The hotel turned out to we run by a friendly English couple which explained the perfect English we were greeted with on arrival. You must be “Mr T”. The room turned out to be is a little disappointing and did not quite live up to the reviews. Perhaps we were expecting too much. We ate in the restaurant. Then food was good but there was no choice on the set price menus.
Breakfast was the standard French fare. After breakfast we decided to go wine tasting. The owner Steve, suggested going to a local Duras vineyard and arranged a tour for 10.30. We had tried the wine the previous evening. The tour turned out to be a tasting. We preferred the cheaper whites and thought the red were a little disappointing. After purchasing a few bottles we headed into Duras. Another tasting at the Maison de Vin and then a quick tour of the town.
We the headed to a small village of Pomport just outside Bergerac to purchase some Chateaux Ladevignes we had in the Auberge de la Truffe earlier in the holiday. After that we had planned to do some canoeing on the Dordogne. However strong winds meant that the trip had been canceled for the day so instead it was into Bergerac for a tour round the historic centre.
We are eat in the hotel again. The meal was good and we opted for a menu with a couple of glasses of wine included. The whole area was suffering from a power cut. The restaurant was lit by candles and the chef managed to produce an improvised menu. Fortunately power was restored partway thought the meal.
Driving to Saumur on the Loire today.

Climbing the Largest Sand Dune in Europe

Arrived at the Dune du Pyla to find it is 4 euros to park the car - but free if you can make it up to the dune, climb it and back down in half an hour! On the dune itself, on the steepest side, there are steps to climb to the top. You are able to drag yourself up without the use of steps if you so wish. Good views from the top over the Landes forest and Cap de Ferret. Descended the dune to the sea and had a refreshing swim.

The Brexton Set came out for a picnic in the car park before a short drive to Arcachon Bay and the coast. Finished with a short ride on the Velo Verte path started a couple of days ago - but from the other end.

Drove to Les Remparts in Gensac. Slow getting around Bordeauxbur arrived in time for a evenning meal.

24th and 25th

Had a final swim in the pool before we left Le Clos Castel around
11.00. Stopped at the local Lidl for provisions before heading off.
Drove to Bazas to do a section of a Velo Verte which runs along an old
railway line. The only problem we had with the route was a section
that was blocked by the construction of a new road and the diversion
was not signposted. The total route was 71 km but we had to turn
around after 20. Had ice cream in Bazas before setting off to St Paul
en Born. Hotel is family run , our room is modern and recently
refurbished with an interesting taste in decor. Evening meals are
served between 7.30 and 8.00 and the bar shuts at 9.30!

25th August

After breakfast we cycled the 10 miles though the woods to the beach
Mimizan Plage. The beach was surprisingly pleasant. We returned to the
hotel for lunch in our room then hired a canoe for a 10 km trip. It
was a pleasant paddle thought the woods but the "river" was overgrown
in placed and we managed to get the canoe stuck within 20 feet of the
start. Decided to have a picnic by a local lake for our evening meal.

No WiFi at the moment so a full post and photos will appear later.

Vello Route Vallee du lot

Cycled for 54 miles up on the valley du lot velo route. The route is mainly on minor road and runs for 160 km in total. We cycled from Castelmoron to Penne D'Agenais.