Page 23 - Walking Back Through Time

nearby. Passing over the River Loire for the first time I admire views of mill and waterfalls on the left. It's a huge boost to see the Loire which is a natural border of Northern France; it is also a reminder that my jour- ney is now drawing to a close. From Seiches -s-le-Loir I hope to power my way through the final outposts of the walk heading first for Angers; then a 100km stretch along the main carriageway nearby the river to Nantes.
Maintaining momentum I reach Angers by nightfall – the last great city and outpost before Nantes which I hope to reach sometime on Thursday.
Nearing the top of town I find a Pension and decided to stay there at the cost of 40euros for B&B - a better option than camping with the final big push coming tomorrow.
Day 14/15 Angers to Nantes - 100km
A good nights sleep and breakfast is the perfect tonic for a tough day as I leave the pension around 7am – still dark. The early steps provide little advantage as I am soon perplexed by the city's intricate motorway sys- tem which prevents me from reaching a pedestrian route.
Stopping at a hotel I obtain instructions on how to overcome this predic- ament. Soon I am following a country lane which takes me to Saint Jean-de-Linieres. It's still a bit tricky getting there, as the penultimate junction isn't sign posted! Thankfully I gamble on a right turn which leads to the correct destination.
After a blast of caffeine and a chocolate bar I join the D723 to St Georg- es s-Loire (11km) with Nantes registering a further 79km.
After some drizzle it brightens up and I make the most of the little towns along the way stopping at St-Georges-s-Loire and then Champ- toce-sur-Loire by its castle ruin. Entering a café I am confronted by a mad woman who pesters me for money and drinks. Other customers leave quickly - some barely make it through the door to purchase a drink; no one at present wants to stay long! Worse still for me is that she speaks fluent English and starts ranting and mocking my expedition - saying it is all meaningless. Even after leaving the premises she pursues