I slept in late. There was no one else in the flat and I was tired from a very long ride and night. What's more, my next host was in Niort, too far away to make in a day so I could stop whenever I felt like it on the way.
When I looked out the window, I saw steady rain everywhere. This didn't make me want to get up and out. Instead, I dug out my pots and made some oatmeal for breakfast. By the time I showered and all, it was edging toward 11am.
It was still raining, so I went out to buy some food. I was staying in a residential area near the city center and there were various shops around. I quickly found a boulangerie, bought a bagette and a pain au chocolate. I wanted to get some fruits and vegetables but couldn't find a greengrocer. I asked a couple of people and was directed to a food market where things are sold in bulk. I got some food but had to wait in line a long time to buy it.
It became clear that it wasn't going to stop raining soon and that I either had to ride in the rain or stay another night. I had never considered spending time in Angers so I had no idea what attractions it offered. But, I was more interested in bike riding than sightseeing. I'd be doing plenty of sightseeing once I got to Avignon. So, I packed up, put on all my rain gear, struggled to get my gear down the stairs, and left.
As soon as I got on my bike, it started to rain much harder. I saw another market and stopped to get out of the rain and more food. I made a mistake there and bought a bag of "crunchy" M&Ms, thinking they were the regular plain ones. These were so bad that I threw them away after a couple of handfuls. It was the last time I bought M&Ms on the trip.
I waited a few minutes under some tree for the rain to slacken and was off again. I got about a quarter-mile and the rain intensified again. Since I was riding on slick streets in city traffic, I stopped again. While I was standing there, I noticed my reflection on a metal sign in a bus stop and took a self-portrait (holding the suspect M&Ms).
In the middle of the roundabout was a very shiny fountain/sculpture that was quite eye catching.
Eventually, the rain became a drizzle and I was off again. The only way over the river was on a busy main street. The good news is that there were bike lanes and it went right by the castle.
The tourist information office was nearby so I crossed the street and got a look down into the castle's moat that had been turned into a garden.
At the TI, I was given directions for heading south out of Angers. Some of it was easy and some of it was confusing as the streets kept converging into roundabouts whose directional signs were of no use to me. Eventually, I found my way. At least one more time, it rained so hard that I ducked into a bus stop to escape the rain for a short while. Eventually it slowed and then stopped.
The Mayenne joins the Maine just north of Angers and the Maine flows through the center of town. The south end of Angers is bounded by the Loire river. Before you cross the Loire, you cross the l'Authion river, a small one compared to the Maine and Loire.
After a few hundred yards, I went over the Loire. This picture was taken on the bridge over the l'Authion. You can see the one over the Loire in the distance.
The Loire is a large river when it goes through Angers. This picture shows are large, tree-covered island in the river.
This view is looking upriver (east) on the Loire from the other side of the bridge. It was flowing steadily but the low light get it an attractive refection.
Once I crossed the Loire, the city quicked faded and was replaced by farm land and the occasional village. A few miles south of Angers, I rode through this sunken road being held apart by an arch.
A few more miles down the road, I stopped for my usual avocado sandwich by a pond next to a house in a non-descript village. This picture shows my final loaded set-up. At first, I kepy my rain jacket in my pannier. But, since it was raining so much, I wanted to have it closer at hand. I discovered the small bit of triangular space between the end of my rear rack and the seat post that is supported by the sliding supports that hold the rack to the drop-outs on the down tube. I stashed my rain coat here. Also, by this time I had put my bottle of cooking alcohol in one of my water bottle holders (I brought two holders but only one water bottle), as well.
Yet, again, much of the riding was on small, tree-lined roads. It seems like I took this picture every day!
The edges of the roads were always covered with wildflowers. They were so attractive this day that I had to stop and take a picture.
The terrain got a bit lumpier around the city of Thouance. When I got outside of town, all the farm fields had switched to vineyards.
I got to the town of Vihiers around 6pm and decided it was a good place to stop for the night. The only issue was finding a place to stay. It had rained again and I didn't want to camp in the wet. I stopped at a greengrocer in town and asked if there was a hotel in town. The proprietor didn't know. I rode around and eventually found the TI. It was closed but it had lodging information posted in the window and it showed a hotel in Vihiers. I rode to the hotel but it was full. The man at the hotel recommend one about 10 kilometers south in St. Paul du Bois. So, off I went.
The ride to St. Paul du Bois was down a busy road where the cars went fast. St. Paul du Bois is a tiny village where I found a place to stay. The hotel, bar, and restaurant is the town's biggest enterprise. Here is it in all its glory
I turned about 45 degress to my left and got most of the village.
As tiny a place as it was, the village seemed to have most of the things someone would need. This included a hair place (orange and green signs just ahead), a well-stocked store, a boulangerie, and a car machanic. Just behind me on one corner is the city hall (Mairie) and opposite it was a performance theatre.
It started to rain just after I arrived. The hotel had a backyard with a bit of an overhang where I was allowed to leave my bike for the night. I washed clothes, took a shower, made my own dinner from food I had picked up a Vihiers and went to sleep glad to be out of the rain.