We always intended to finish cycling the Loire, and now that we have, it’s filled us with delightful memories and plenty of ideas for future cycle rides.
The area around all Saumur is full of caves formed in the soft sedimentary limestone, such as Tufa. Those who lived in these caves were known as Troglodytes who carved and created villages and communities in the rock, safe from wolves and protected from rain and snow. Some are still used to this day and many have become tourist attractions, and so we visited the Rochemeiner Village museum. The Troglodytes were mostly farmers whose life expectancies was around 43, living hard lives in damp homes. The museum displayed their homes, furniture, fireplaces and how they lived. It was full of old wine making equipment and rudimentary farm machinery. We felt the irony that these dwellings were built during similar periods to the sumptuous chateaus we’ve been visiting.
We continued on to Neil’s distant cousin Sarah and husband Laurent who live near Laval. We spent a wonderful evening with them, catching up with each other’s families and news and Sarah cooked the most delicious supper.
Ceri's Blog with Neil 
Well done Ceri and Neil. You guys are sooooo adventurous! Xx
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The caves carved out by the Troglodytes people look so amazing. Whenever I see an abandoned dwelling I often try and picture the people who lived there and their hardships and joys. The average life expectancy of 43 is so young.
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