La Baule: journey's end for Jim's Loire cancer ride

Carole Macintyre (CRM) @la gare de La Baule 

by the sculpture created by Jimenez Deredia

 

The railway station at La Baule-Escoublac marked the end of my ride down the Loire to raise money for two cancer charities (details below). I may have sat on the saddle for a number of hours every day twiddling the pedals but I couldn't have done it without great and generous support from Carole, my partner and Esme's aunt. 

We stayed in La Baule last night and celebrated with a plateau de fruits de mer accompanied by a bottle of 2013 Château du Cléray Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Haute Culture at Le Ponton, which has a great view of the bay and the ocean. This morning before heading to Muscadet to visit the Luneau family at Domaine Luneau-Papin, I took a few photos of the impressive bay of La Baule and the port de plaisance at Pornichet.

 The great sweep of the bay of Pornichet and La Baule

(above and below)

 

 Port de plaisance, Pornichet

(above and below)

Many thanks again for all the generous donations received. Fortunately there's still time to donate. Here's where:

Gustave Roussy  https://igr.friendraising.eu/jim.budd Teenage Cancer Trust  http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JimBudd  

     

Château de Saumur: its different tones

On the last night (Sunday) of our #loirevelo trip we stayed in the excellent Hotel Anne d'Anjou in Saumur. The front façade of the hotel faces the Loire, while the back is overlooked by the château. I took a number of photos of the château from the time of our arrival around 7.30pm through to about 6.30am Monday morning. 

     

About 8.30pm from near L'Orangerie where we ate (above and below)

Around 11.30pm with a full moon 

 Details of the illuminated château

 Château from hotel around midnight

Monday morning light on the château (above and below)

#loirevelo: more pics from last night@Le Thélême

La Thélême – restaurant sign with Gare de Tours in background

 Denise Medrano: the wine sleuth

 Miss Vicky and the group

 iPhone – therefore i am

Paul Truszkowski concentrates

 Ralf Kaiser

#loirevelo: more photos from First Day

Paul Truszkowski – "What about trying this Chinon?"

Photos from the visit to La Maison du Vins de la Loire: 

 Hikka Chartier 

 Ingrid Larmoyeur: "my glass is empty!"

Ralf Kaiser: "Looks OK!"

Paul Truszkowski: trying out a Ryan Opaz look! 

 

Thomas Günther takes aim...

 Marja Van Beek

 An expansive Ralf Kaiser showing off his Stones T-shirt to best advantage

#loirevelo without Andrew Barrow – the wine scribbler

 

Andrew Barrow in middle after Richard Ross@EWBC11

Very sorry to hear that Andrew Barrow had a car accident on the way to the airport to join #loirevelo – 'these wine bloggers' trip to the Loire. Apparently there was another car involved and the car in which Andrew was travelling flipped over, landed upside down in the ditch and they had to crawl out. Sounds like they had a lucky escape! After spending most of the day in hospital Andrew has been allowed to go home but is unable to join the trip, which is a great shame. Trust that he is completely OK.

Meanwhile the advance party of 'These wine bloggers'... invaded the Maison des Vins de Loire in Vieux Tours and tasted six wines just to get an initial impression as for some this is their first trip to the Loire. Of the six wines served by Marie-Colombe Haudebert I was impressed by the 2010 Vouvray Sec from Vincent Carême and the 2009 Savennières from Domaine aux Moines.  

Marie-Colombe with the glasses

#loirevelo: Bloggers' trip to the Loire: 1st-3rd June

Sunrise@Saumur

Starting this afternoon I will be on a bloggers' trip to the Loire based tonight and tomorrow in Tours and then on Sunday in Saumur. There will be visits in Vouvray and Saumur/Saumur-Champigny as well as the opportunity to spend Saturday afternoon@Vitiloire. The trip has been organised by Interloire.  

My fellow bloggers ('these wine bloggers'...) are Andrew Barrow (UK), Denise Medrano (UK), Ralf Kaiser (Germany), Thomas Günther (Germany) Paul Truszkowski (Germany), Jelle de Roeck (Belgium), Christof Spinelli (Belgium) Ingrid Larmoyeur (Netherlands) Marja Van Beek (Netherlands) Anne Victoire Monrozier (France). I hope I have got all the links right and still need to find one more!

It will be interesting to see how a blogger's press trip differs from a traditional press trip. Our trip involves one and half days of cycling, so this looks to be a key difference and hopefully the current fine weather will keep up. Some forecasts for Sunday have been for rain but it keeps changing.

Has the cycling been included because:

a) Bloggers are greener than traditional journalists.

b) Bloggers are thought to be fitter than traditional journalists – we will have to see the state of the group by the end of Sunday to verify this.

c) Bloggers don't need to be pampered as much.

d) Bikes are a cheaper option than limos or people carriers....

In an effort to get back on the bike in preparation for the bloggers' cycling, I have been for a couple of bike rides. It is all too evident that being more than a kilo or so overweight takes its toll! Where once hills were a welcome opportunity and an enjoyable challenge, they are now definite obstacles to be avoided if possible.   

 Lunchtime scenes @Vitiloire 2011