Change of plan. We have decided to stay in the Loire region, for the time being, instead of heading south.

There’s just so much to see and the cycling infrastructure is very enticing. Heading south on the intended route was going to be a bit tricky as we’d discovered that accommodation was in short supply, towns were few and far between and public transport equally thin on the ground.

And the Loire is hard to beat.

So, today we headed East to Chinon, from where we can pick up the Loire and its tributaries.

The route was cross country and on paper looked a little boring. In reality it was a delightful run across varied, rolling and often beautiful countryside. The roads were smooth and incredibly quiet. We hardly saw anyone away from the very few villages we passed through.

A word about Komoot. This navigational app is used by millions of cyclists and walkers but we are relatively new to it. We’d planned to use it in conjunction with GPX files downloaded from the French cyclotourism website francevelotourisme.com – load the route into Komoot and then use the app on a phone to provide map and voice instructions.

However, having departed from recognised cycle tourism routes, we’ve had to rely on Komoot to create the route as well.

So far it’s been excellent, keeping us on deserted but scenic backroads for much of the time, whilst guiding us sure-footedly through the busier towns and cities.

You can easily toggle between voice and map and voice only, whilst in the saddle, allowing you to cruise on voice only, saving battery, whilst calling up maps for complicated sections.

I love maps, but they are difficult to manage on a bike at the best of times.

Returning to today’s journey, a tailwind brought us to our destination in time for a late lunch.

Chinon is a beautiful little town straddling the Vienne river some 15km before it joins the Loire. The town is dominated by its chateau, an elongated castle on the limestone ridge directly behind it.

Many medieval buildings along narrow cobbled streets, many of them reaching up the hillside, all beside a wide and elegantly bridged river, mean it’s a place with a classy feel to it. Cool wine caves cut into the hillside complete the scene.

Bird Watch: actually, today was a fish day. All the rivers in this area seem to be stuffed with fish. Looking down from the bridge at Chinon, the Vienne teemed with fish of all sizes. Flashes of silver caught the eye all the time as we gazed into the smooth waters.

Julie adds. Chinon has a great ambience. The fortress sits above the town and can be reached via an outdoor lift. We took the steep path upwards after a quick Look in a wine tasting cellar directly underneath. The cellar was built in another cave in the limestone yet set out like a fancy restaurant with glasses, covered tables and a range of quality wines. We decided against the tasting to avoid carrying a bottle up to the castle.

The views of this medieval town from the castle entrance were impressive but rather than a late visit inside we continued to wander back down and through the streets, taking time out to stand on the bridge and watch the fish in the river.

Later in the evening after cooking a large omelette (10 eggs) for dinner, Olivia and I wandered out for a drink of pastis at a local restaurant cum bar. Initially we had to negotiate our way past a hostile barman who insisted the bar was closed, but a young waiter intervened and after a long wait brought our drinks and served them with ceremony even providing advice on how to drink them!