EV6 day 36

Company on the ride today. My wife, Katy, decides she will ride with me on this stage. It is very hot again today and we have fresh bread and pastries for breakfast delivered at the campsite. Luxury. We are away just after 0900.

We are off!

First stop today is Nevers, some 36kms away. We are really luck as it is very hot and sunny but our route takes us along much of a canal and we are sheltered by the trees that have been planted alongside. We fly along making good time with a nice tail wind 👌😁.

I have noticed over previous days parts of the canal appearing to be in a bad state of repair and bits of bank falling into the water. I find this sign and realise my mistake!

Into Nevers, meet with the team for tea by the marina where they are noisily setting out the course for a canoe meeting of some sort tomorrow. Looks like it will be fun but we can’t delay our progress. We stop just long enough to be served a magnificent salad lunch by Passepartout on our picnic table in the shade, then off, through the city and along a bit more canal.

The countryside here is flat and very much arable farmland. We have a rendezvous with the team at La Charity-sur-Loire. As we approach I can see what I think is our first example of the bridges we associate with the Loire. It is impressive and historic. The back up crew have been paddling in the river here. How the other half lives.

Another cuppa and a short rest then the final push for the day. The next stage is more flat Arable land, some canal and, in the distance we can see the buildings of a village on a hill. It is Camelot and Holy Grail territory for a white wine drinker such as KRC, it is Sancerre! Along the way we note that there are now studs on the trail every kilometre. I stop and have a look and they denote the Loire Valley cycle route. It’s a nice way to mark it.

We are in the final pull into Saint-Satur (the village below Sancerre on the hill above- we are not cycling up there!) when we come upon a herd of goats. They are happily idling life away eating all sorts of vegetation, nothing unusual. However they have their own security! There are 2 dogs with them. As we had stopped to see them, one of the dogs detached himself from the herd and shadowed me along the perimeter until we rode off. A very concienscious employee.

Can you spot security?

Then there we are, all finished. Great effort from KRC who has cycled 93 kms with me in baking heat- hi five! Nick takes her and her bike up to the hotel in Sancerre, I just have to do another 10kms to finish the leg. I can’t risk shortening it as I have a long ride on Sunday and need any help I can get! It doesn’t take long and before I know it Nick has arrived to take me up to Sancerre to join the others. Fantastic, and a rest day tomorrow.

The slopes of Sancerre.

And the fruits of their labours!