Cycling along the Loire

For our second day together in the Loire, we focussed on cycling. Our starting point was Amboise, about an hour's drive from our house in Meusnes. We had a late start, so upon arriving in Amboise, we first looked for a good restaurant for lunch. Joy and Tristan worked well as a team to help us find a good restaurant.

After a delicious Italian meal, we were ready to set off on our journey along the Loire. We rented bicycles and helmets and set off through the beautiful countryside...

... a wonderful combination of wildflowers including poppies and wheat fields and vineyards...

...and, of course "La reine des fleurs!"

The cycling was on pretty flat roads once we got up to the escarpment that gave us a beautiful view of the gorgeous scenery, but that first part was a slog!

But every difficult task has its rewards, and where better to find those rewards than at a vineyard, tasting a variety of wines!

Now it's only natural that when one visits wine and tastes some that appeal, that one wants to bring some home. And you might think that since we were on bicycles, we couldn't bring much home, but that wouldn't deter Mario, who is one determined vinophile! With the help of some packing tape from the vineyard and two straps that came with our bicycles, he managed to bring home six bottles of precious wine for us to enjoy later. Resourcefulness is clearly one of his assets!

And so we returned home, having had a generous dose of fresh air, exercise and great food!