France by Bicycle | PART 8: THE LOIRE A VELO: ON TO THE ATLANTIC

After Nadia and Victor left Nantes to go back home to Zurich, we continue on, following the Loire Cycleway as it makes its way to its final conclusion, the Atlantic Ocean. We decide against taking the Saint Nazaire bridge, and head straight for Saint Brevin where we commence our journey at the Serpent d’Ocean, a huge snake skeleton sculpture on the beach. Our first chapter of our France trip is over, La Loire à Vélo. Now it’s time to follow La Vélodyssée down the coast for chapter two. Who doesn’t love milestones?
Music:
Accordion and Glockenspiel Comedy - JK Productions
Pond Five
081716572-accordion-and-glockenspiel-com
a href="www.pond5.com/royalty-free-mu..."Stock Music/a provided by JK_Production, from a href=“www.pond5.com/"Pond5/a
Aurealis - Stray Bandit
Epidemic Sound
Woodblock Print - Ennio Mano
Epidemic Sound
Little Fling - Colton Walls
Epidemic Sound

[@colinprice5494]

The sand art was beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Wasn't it just awesome! I loved it!

[@patou3788]

Bonjour Roland et Julianna, j'ai adoré ce moment passé avec vous! Vous êtes tellement sympathiques! J'espère vous revoir un jour! Je vous souhaite plein de bonheur 🍀🍀🍀 (Cathy l'artiste de la plage)🦐🐚🦀🦈⛱️

[@michelesauret7779]

Bravo l'artiste 🤩

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Wow! Cathy! You found us! Such a small world! I hope we showed your masterpiece in all its glory! People like you are inspiring in all the best ways!

[@patou3788]

@@TheBicycleTourists oooh! Merci beaucoup vous êtes adorables tous les deux, je n'oublierai jamais votre gentillesse, votre originalité et votre merveilleuse lumière! 🍀🍀🍀 je vous souhaite le.meilleur et merci beaucoup pour ce moment magique ! 🙌🙏

[@patou3788]

@@michelesauret7779 merci beaucoup!

[@michelesauret7779]

@@patou3788 mérité

[@cherylbigoness7441]

Tons of good food and wine 🍷 that’s a lot to love! Love this biking video, again!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you Cheryl. It makes a good balance.

[@todddroy3861]

You guys have seen so much beauty and history. I love it. Just finished chapter 8 where in the very beginning of it, Julianna says "plenty of cycle paths", and for a second I thought she said "plenty of psychopaths."

[@TheBicycleTourists]

I know! I almost removed it but decided to keep it in. Sure appreciate you watching, Todd. These videos are definitely for bike tourers, or those who want to be. I know you don't bike tour. Maybe someday?

[@TerrapinCyclist]

The sand sculpture expresses in art your ride together. - John & Berta

[@TheBicycleTourists]

I love that! It certainly spoke to us!

[@ovillagebedandbreakfastino2243]

Dear Julianna and Roland, it is great to be able to watch the videos of your 'tour de france'. It gives me some ideas of how the journey went before you arrived at my bed and breakfast in Ouveillan... Do you remember me? Although I was already used to welcome people riding bicycles alonside Canal du Midi, I was so excited to welcome you as you were my very first american guests :) It was a real pleasure meeting you. I hope you come back to the South of France again and stay longer next time. I hope all is well for you back home... A lot of editing work for Roland producing the videos for sure! But they are amazing. Thanks for sharing. Catherine

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Bonjour Catherine! Of course we remember you and your lovely BnB! (Our favorite bed in all of France!) These days it's hard to be first at anything so we're very pleased that we were your first Americans. Mostly we just enjoyed your company. Nothing as wonderful as finding like-minded people to connect with. Your part of the world is beautiful and we'd love to get back there someday, if we do, we will absolutely come and see you. So glad you're enjoying our little trip. Take care and hopefully we'll be seeing you!

[@dooley-ch]

Another great installment, thanks.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thanks James!

[@dondonner1095]

Unbelievably good video yet again.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Merci beaucoup!

[@laurentyarp514]

The docks are for fishing. The little cabin at the end is a shelter for the fisherman. And on the other end you can see a rectangular net which is downed into the water. There are a lot of these cabins in the area. I'm from Nantes and I've never done the bike road to the Atlantic. Thank you for showing us the way :)

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Good to know about the docks. Hope you ride that stretch; the serpent sculpture alone is worth the ride!

[@colinwellman9480]

Yet another nice video, keep 'em coming. After St Brevin you would have cycled through Saint Michel-chef-chef, it's where we stayed last year and we too found getting lunch was tricky. Odd as they are both seaside towns so plenty of trade. All along the Loire there are art installations and you may have seen some before the serpent. One really quirky one is along the canal you cycled. It's a full size plastic yacht that appears to be melting into the dock. When I first saw it I thought it had been involved in a fire! I've never been brave enough to cycle over the Saint Nazaire bridge, the space for bikes is quite narrow. I think in summer they run a free bus service for you and your bike. Thanks for sharing your trip.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thanks Colin, I must've missed that sculpture sadly. I'm usually on the lookout for art along the way. It was hard to distinguish the towns south of the Loire, there is a bit of beach sprawl through there; everything seems to run together. I'm hearing similar things about the St. Nazaire Bridge. Good thing we got a different room; it was quite windy that day.

[@dennispiciullo8060]

Another great video, as usual can't wait till next week!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thanks again Dennis! Hope you;'re starting to get some of this spring weather wherever you are! It's about time to ride here in Coilorado.

[@dennispiciullo8060]

@@TheBicycleTourists not really, we a second atmospheric river in a row, temps are good, but lots of rain

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Its a world of extremes, these days.

[@Biking360]

Loved watching the first part of this journey and I look forward to the second part.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thanks Jay. We still have a long way to go!

[@PumpkinVillage]

Another awesome chapter in the books. So many nice people out there in the world. We just have to get out there and find them. Thanks for the video and take care, Al

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thanks Al. It's true, when you put yourself out there, as you do when bicycle touring, you find that everywhere people are wonderful.

[@nancymalone3838]

Always love watching your adventures!!! Can’t wait to get mine started next year. Keep riding!!❤

[@TheBicycleTourists]

So glad you're watching! Where are you headed this year?

[@nancymalone3838]

@@TheBicycleTourists training mostly. We are new at this. My husband walked the Appalachian trail in 2020 and now we are ready for the next adventure. We are wanting to start in Washington and end up in Maine. We loved your videos across the US.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

It's a great route, I want to do it all over again! (The Appalachian Trail would be amazing)

[@RichardWright3450]

Hi folks - loved it again. You have encouraged us again so end of the week we head south to do some long day trips in Utah and Arizona, if,if, we can escape the snow of B.C. and the closures of passes along the way. I love how you engage us with folks along the way, the cafes, artists, fellow travelers, and how you are always upbeat (smile). Enjoy your journey south. Richard

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Hello Richard, it's been a pleasure putting these videos together and sharing them, it makes all the difference knowing that there is someone on the other end who appreciates them. Julianna is still recovering from a hand surgery or else we'd be heading down there to ride ourselves. Enjoy that gorgeous sunshine, and safe travels.

[@kenmcclow8963]

If I rode an upright bike, I would switch to the Da Brim that goes all around, but for recumbents, I prefer the one with just the front visor. Luckily they make both. I've been casually looking at houses in Brittany along the Nantes to Brest canal bike path which I learned was built during Napoleon's time to get around an English blockade. I don't know if the canals where you were were part of that, but France has an extensive system of canals and bike paths

[@TheBicycleTourists]

We did not go north of Nantes, and while there were many canals along the Loire, in a few episodes we will take on the Canal des Deux Mers, which is a bike route that follows the Canal du Midi and the Canal de Garonne, from the Atlantic to the Med. The Midi was built in the 1600s. I love following these canals, flat and full of history.

[@lindahowes5949]

DaBrim! After seeing Julianna wearing it on your ride across the US I got one too. I find the same thing…everyone asking about it. 😂 My fair skin and dermatologist is happy about it! I’ve never rolled mine up, will have to try that. Loved the and art and the lovely artist. Another wonderful episode!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you Linda! Yup, Da Brim is Da Bomb!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

(I also like it because I always had a thing for Lauren Bacall.)

[@michaelvikhman7926]

Man I would love to tour with you two.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Ha! Thank you Michael. that's the nicest thing you could say!

[@eff6582]

Bonjour, That's it, the end of the longest river in France ! I want the Loire ton be longer, ton Travel with tour vers good company. Merci

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you, EFF

[@erlindaihoward6472]

Finally, I hear more about your bike helmet hat. I know you bought it from Port Angeles, but what's the name of the store? I'd like to order one for myself. I have a helmet just like Roland's. Thank you for sharing your trip. If we can find an e-tandem in France, we should be able to do the hills along the Loire.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Sorry, I am memory impaired, and so have no recollection on the name of the shop, but it is available on Amazon, look for "Da Brim". Good luck!

[@garyseckel295]

Loved going on another bicycle ride! Did Julianna get herself a new bicycle?

[@TheBicycleTourists]

SPOILER ALERT! Yes, just not quite yet. It's coming.

[@e-BikeLife]

Bonjour mes amis, I can not tell you the number of times we have tried to find a place to eat before 7pm in all of France. It is just not done. North Americans really have to adjust their dining habits. I hear, though I have never been, that dining in Spain is much much later, though you can find Tapas bars that are open. See you next week.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

I have heard the same thing about Spain. As I remember, when we were in Mallorca we found that to be true. In France, it took until here before we realized how much of a rule this is. Slow learners!

[@TorstenLif]

This sounds nice to me, compared to some campgrounds along the German Baltic coast that I visited last year, where by the time I'd set up my tent and showered, the eateries were closed!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

You really have to adjust your habits along the way, don't you?

[@TorstenLif]

@@TheBicycleTourists For sure. Unfortunately, when the unknown factor goes the wrong way it's not just a matter of waiting until the restaurants start serving dinner, but of finding some other place that is still open. I did eventually find an "imbiss" - a small fast-food place so at least I didn't starve.

[@gaileenross953]

Julieanna ever since I watch your trip across America I have been meaning to ask about the brim you have on your helmet. Where do you get it from. I really need something like that.

[@kenmcclow8963]

Look for Da Brim online. They sell online. I don't know if they sell in stores.

[@gaileenross953]

@@kenmcclow8963 thank you for the information. Looks like they don't ship to New Zealand, and there doesn't seem to be any shops stocking here either.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

It's too bad they don't sell it there. It's amazing how many people stop her and are so curious. I think she's their biggest sales person.

[@gaileenross953]

@@TheBicycleTourists I have, after a lot of research, found that I can get it from an Australian distributor by mail order. I only have two weeks before I leave for my trip to Europe to do the EuroVelo 6 I don't think it will arrive in time.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

That's too bad. But on the plus side, you get to cross Europe in springtime! Won't that be lovely!

[@Rob19631000]

Relaxed French attitude 😂. There are no relaxed French

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Haha! I suppose, from a stereotypical viewpoint, they are somewhere between the Germans and the Italians. I'm of German descent, Julianna Sicilian. Maybe that's why France speaks to us!

[@Rob19631000]

@@TheBicycleTourists France speaks to us to. But a lot of people talk about their attitude the lsst few years. It's getting worse. Love the vids!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Our anecdotal 2¢ worth is that the French were very welcoming and kind to us, patient with our lack of language skills and easily engaged. We would give our experience with them a 10 out of 10.