Rolled out of our countryside gite just past eight, met up with Terrance at the other lodging (the group had been split between two places, not uncommon when we’re in smaller places) and headed back to Chinon for another look around, as we’d just rolled through yesterday.
Today was a short stage, less than forty km, so we took our time, had an early coffee in Chinon, then headed along the Vienne river back toward the Loire.
After lunch at a park beside the Loire, we headed up to the Abbey Fontevard for a quick look. It was unique in having both monks and nuns (in strictly separated parts of the complex) but with a nun, the Chief Abbess, in charge of the whole thing, including the monks, as a result of the wishes of the abbey’s founder.
After that we rode to Saumur and found the night’s accommodation, a quite nice hostel on an island in the Loire.
After getting settled I headed to the local train station and booked my train ticket back to Paris from Nantes on the 17th of July, with the bike.
That gives me two full days and the morning of the 17th in Nantes after we arrive there, and the full day of the 18th in Paris for packing the bike up and hanging out before I fly out on the morning of the 19th.
Off to Angers tomorrow, a slightly longer day of 60-some km.
