ANGERS [TRAFFIC] MANAGEMENT

A really peaceful night’s sleep, awaking to the rustle of the trees around us.

The river is a perfect mirror reflecting a myriad of greens from the trees and grassy banks. A couple of campers amble towards the river with fishing rods, apparently carp is common here.

Nick carefully programmes both satnavs to take us on the outermost route around Angers, as we know the normal ‘rocade’ [ring road] is often manic.

We set off and enjoy the scenery of our southerly loop, with frequent views of the river along shady avenues, until we get to the outskirts of Pont Ce and our exit from a roundabout is marked ‘Route Barre 700m’.  The satnav says to turn off in 700 yds so we follow other traffic towards the closure, which we reach before our turn off.  The only option is through the supermarket car park and follow the deviation signs.  It would help if they marked ‘Deviation Paris’, ‘Deviation Angouleme’ etc so you have an idea where you’re going, but no.

Fifteen minutes round the houses we arrive back at the roundabout.  Trying to programme Snoopy is fruitless, he hasn’t a clue the road is closed and just bongs at every ‘wrong’ turn.  We try to get to the toll-free section of the A87, east of us but south out of Angers, but just go in circles due to the avoid-toll settings which think all of A87 is toll.  Once more we return to the closed roundabout, backtrack where we came in and take the narrow road through the centre of Pont Ce.  Our arrival time is now showing 70 minutes later than it did when we started. 

Anyway, it’s a good job we stopped early yesterday, as our intended stop was Port Maillard, south east of Angers and would have used this non-route.

Back on familiar roads past Brissac Quince, where we stop for lunch, and Montrieul Bellay we enter the Loire vineyards, looking lush and green in the sunshine and promising a good crop.

South of the vineyards there are acres, no, square miles of golden cornfield and sunflowers.  We stop a number of times to enjoy the scenery together for a few minutes, you cannot share it from separate vehicles, and Ali misses the higher viewpoint from the van.  The sunflowers become a yellow blur as we drive past, every head facing the sun.

Eventually we see the first Montmorillon sign, but decide that getting home is just a bit too far with all our delays so we take the two mile detour off the main road to the aire at Nieuil l'Espoir where we stayed 4 years ago.  There are a few other vans in, but fewer than half the places taken.  It’s a hot, sultry evening and once the traffic calms down the sound of swallows is all around.