Pornic to le Pellerin
Saturday 12th JuneFor anyone wanting to holiday in an area where there is lots to do and see, the Loire Atlantic really is a great destination. We had seen such a variety of countryside and we have only skimmed along the coast and a small way inland. It is also excellent for any amount of biking, as much or as little as you wish. Today however, we have had to leave the coastal part of it which is extremely sad as we don’t think we will see the sea again for a while. Thank goodness we had the afternoon on the beach a couple of days ago. We have found that the ferries back from St Malo arrive in Poole after midnight, so will have to do an extra few miles up to Cherbourg where the ferries run at more reasonable times!
Now, I am desperate to cycle over the St Nazaire Bridge which is huge and looks as though it would be a really exciting hour’s ride (at least). Vivi is not so keen so we checked in a tourist office as to whether there is a cycle lane crossing the bridge and happily the girl has confirmed that there is and it is quite OK to cross with a bicycle. So we are all set then, but Vivi I can see is still anxious. So to put her mind at rest I Google – crossing the St Nazaire bridge by bike. Up pops a question ‘I am cycling from Biarritz to St Malo is it possible to cross the St N bridge?’ There are ten answers to this question (those are only the ones that I read) they all said Don’t under any circumstances it is terrifying, go east to Le Pellerin and take the ferry. So we did.
We cut across country from Pornic towards le Pellerin which was straightforward and not terribly exciting. It is very rural again and there was hardly a person on the roads due to the football matches on TV so it is a great time to cover the miles. There was a Broquante (village fete) in Chauve so foolishly we stopped to have a look and buy some food for lunch. Everything was very decorative and we became mesmerised by a lady who had made lots of different kinds of Nougat.
By the time we had tried chocolate, praline, almond among others we were inveigled into buying some.
Saturday 12th JuneFor anyone wanting to holiday in an area where there is lots to do and see, the Loire Atlantic really is a great destination. We had seen such a variety of countryside and we have only skimmed along the coast and a small way inland. It is also excellent for any amount of biking, as much or as little as you wish. Today however, we have had to leave the coastal part of it which is extremely sad as we don’t think we will see the sea again for a while. Thank goodness we had the afternoon on the beach a couple of days ago. We have found that the ferries back from St Malo arrive in Poole after midnight, so will have to do an extra few miles up to Cherbourg where the ferries run at more reasonable times!
Now, I am desperate to cycle over the St Nazaire Bridge which is huge and looks as though it would be a really exciting hour’s ride (at least). Vivi is not so keen so we checked in a tourist office as to whether there is a cycle lane crossing the bridge and happily the girl has confirmed that there is and it is quite OK to cross with a bicycle. So we are all set then, but Vivi I can see is still anxious. So to put her mind at rest I Google – crossing the St Nazaire bridge by bike. Up pops a question ‘I am cycling from Biarritz to St Malo is it possible to cross the St N bridge?’ There are ten answers to this question (those are only the ones that I read) they all said Don’t under any circumstances it is terrifying, go east to Le Pellerin and take the ferry. So we did.
We cut across country from Pornic towards le Pellerin which was straightforward and not terribly exciting. It is very rural again and there was hardly a person on the roads due to the football matches on TV so it is a great time to cover the miles. There was a Broquante (village fete) in Chauve so foolishly we stopped to have a look and buy some food for lunch. Everything was very decorative and we became mesmerised by a lady who had made lots of different kinds of Nougat.
By the time we had tried chocolate, praline, almond among others we were inveigled into buying some.
Nougat woman's stall.
We were much poorer by the time we left, and could hardly afford anything else for lunch! Alec said they aren’t nougat bars, they must be gold bars!
Remote control Oppies for anyone no longer able to fit into one!
Remote control Oppies for anyone no longer able to fit into one!
Eventually we dropped down to La Loire where the water meadows are vast and the views of the little villages very quaint.
Cheix en Retz in the distance
Our hotel is in the middle with the shutters closed downstairs and our bedroom window wide open and the duvet hanging out to air!
The countryside and the people’s habits are becoming almost English – there was a sponsored ride in progress and we passed the remnants of village fete floats. The hedgerows are now full of foxgloves and briars as opposed to wild orchids and poppies,
In le Pellerin we were relieved to see the ferry was working and checked that it would be tomorrow as well. It is a small flat boat which takes about 30 cars and ploughs it's way across the river every 30 minutes and is absolutely free. It is a real public service.
We had booked into a small hotel (the only one in le Pellerin) right next to the terminal. As we appear to be the only people staying here Madame had to be telephoned when we arrived and she duly came to meet us, gave us a key to the place and left us to it! So we went for a drink in the square where we found a young magpie as keen to have a drink as we were – nothing would persuade it to go away and it did a very good 
job of frightening two lady cyclists who were also trying to enjoy a drink.
job of frightening two lady cyclists who were also trying to enjoy a drink.
We had an excellent gallette in a pizza grill (well we are almost in Normandy) walked around the town and then fell into bed only to find the neighbours were having an ‘all-nighter’ which kept us awake until 3am and then the ferry started at 6.30am so it wasn’t much of a night’s sleep!
Our hotel is in the middle with the shutters closed downstairs and our bedroom window wide open and the duvet hanging out to air!
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