Typical 9 nt cycling holiday in Cognac & Charente

A typical diary of a 9 night gentle tourer in Cognac & Charente

Day 1 Roullet St Estephe.

Our home base for the Cognac and Charente with its swimming pool, excellent restaurant, with even a vegetarian menu, and large garden. La Vieille Etable is run by several generations of the Flamary family, with Christine an excellent hostess. We are greeted with a glass of pineau, the local aperitif, and very nice too!

Day 2 Roullet St Estephe.

We remember to fill our water bottles and wear our sunhats. Set out along empty roads towards Mouthiers sur Boeme, a pretty village on the river with cave paintings, an 11C church and a little restaurant, where we have lunch. Very good too. Another 10kms takes us to le Maine Giraud a 15C chateau, once the home of Alfred de Vigny, and now housing his museum. We have hardly seen a car all day!

Day 3 Roullet St Estephe-Montbron 42kms

Leave the suitcase behind with a fresh set of clothes for our return. We are regular 'Susis' so know we don't need to bring too much, but we do enjoy taking extra books, so squeeze them in. Wonderful scenery, long rolling hills, so plenty of downhill runs. We see masses of wild flowers, and swallow-tail butterflies.

Day 4 Montbron.

Gorgeous little chateau hotel, in the middle of nowhere, with a large garden absolutely overrun by colour. We accept Madame's offer to take us to Angouleme in the morning. She does her shopping and we look at the stunning views from the old town, and the handsome buildings. Spend the afternoon relaxing with a book by the pool.

Day 5 Montbron-Nontron 28kms

A day of little villages, sweet chestnut forests and fungi galore. We pick some field mushrooms as big as dinner plates and carry them in the map holder on the handle bars so that they don't get squashed. There is a 14C fortified church at Charras which gives us our next stop. Then onto Nontron. John, our assistant at Roullet, warned us that the hotel was at the top of the town. Madame Pelisson greets us with a big smile and a 'coupe Susi', the most welcome drink. Then straight into the pool to cool off. Our mushrooms make a delicious omelette.

Day 6 Nontron

To reach the 16C Chateau de Puyguilhem we are prepared for a hilly ride as the map shows bands of dark colour. To our surprise we soon pick up a route running beside the river Dronne which is perfect cycling. The chateau is superb and well worth the visit. As we are still bursting with energy we carry on to Brantome, a pretty town on the river. The caf{s and riverside walks provide us with a pleasant afternoon interlude.

Day 7 Nontron-Vieux Mareuil 18kms

Saturday morning and the market is in town. Streets and squares overflow with produce. Chickens and ducks peer out of baskets, vegetables and fruit are piled into gleaming heaps, and the cheese man tempts us with a tasty sliver cut from a big round tome. It's so delicious we buy some for lunch.

Day 8 Vieux Mareuil

After the excitement of busy Nontron, we are delighted to once more be off the beaten track. We eat a delicious dinner on the terrace, and then are enchanted by a nightingale singing. Today is an 'easy' day so Mareuil just 7 kms away should be perfect. We have lunch in a cafe and then visit the 14C chateau which the owner shows us around.

Day 9 Vieux Mareuil-Roullet St Estephe 40kms

Plan our route to follow the rivers, generally this avoids most of the hillier bits. Aim for Villebois-Lavalette where the ruined chateau dominates the village, and then onto the great white Chateau de la Mercerie, a folly on a hill. Sunflowers seem to predominate, acres and acres of them, quite stunning. Empty our panniers at Roullet and then fill up again at the Co-operative with cognac and pineau. Another memorable dinner.

Day 10

Home again today. We clink our way through customs and look forward to some happy memories when we open the bottles.

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