It was strange cycling without the panniers, we felt freed and unencumbered as we cycled off on our first day out. We planned to cycle to the famous Chateau at Chaumont sur Loire via Seur and Candé sur Beuvron. The sun shone as we sped southwards along minor roads. The bridge at Seur took us over the Beuvre and we then tracked this small river towards Candé although mostly it was obscured by trees. Candé was at a picturesque crossroads, and we dallied to take in the beauty of the setting. An old disused bridge spanned the Beuvron next to today’s road bridge and offered a safe stroll across away from the busy road. On the opposite bank there was a lovely little bar where we had a welcome drink and bought a copy of L'Equipe before moving on. The flash floods up the Loire reached this far and caused the area to become waterloggged. Overlooking the Beuvron on the side of the hill was the church, which was rebuilt there because of the flooding at the lower level. No such luck for the villagers, their riverside houses would have been vulnerable and their meagre possesssions ruined.
From Candé we followed the Beuvron towards its confluence with the Loire. The off-road cycle path (pictured above) was idyllic, the silence along the riverbank only disturbed by the cries of the birds and the occasional "Bonjour" from fellow cyclists. After a short while we were joined by the magnificent Loire whose width always takes you aback. We accompanied it to the Onzain Bridge and beyond, and there in front of us the chateau of Chaumont nestled into the river side. Houses lined the roadside below, where we searched for a shop to buy a picnic lunch. The only place open provided us with a very modest meal of baguette and tomates, the latter two huge beefy types. We sat by the river on a shaded bench to eat and were enthralled by the everyday activites of passing boats and people enjoying the day doing very little, just like us.
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