It was a wet morning, so we had a leisurely start and Graham went out to source pastries for a late brunch whilst we waited for the rain to pass.  It was still drizzling when we set off to Villandry around 12:30 but the sky was definitely looking brighter as we left Tours. The rain stopped as we made our way along the La Loire a Velo cycle path through fields of barley and maize. continued...

Georgie and Graham set off early to buy some mugs and a gel seat for the bike.  Si and I waited for the host to arrive to check that we hadn’t run off with the keys from the historic apartment. continued...

Two quick stops to buy bread, pastries and lunch supplies and we were on our way out of Loches on a route that ran parallel to our way in the day before.  We picked up a lovely cycle path and meandered through quiet back roads to Chedigny – the village of the Roses, and the first village in France to be declared a “remarkable garden”. continued...

Chateau du Clos Luce, where Leonardo Da Vinci spent the final three years of his life, was only a short distance from our accommodation.  Getting there early meant that we had the pick of the bike rails to secure our fully-laden bikes. continued...