86 Kms Down, 2,614 To Go

We left Saint Nazaire at around noon (we had some organizing to do, like getting local cel phones, a bike rack for the van etc) and I started our journey with my feet in the Atlantic Ocean. We then cycled through towns like Paimbeouf, Le Pellerin, Nantes, and the picturesque sounding Mauves sur Loire. It was a mix of country roads, and paved bike paths, hilly for the first thirty K or so, then flat as we approached the Loire and cycled next to it. There are a series of paved paths called Les Promenades de la Loire, right along its bank, very serene and beautiful, surrounded by vineyards.

On one of these pathes, near the town of Indre I found myself in the middle of a dilapidated gypsy trailer village, shown in the photo below, surrounded by a crowd of bare foot children asking me to take pictures of them (but not begging for money). The contrast between the beauty of the Loire, and the squalor of the Gypsy encampment was jarring. They just seem to be dumped there.

We then containued on to Champtoceaux, where we are staying at a lovely auberge, with an excellent resto, we even enjoyed a locale muscadet with dinner.

Tomorrow is another day, we will try to leave by 9,30 so we finish our ride a little earlier than today.