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Think of the biggest travel mistake you could make…. Is it getting on the wrong train? Or forgetting to pack your socks and underwear? Or is it ordering the andouillette in France thinking that it’s just like andouille sausage back home rather than the French version of tripe?
The answer is none of these. The biggest mistake you can make, in my opinion, is letting “perfect” get in the way of good while your traveling.
I’m sharing the following story with you for a couple of reasons: First, I want everyone to know that travel doesn’t always go according to plan, despite what you see on social media. And second, as embarrassing as the following story is, I don’t want you to do what I did and hope you will learn from my travel mistake.
Now with that said, read on…
Bicycling from Blois to Chateau de Chambord
I’ve always had this dream to bicycle through the French countryside, ambling around on two wheels from chateau to chateau, vineyard to vineyard, French inn to French inn. I’d have a freshly baked baguette resting in a cute white basket at the front of my bike. And there wouldn’t be any traffic, because I’d be safely tucked away on France’s excellent bike path system. In the Loire Valley, it is known as the Loire de Velo.
So I was thrilled that I’d be able to make my bucket list item come true during my off-season visit to the Loire. I researched cycling possibilities and conditions in March, and decided the ride from the city of Blois to Chateau de Chambord would be perfect.
Bicycle Rental in Blois
Les Velos Verts is just a short walk from the Blois train station and a short bike ride away from Blois Castle. The lovely woman at the rental shop was eager to help me make my dream come true and she said that the ride was about 90 minutes away on mostly car-free bike paths. The shop closed at 6PM and I just had to get the bike back before then.
It sounded perfect. (There’s that word again).
The salesperson at the store also offered me the option to rent an e-bike, and assured me that even though I had never ridden one, I’d get the hang of it very quickly. The price was only a few Euros more but I declined on the grounds that I was in decent shape and would be able to handle a 90 minute bike ride. (You’re starting to see my big mistake, no?)
Though I don’t ride a bike often, I can certainly stay upright, brake safely, understand cycling rules of the road, and use the appropriate hand signals for turns. I also know how to read maps, Google and otherwise, and can follow path signs (like when I hiked the Thames Path National Trail), so I have a decent sense of direction. My phone was fully charged and I had water in my day pack, and mostly importantly, a bike helmet on my head. My only physical limitation was a torn meniscus, but I had taken my NSAID that morning and was feeling great. I was certain this was not going to be a problem today.
What could possibly go wrong???
My Adventure Begins…(and so does the biggest travel mistake I made on this trip)
I left the bike shop around 12:30 PM and began following directions through the city of Blois to Chambord. As the woman at the bike shop had indicated, the path was well marked and I had no trouble wending my way through Blois, around the castle, and down the hill towards the outskirts of town. I even stopped just outside the walls of the Blois castle to get a photo of the area. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to visit Blois on my way back from Chambord. Since Chambord is one of the largest of the Loire Valley chateaux, I wanted time to explore it thoroughly.
I easily crossed the bridge over the Loire and confidently headed straight off the bridge before seeing (at the last moment) the sign to go left to Chambord instead. I squeezed the brakes hard but seemed to forget to steer the bike while I was squeezing, heading straight towards a light pole. I put down my right leg to stop me from crashing into said light fixture, and it immediately buckled under me. I collapsed onto the sidewalk, not only hurting my leg but also jamming my thumb and index finger onto the concrete. (This was also the same right knee that had the torn meniscus.)
It was fortunate, not to mention embarrassing, that two women were close by and came over to see if I was injured. I picked up the bicycle (and my pride) and set off on the correct path. Bicycle – 1, Me – 0
As promised, the cycle route did stick to dedicated cycle routes after leaving the city, and Blois gave way to lovely smaller towns and open fields. If I had been thinking, I’d have taken more pictures to show you just how lovely the scenery is from Blois to Chambord.
Though I was in decent shape, I forgot how long 90 minutes of continuous biking really is…especially when this over 50 body doesn’t bicycle frequently.
At the end of a quiet bike trail, I slowed down to hop off the bike, forgetting again about my torn meniscus. Second fall — though not as painful as the first.
It was after my second fall that it occurred to me that I might have made a mistake by renting a bicycle. The reality of the trek to Chambord was turning out to be nothing like the picture in my head.
And somewhere after my second fall, I lost the signs again and made a wrong turn. Do not ask me where it happened, because I don’t know, and I lost the trail completely. My 90 minute bike ride out to Chambord turned into a nearly three hour slog. On the bright side, I did get to see a lot more countryside than I had intended.
Arrival in Chambord
By some combination of Google Maps and asking for directions, I arrived at the main road leading to the chateau. Tired, soaked in sweat (yes, even in March), body sore from falls, and very hungry. But up ahead, like Emerald City, was Chambord.
Covered in scaffolding.
Honestly, I felt a little like the Griswold family in National Lampoon’s Vacation, finally arriving at Wally World only to find it closed. The chateau was open, but much of the grandeur of the chateau was scaffolded over. Not quite the picture I had in my head, though nothing was that day.
If you are keeping up with my math, the nearly three hour slog put me seriously behind in my schedule and I knew that I had to allow for a good amount of time to get back (considering that I was exhausted and could get lost again).
I grabbed some lunch, some water, and charged my phone in the gift shop. I walked around the outside of Chambord, but didn’t dare pay the admission to enter the building as I knew I wouldn’t be able to stay long enough to justify the cost, and make my 6PM bicycle return.
The Ride Back to Blois
The ride home was just as eventful as the first- despite my Google map, despite keeping an eye out for bike path signs– I made a couple of wrong turns, including one where I abandoned the path completely and ended up alongside a very very busy motorway. Cars were whizzing by me much too close for comfort and I ended up hopping off my bike and carrying it over the grass to find the closest bike path. I’d take anything, correct or not.
At this point, I gave up all hope of finding the correct bike trail, and just started pedaling towards Blois Castle in the distance. I figured I’d easily recognize the bridge over which I’d crossed and have no trouble getting back to the bike shop. Bicycle-3, Me – 0.
Nope! I crossed the wrong bridge and ended up quite a ways from the bike shop. Fast forward to speeding along the sidewalks of Blois (I didn’t trust myself on the road), dodging pedestrians left and right, and just following the signs to Blois Castle. I knew that the Castle would put me very close to the bike shop. I’d have taken a photo of my journey through the city streets, but that was not foremost on my mind. I arrived at the bike shop a few minutes after 6 PM, just as the lovely woman who rented me the bike earlier that day was locking up to go home.
Taking Stock and Lessons Learned
In summary, my dream bicycle ride in France ended up taking twice as long as intended, left me with an injured hand and a more injured leg, and the scare of my life biking along some motorway with no bike lane. And let’s not forget the wounded ego and my complete failure to follow my map and/or miss the directionals. It was entirely my own fault that I got into this mess. The biggest mistake was not being realistic about my capabilities an my expectations.
Yes, it would have been lovely to cycle through the Loire Valley, but for an over 50 year old with a damaged knee, it was foolish and could have had disastrous consequences for the remainder of my trip.
Lessons Learned/Travel Tips for the Adventure Seeker in You
As disappointed as I was, and as foolish as I felt, I learned some good lessons that I will share with you now.
It doesn’t matter if you’re cycling in France or hiking a path somewhere, or just visiting a new destination. These travel tips can apply no matter where and how you travel.
- Do NOT underestimate distance, whether it’s biking, hiking, or just walking around. Ninety minutes of continuous anything is a long time unless you are in really good shape and have built up some stamina.
- Be alert and aware to directional signs. Whether on a bike path, walking or bridle path, or just following the signs to an attraction. The signs are there, but if you’re so busy looking around at your beautiful surroundings, you will miss them- which in all honesty, isn’t always a bad thing.
- Carry more food and water than you think you need. Especially water.
- If you are offered the opportunity to rent an E-bike over a regular bike, TAKE IT! For just a few Euros more, and a few minutes at the beginning to learn the equipment, I would have fared much better and had more time to enjoy myself.
- And most importantly, do not let the picture in your head get in the way of your own reality. It isn’t fun to fall, become so tired you can’t pedal (or walk) any more, or take a wrong turn that endangers your life. Don’t let your idea of the “perfect experience” get in the way of your safety and enjoyment. Be realistic and practical.
All told, I visited Chambord, the chateau I was most looking forward to seeing, for just 30 minutes. Thirty minutes.
Bicycle- 4, Me – 0. Although I think I should get one point just for surviving to tell this tale.