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...

We walked into town along the Loire and Graham spotted an animal swimming down the river. We guessed that it might have been a European beaver but weren’t sure as the tail looked a bit thin. We later decided it was a Coypu (or beaver rat). continued...

With an excellent boulangerie so close by, we made sure to stock up on some enormous pastries for morning tea before heading out of Blois on a couple of quiet roads before picking up the cycle path.  It was a much easier route out of town with none of the hills we had struggled up on our arrival.  continued...

It was a glorious morning as we headed into the local markets to stock up on supplies for the next two days.  The stalls radiated from the square through the side streets and we wandered them all before making our purchases. The cheese lady offered us a taste of the cheese we were proposing to buy, so we knew it was good.  continued...

After bidding farewell to Georgie and Graham who were heading to Paris, Si and I stopped by a nearby boulangerie for pastries and quiches for lunch before picking up the cycle route out of town. continued...

Our ride took us through the countryside before reaching the Briare canal bridge which was most impressive.  It was designed by Gustave Eiffel (of Eiffel Tower fame) and Dayde Pille and built between 1890 - 1894.  The canal bridge connects the Loire and Seine basins and spans the Loire to allow barges to directly connect the canal du Berry and the Canal Lateral a la Loire with the Briare canal.  continued...

A last minute decision to try some cheese tasting fortunately only required a minor deviation from our route.  We took the more gradual road to descend from the town and I stopped frequently to admire the scenic views across the valleys.  continued...

Knowing that we had a long 85km day scheduled, I had researched train routes the night before to give Simon the option of an easier day to help him recover from his cold.  We decided to catch a train that stopped at a station about 14kms from our destination.  It took a while to make the online ticket purchase and whilst having selected the option of travelling with bikes, we still weren’t sure that they would have a spot.  continued...

With Simon still recovering from his cold, we were determined to have a very restful rest day.  We headed out late morning to the boulangerie and bought a delicious cheese pastry and some pizza slices that we could heat in the oven for lunch. continued...

Prior to departure we walked up to the town square to buy lunch provisions at the Saturday markets.  Unfortunately, they were very small so it was fortunate that the boulangerie was open and we could buy bread and pastries, just picking up some fruit in the market.  As Si took the bikes out of their storage space, he discovered that I had a puncture which further delayed our departure. continued...

The route out of Palinges offered views that were reminiscent of the Devon hills. We cycled through farmland dotted with the odd large farmhouse before reaching Saint Vallier where we bought morning tea and lunch supplies.  The water tower on the way out of town was painted with an interesting seascape, including a turtle and crab. continued...

The Canal du Centre was undergoing repairs as we rejoined it, and looked like it had been out inaccessible for some time, with boats beached along its edge. However, it was soon back in full flow as we made our way to Chalon-sur-Saone for a late morning tea. continued...

Breakfast was subdued and a bit ordinary with prepackaged bread and croissants, sliced cheese and a few different jams.  Even the coffee was average though the strawberries from the garden were a highlight.  Catherine sat at one end of the table with two pieces of crustless white bread that she seemed to smother with (what looked like) mayonnaise and then dip in her tea.  20 minutes later we were back in our rooms and finalising our packing.  continued...

It was good to get confirmation that we were on the right route as we left Dole and continued along the Canal de Rhone au Rhin.  Our dining companion two nights ago had promised us lovely limestone cliffs and these soon became apparent. continued...

The rain started during the night, and was quite heavy when we awoke.  Due to excellent foresight, we had scheduled a rest day so took our time over breakfast with a couple of leisurely coffees before heading out late morning. continued...

One final view of the Citadel and its fluvial tunnel and we were back on the Doubs River.  After a while we picked up the Canal du Rhone au Rhin which travelled in parallel to the Doubs and we alternated between the two for much of the day. continued...

Our accomodation was on the Doubs River and we crossed back and forth over the river a few time before reaching the town of Sainte Suzanne. Interestingly, a few French people had commented that my name was French. The town had two claims to fame – its natural resources, including a cave with a spring, and a company that started making music boxes in 1833 and closed its doors in 1996.  continued...