EuroVelo 6 - France, Gien to Saint-Ay via Orleans 100 km
Hello Hive community, first of all thank you for my new account and its value. This is a big incentive for me to continue what I've started on Steemit. Since my last post after "the split" didn't make it here I would like to bring it now. My posts are interconnected as they describe a specific EuroVelo route so I would like to have all of them together for an easy follow up. Plus a bonus video from Orleans I put together at the end of this post specially for my Hive readers.
Now let's escape the lockdown in our cities for a while and enjoy a beautiful summer day on EuroVelo 6 in France.
Good morning Gien! Since I arrived yesterday I spotted the chateau on the other side overlooking the river, now it's time to arm with my camera and attack it.
Don't miss my morning comute
The morning was very quiet when I got there and the first thing I saw was this church and of course I decided to have a quick look inside.
Superb stained glass windows
Gien belleview point
Chateau de Gien
The castle was closed for restoration when I arrived so I could only admire it from the outside. It was built in the 15th century for Anne of France and since 1823 belongs to the French government being listed as an official monument in 1840. Nowadays is home to a hunting museum. I am not a big fan of seeing hunting trophies hanging on the walls so I gladly skipped this one.
One last stop near the river before leaving Gien.
Back on EuroVelo 6 route this morning to Orleans located about 80 km downstream, the weather is great and the spirit is even greater.
Later in the afternoon we arrive in Sully-sur-Loire and discovered this beautiful castle right beside the river. Actually this château-fort, a true castle, was built to control one of the few sites where the Loire can be forded. It was the seat of the Duke de Sully, Henry IV's minister Maximilien de Bethune (1560-1641) and the later dukes of Sully, more info from wikipedia here.
Chateau de Sully-sur-Loire
Took a one hour refreshing break in the castle park while having a snack and enjoying the view. This was the penultimate day of my one week bike trip back in 2016 and I had to continue to Orleans to make it on time back to Paris the following day, so no time for a proper visit inside the castle but from what I've seen it's definitely one of the many beautiful castles that Loire Valley is famous for. One adult ticket is 8 EUR, more information and a short presentation video can be found on their official web page.
Yes it’s confirmed, we are in France!
Hi, I'm Dan your EuroVelo guide
Loire by bike info panels done right
The advantage of travelling in France is that you can have a fresh croissant in every village.
Later in the evening we arrive in Orleans. The city has a nice long riverfront with some pretty floating terraces just perfect for enjoying a dinner. Oh yes I almost see myself on a comfortable soft chair with one cold beer in my hand looking at the river, but not before going for a quick city center tour.
Orleans Cathedral 1278-1329 and 1601-1829 is mostly well known for its association with Joan of Arc. She is considered the defender of Orleans and the cathedral stained glass windows depict her story. While in the city on 2 May 1429, the French heroine attended evening Mass to lift the siege (from wikipedia).
Spent some time in front of this gothic masterpiece admiring it in all its glory under the evening sunlight until I realised the sun was slowly going down, leaving back a cool shadow over the square I was standing, gently telling me that it's time to find a place to rest for the night.
The only camping I could find in Orleans was closed so that nice dinner by the river plan got canceled. Luckily I spotted another camping on Google maps 15 km downstream in Saint-Ay. No more time to explore Orleans, I should better get going.
On my way out of the city I saw this strange boat floating on the river and stopped for a minute to have a quick look. After reading the info panel I found out it is actually a pilot project for a river hydraulic turbine, but without building a dam and destroying the ecosystem, which I think it's an interesting concept, hopefully feasible too. It's like a wind turbine for the river where the water flow is spinning the turbine which turns a generator and so producing clean electricity. Smart project!
I think I lost the main route at one point which was now on the other side of the river but I kind of liked these last 10 km of unpaved trail through the thick vegetation of the Loire right bank. Definately, the sunset was one to remember.
Made it to the camping la Fontaine de Rabelais just in time to set up my tent for the night. Another beautiful day cycling on EuroVelo 6 in France.
You can do it as well, have a look on the official Loire by Bike site where you'll find all the info you need to organise your next cycling holiday in France. We'll eventually overcome this pandemic and what a better way to enjoy life to the fullest other than cycling on the EuroVelo network this summer.
This video collage will give you a better taste of how awsome a day can be on EuroVelo. Enjoy!
Here is the map with our progress on EuroVelo 6 for today:
Until next time,
©Discover EuroVelo
All photos were taken with my iPhone 6S.
EuroVelo, the European Cycle Route Network are registered marks of ECF asbl.
I have no affiliation with EuroVelo or other organisations mentioned here, I am just a tourist sharing his views and opinions.
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The pictures are beautiful!
Thank You!
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Yay! I am happy to finally and officially welcome you on Hive my friend :) I remember some of those shots, especially the castles and that selfie ;) I am looking forward to the next episodes of this adventurous series. Hope you and your family are doing well, greetings to Romania!
Thank you my friend, I had to bring this post over to have the complete series here as well. This lockdown with my 6 yr old son always around makes posting quite challenging but I'm adapting :) with the next post in the works as we speak. We are all in good health here but starting to get fed up with the isolation. Wish you all the best on the other side of the continent!
I know way too well what you mean Dan... We have been under a very strict lockdown for almost 3 months here on the Azores. I was already getting mad but fortunately, they just allowed us to go outside to jog and workout at least...
Stay strong, sane and healthy. I am looking forward to the post you are working on ;)
Even when you lose the trail it looks pleasant! When I do that I end-up covered in mud (which is fun somehow).
Somehow I get lucky with the weather mostly because I go out in the summer time. I have a portion of EuroVelo 6 in France that I've cycled in October but still on good weather plus some fog in the morning. You were the first I've seen to go bike touring and camp on snow in the winter and still keep up its humor. You are one of a kind!
I wouldn't say you are lucky with the weather, but that you are wise for touring during the summer \o\ But I have a thing for snowy forests.
Have you ever cycled the EuroVelo 8 in northern Italy? It also goes by the name Destra-Pó trail, along the Pó river. Those were the thickiest fogs I've ever seen in my life, extraordinary.
The other day I was searching for narrow-boating, similar to the ones in UK... it's a way of traveling in France on the old canals.
No I haven't been to EV8 so far but it will be a logical continuation after EV 6 and 7 (still more than 6000 km to finish). It's called the Mediterranean route, is 7500 km long and goes from Spain to Cyprus. Looks very sexy to me! Yes narrow-boating is very popular in France and in the western EU where there are thousands of km of interconnected canals, you can rent a boat and cruise as long as your time and budget allows.
Sounds like a great alternative, living on a boat and cycling around using the boat as a base..
On the extreme budget the ciclotouring becomes kinda hard at times, harder than hitchhiking at least, as there's the constant sweat and there's the bike to be careful about. Still love both, but when it comes to going to sleep in the middle of nowhere, I'd prefer to not be sweaty hahaha