Day 32 SAUMUR 09/05/2022

So, today I have to write something about the blog provider 'Vakantio'! As I hinted before, it suddenly became impossible for me to write new posts on our 'kardit-unterwegs' blog. Our theories that we had posted too much text and images in the past few days, or that we had violated unspoken rules with our expressions of opinion, or that we had no idea about the procedures at Vakantio, turned out to be all wrong. I had inquired about my problems via info@... to Vakantio, but got no response. So I simply created a new blog 'kardit-unterwegs2' and wrote our experiences there. During a phone call with Franzi, we learned that she couldn't open this new blog! Well, great, then we don't need to write anything anymore! On the same evening, I suddenly had a new icon on my Vakantio interface, 'Write a post'! So I started again. Only this time, the post was suddenly saved under our very old blog name 'kardit-unterwegs frankreich1', which I haven't been able to delete anywhere! Great!? Which interested reader is supposed to make sense of that!? In order to restore everything to its familiar form, I had to do something. And lo and behold, I found another new icon that wasn't there before!? All our now three different blogs listed and apparently editable individually. Or not? It should now be possible to summarize all written days in one blog, right? But I already have a feeling of unease and a loss of at least 3 hours!?

Therefore, first of all, let's talk about today! We wanted to leave our cozy little apartment, where we had felt so comfortable yesterday. We only have three days left until Angers and we don't want to rush like in the Tour de France. The apartment with only one but super fast stove (Karin had yellow beans and I had canned potato gratin) had really convinced us. The air conditioning and the freezer compartment in the fridge rounded it all off. Packing the saddlebags, preparing a light snack for the road, refilling water bottles, leaving a thank-you note on the dining table, and quickly applying sunscreen. Today, temperatures are supposed to reach around 30°C again, even though it rained quite a bit last night and early in the morning. But we set off after stowing the key back in the lockbox. I had already thought about how impersonal this type of accommodation is in Rennes. Booking.com (or whoever) transfers the money, then there are one or two key safes (one for the entrance gate, one for the rented rooms), and then the expected premises with accessories. One night in bed and the next day the tenant is gone and the landlord comes and prepares everything anew. Maybe, like we had yesterday, a phone call or an email with the codes. Practical, simple, and yet strangely impersonal!!!

Anyway, we set off and I immediately failed at my first attempt at a lock! There should be a small property here in Porte Boulet that is closed to the public, but could be interesting because of its facade (red and white checkered pattern in the masonry). I didn't find it on the first try, and since we had a few kilometers ahead of us today, with unpredictable weather, we decided to skip it! On the bridge over the Loire, we pushed our bikes again, as riding on the very narrow sidewalk is just too dangerous. After that, we made good progress, enjoying ideal cycling weather, and quickly reached Montsoreau (allegedly one of the most beautiful cities in France). Indeed, a beautiful place, albeit partly touristy, of course with a magnificent castle. All this on the Loire, surrounded by old tuff stone caves (now used for mushroom cultivation or wine storage) and vineyards. There were also more cyclists here, most of them, I believe, from Germany and Switzerland. The climbs and descents we had to tackle were similar. The official cycle path always follows the Loire, but there are also alternative routes through the countryside (i.e. vineyards and small villages). We skipped the wine tastings that were offered at almost every winery. Because after Parnay (vineyards), we quickly arrived in Saumur, our destination for today.

We reached the city in full sunshine, coming from above via Haute Rue or Rue des Moulins, and the tourist information office told us where our budget accommodation was located. We found it without any stress and once again had a new experience of overnight stay. People gave us room keys, answered our questions, and made the hotel pleasant overall. At first we thought that the price of around 62 € (including breakfast for two) was only due to its location (relatively far outside the city) and maybe its condition, but we were mistaken. Modern, simple, and clean, everything is offered here! Good decision! Plus, there is supposed to be a restaurant nearby that we now want to visit, Karin is already waiting!?

In the end, the restaurant didn't work out.🤔 The steakhouse was closed. The second restaurant was something like McDonald's and there was no one inside. So we went back to the shopping center, had a beer at the bistro, and then put together a cold dinner in the supermarket. Of course, as always, way too much. Then Dittmar discovered Intersport and wanted to look for sports shoes. This process took about 35 minutes. I was hungry!!

In the end, we had potato salad and sausages, brawn and baguette, yogurt and beer for dinner in the garden of our hotel.