RtG The Daily Dispatch - Carrera Riviera - WEB - Flipbook - Page 5
4 to 15 June 2023
Day 2
Chambord to La Rochelle (389.2km)
Today we enjoyed another sun soaked, civilised
day, with two crossings of the Loire and a run
along its fertile valley. Drifting downstream
towards the Bay of Biscay our night halt was in a
coastal city known as ‘the gateway to the ocean’.
On the way to La Rochelle we drove through some
of the most important pages of European history.
Leaving their modest billet this morning the well-rested
crews were taken on something of a tour of the grounds
of the Parc de Chambord. A Passage Control in Le Cosson
guided them through the Fôret de Russy and into the old
city of Blois. Here they enjoyed a run along the northern
bank of the river, followed by a climb through the vineyards
6 June 2023
of the Haute Loire and a section through La Dodinière and
the Foret d’Amboise. Miles of carefree highway led to the
Time Control at La Doulce Terrasse in Villandry for a quick
coffee and pit stop, before a Passage Control on the Route
Marie Stuart under the green canopy of the Fôret de Chinon.
We crossed the River Vienne in Chinon where, among
dozens of other notable events throughout the medieval
and Renaissance years, Joan of Arc met with the Dauphin
to raise an army against the English. The Maid of Orleans
might well have been on a mission from God, but we
had our own imperatives today. With a nod towards
the Château, the Rally made directly for the lunch Time
Control in L’Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud. Here we sat
down to a midday feast in the refectory, which echoed our
visit to the Monasterio de Ribas de Sil during last year’s
Carrera España.
Photos: gerardbrown.co.uk
Carlos and Martina Rieder, 1970 Alfa Romeo Berlina
www.rallytheglobe.com