Tag 29 AZAY-LE-RIDEAU 02.09.2022

So today we packed everything that we didn't have in the bike bags into suitcases and backpacks and loaded them onto the Wilde Hilde. Then we headed towards the main road at our hotel and left Tours straight over the Loire bridge and a bridge over the Cher and reached the official Loire bike path (Velo Loire). We asked three times to make sure we were going the right way!

Before long, we were stopped by an Englishman and his son who were having problems by the side of the bike path. One of the pedals on the child's bike had come loose and they didn't have any repair tools because they had rented the bikes from their hotel nearby. So we offered to help and used our wrenches to assist them. We didn't anticipate that the father would also need ointment and a plaster, but he was very grateful.

It didn't take long and we were in Savonnieres. During the preparation, Karin had discovered the opportunity to visit a cave here. Surprisingly, we were the only guests for the next tour and enjoyed our guide speaking English (with information in German). The caves were very interesting and we learned a lot about the development of limestone and its consequences. We weren't aware that most castles and palaces were built from this material. The difficult process of mining underground and transporting the limestone to the construction sites was explained vividly. Until recently, the caves were used as event locations (bar, restaurant), then as mushroom cultivation fields (always at 14° Celsius), and now as storage space for local wines.

The next stop was the gardens of the Villandry Castle. We arrived there in a little rain and visited the impressive garden grounds in very humid weather. It is truly impressive how the engineers of the royal residences and their associated gardens adapted to the respective eras. Such a complex is certainly not created in just a few years. Each new owner, which sometimes changed quickly depending on the favor of the king, always tried to incorporate their personal style.

But it's not just the exteriors of these monuments that interest us! From Villandry, we then cycled to Chateau Azay-le-Rideau. I was starting to get tired, but we had already bought the tickets in Tours and wanted to complete our personal itinerary. Here, we could see from the inside how the rooms were divided and furnished back then. An explanation in German and the successful design made our visit a success.

We got our accommodations (with a breakfast) at a cheaper price directly, compared to booking through booking.com, and we were happy when we finally lay down on the two single beds after a refreshing shower. It's not always spotlessly clean (staircases, corners in the rooms, shower and toilet areas), but the bed linen and towels are always okay! So in the evening, we wandered through the town. This weekend happened to be the annual big market, and we enjoyed the diverse offerings. For dinner, our choice, or rather unfortunately mine, was typical Breton sausages. Karin enjoyed her meal, which was served in a wheat pastry in the shape of a tulip, while I ate something similar in the form of a sausage. Karin found it delicious and well-seasoned, while I didn't want to know the exact contents. Two glasses of red wine aided my digestion, and I don't want to eat that again!