The Bike trip through the chateaus
Trip Start
Jul 13, 2006
1
15
55
Trip End
Jul 06, 2007
The Loire Valley,
France
Sunday, September 10, 2006
The car began to sputter and I wondered if I should have used the higher grade. Deb rolled her eyes and said "you didn't put in diesel did you?" On the highway a Christmas tree of caution lights erupted in the car and I pulled over. Looking at the gas cap I was amazed to see in huge flourescent letters the word DIESEL and if that wasn't enough the entire Stampede marching band was circling around with a holographic image of Celine Dion singing out "don't be an ass, use the right gas." It's a wonder I missed it. $250 later for the tow truck and mechanics fee we were on our way.
Our bike trip through the Loire Valley exceeded my high expectations-quiet roads, sometimes just trail, through vineyards, with glorious chateas popping up along the way and quaint villages sprinkled throughout. The kids did great with the daily 40 to 50 kms over 5 days, especially since the most Quinn had done was a 10 km loop to the ice cream store. Chevy had a small mishap when she tumbled off her bike and into a ditch filled with stinging nettles. I wondered out loud that I thought I read somewhere that urine would relieve the pain. A little too eagerly Quinn offerred "I'll pee on her". 23 years ago I came to France to bike, but fled to Greece because of the rain. I always regretted not seeing the double spiral staircase devised by Leonardo De Vinci... and we bumped into that at Chambord.
