We stopped at the old bridge on the way out, and it turns
out that Parthenay has a lovely old medieval quarter below the current town
centre. It was amazing looking up the narrow street realising that thousands of
pilgrim feet had tramped that very way for hundreds of years on the route to
Santiago de Compostela.
Off north via St Loup-sur-Thoret, Airvault, a little abbey
at St Jouin des Marnes, Thouars, Montreuil-Bellay and to Saumur for a lunch
stop. All these were chateau towns, where we mainly stopped for a quick
picture. Close to Saumur we realised we had neglected to keep the camera
batteries charged, so chose a place for lunch on the basis of a plugboard
outside next to the shop’s glacé machine where we could recharge a battery! The
landscape was flatter, dryer, with fewer trees and grapes now. Not a patch on
the Dordogne.
We did a tour of Fontevraud Abbey, the largest in Europe
supposedly, though we are not convinced of that. Poblet in Spain was as
extensive and a lot more interesting. Off again to Chinon and the night’s stop
at Azay-le-Rideau. This was a gorgeous little town with a major chateau. We got
a room in a perfect B&B with, for the first time, plenty of time for a beer
at a café, a wander around, dinner and some time to read a book. Just what the
doctor ordered. We know we have done too little of this during this whole trip,
and that is one of the big draws for next year – to have more time to actually
travel.
