Budget cycling trip through Loire Valley a gamble that paid off Final Edition

As church bells summoned the sleepy residents of Montreuil Bellay to early Mass, I lurked around the bikes propped along the cobblestone street. I had snuck down early to find the best bike -- or, more precisely, the best bike seat -- to carry me through a bike tour of France's famed Loire Vall...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inWindsor star
Main Author Tilles, Lois
Format Newspaper Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Windsor, Ont Postmedia Network Inc 10.05.2003
Subjects
Loire Valley, France
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Summary:As church bells summoned the sleepy residents of Montreuil Bellay to early Mass, I lurked around the bikes propped along the cobblestone street. I had snuck down early to find the best bike -- or, more precisely, the best bike seat -- to carry me through a bike tour of France's famed Loire Valley. We knew that biking would be an intimate way to absorb the Loire Valley, celebrated for its lush gardens, historic chateaux and sumptuous food and wine. Tranquil rural roads provide a network of flat -- mostly divinely flat -- bike routes. Our less expensive tour would take us to the most beautiful of the Loire chateaux. We would sample the cuisine and hospitality in the same villages visited by the deluxe companies. It seemed worth the risk. At Chambord, the largest Loire chateau, we coaxed our tired bodies into staying up to view the valley's premier sound and light show. Beginning about 10 p.m, Chambord's walls glowed with medieval images lit in purple, red and other royal colours. Haunting music played with each image. These shows create another revenue stream for castle owners and the idea has caught on at chateaux throughout the Loire Valley.