Fortunately, there are both major motorways and toll freeways for traffic in a hurry, which leaves drivers wanting to view the river and surroundings peacefully motoring along the river from Orleans to Nantes. I did rent bikes at several points along the way and was actually was cycling along the river on the day I turned 71 years.
I often say to people that a river is a river and a mountain is a mountain, so don't travel just to see one. Wrong. The Loire is poetic and one can easily become fond of it. It is not deep, often is fast, and shows better in the lazy countryside than confined between walls in the towns and villages. It is a river of many birds. Herons and egrets are the most visible along with a good assortment of ducks, but unseen in the heavy forests along it, there are many songbirds even in September. I think the most vocal were probably finches and there were a lot of them.
The route taken was Orleans, Blois, Amboise, Tours, Saumur, Angers Nantes, Rennes, St. Malo, Mont St. Michel, Dinard, Brest, Quimper, Carnac (Atlantic coast), Quiberon (coast), Lorient, Vannes, Nantes, Blois, Orleans, Chartres, Paris.
Weather, fine hotels (or poor hotels), and plenty of money make or break one's view of any voyage. I met people who were obviously travelling on narrow budgets, and some did crazy things like skip two (or all) of the great chateaus to save the $12. entrance fee. One older couple drove the entire Loire valley without entering a single chateau. That is crazy.
For those reading this who consider travelling to Paris, I will mention that I saw on Google, a 12 hour day trip from Paris for about $200. which takes one to the three greatest chateaus and back to Paris the same day. I think that is a great day trip for a reasonable price.
I will begin with Chartres as I failed to put it at the end where it belongs. In my numerous trips to France and Paris since my first visit in 1964, I never bothered to take the time to go to the town and cathedral of Chartres. I was pretty shocked at the dreadful condition of both the exterior and interior of the cathedral. I guess it is not so bad considering that it faced total destruction twice, and survived.
During the Revolution, the Commune was determined to destroy it, but citizens of Chartres rose up and prevented it. Again in WWII, a U.S. army colonel was ordered to blow it up completely as it was believed to be harbouring Germans soldiers and arms. The colonel disagreed and contrary to his orders, took a single private and together they went behind enemy lines to the cathedral and found that it contained neither men nor arms and those two men saved it form destruction. Sadly not long after, the colonel was killed in combat near Chartres.
Restoration is underway on and in the cathedral, but I would say it is more than a decade long project. It is owned by the Government of France and probably will have a permanent annual budget for restorations.
I found the asymmetrical towers displeasing, The eye is so accustomed to beautifully balanced cathedral towers that it is odd to see such a overwhelming building deviating from the pattern. The story is that the towers were the same until lightning hit the left conical one and destroyed it. The next architect and builder made the decision to replace it with a different style.
Inside it is in terrible disrepair except for the few sections that have been restored. Hundreds of years of candle smoke have blacked the interior and all the statues. Many, many heads, arms and even halves of some decorative statues have fallen off - mostly inside - but also outside. One guide told me that they are all in a museum waiting to be replaced at some time.
I met a defender of the faith there ready to answer all questions. I told him I had been mightily impressed with the great churches on my trip in Orleans, Nantes, Blois, Tours, etc. etc. I said the stained glass windows, the interiors, the pipe organs, the ceremonies and so many other things were really wonderful. However, I said, is it not strange that there is no window, no statue, no memorial, no altar, no mass, no ceremony at all for the innocent tens of thousands of tortured victims burned at the stake by the Catholic church during the inquisition?
He was speechless and stammered and gasped several times while I allowed him lots of time to do so. Then I asked him, what is the reason for this? Again he was speechless, and I told him there could only be one answer; the Catholic church still considered them guilty of nonsense heresy and feels murdering them was justified. He initially agreed and then in a huff said no, not possible, but could offer no other explanation or reason. The great churches represent some of the best and the worst of men and religions in France.
Orleans was saturated in every way with some convention, so I paid a lot for a hotel and found most rental car companies out of inventory.
Avis - clearly the poorest choice of car renters - still had either a huge Buick SUV or a tiny Ford. I could not imagine feeding the SUV, so opted for the 5 speed Ford.
It did not seem to bother the Avis manager and neophyte employee that the front right tire was the spare tire and it was almost flat. They said Never mind, it's fine and were about to add some air and let me go. I said the reason the tire was nearly flat was because it was leaking and I did not want the car. They were astonished - just because the tire is going flat? I finally accepted a similar car.
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I flew over business class to have more legroom and arrive in better-then-usual condition. Instead for the first time in flying for 57 years, I was sick for three days from the airline food. I also had a woman behind me coughing constantly the worst possible sort of cough - which began to affect me after 4 hours of it. Finally, in the fresh air, and with a car, I began to repair and recover and from then on, enjoyed the trip.
In Chartres I happened to stay at the best hotel in town and it had printed silk and linen wallpaper (which was padded for some reason I could not imagine) and of course, matching curtains, not to even mention the finest bed I have ever found in a hotel.
The (nearly endless) halls were the same. They may seem somewhat garish, but after being in the Chateaus, it all seemed normal enough. It was a great hotel in every way. I had actually negotiated a tough price with them and then decided to stay another day. They agreed, but had to move me to another great room - which was twice as big - as the same price.
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