Art and bikes along the Loire

If you had asked me a few days ago how I imagined the Loire, I would have mentioned huge historic chateaux, and of course vineyards and fine wine. Now I would mention a humorous active support of public art, and working ports with industry.

This house in the Loire, intentionally tilting, is the work of artist Jean-Luc Courcoult, and according to the artist is imaginary ...because it introduces a dream like quality into people's lives ... realism, grounded in reality.

Imagine the enormous bicycles that require bicycle stands as big as these! Never this big, there were bicycles everywhere, with many many loaded touring bikes. More than I have ever seen.

There was a free bac .... ferry ... to cross the Loire. That is a wide long river, muddier than the Rhone where I have seen it. I am not sure, but it may be the longest river in France. With the Rhone, one of the most historic.

It seems that everyone offers to help everyone else. I stopped on the side of the road for lunch, a couple coming the other direction saw my bike on the ground but not my sandwich and stopped to make sure all was ok. People have approached me several times to offer directions and assistance when they have seen me looking at a map. And several times it has really helped! I have done the same occasionally though I am not in a position to be much help. I have managed to learn a few lessons about route finding without making any major blunders.


I am now south of the Loire, in a 3-star campsite where my site has glimpses of the Atlantic. The end of today's ride took me past the two places in these last photos.

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