We cycled our last day in France, and we’ve been biking back and forth between Germany and Switzerland along the beautiful Rhine River. After a brief, urban ride through the industrial waterfront of Basel, our route cruised past thickly wooded hills and quaint riverside villages. We’re even learning a few words of German, like “radweg” (bicycle route).

The Rhône-to-Rhine Canal took us through more natural landscapes, bordered by misty hollows and wooded hills. The river feels wilder here, and we’re seeing a greater variety of birds, plus a few unexpected animals - like goats in a playground. Traveling by bike always produces a few surprises.

Crossing western France, we cycled along a river valley and canal that cut through the Jura Mountains. Our route was bordered by rugged cliffs and lushly forested hills. As we bounced along cobblestones on the path around Besançon, its grand citadel beckoned us from the cliffs above. We decided to stay an extra day to visit the citadel, and appreciate the city’s old world charm.

Our route on EuroVelo 6 followed two iconic canals through western France. The Canal du Centre links Brittany with the Mediterranean via the Loire and Rhône Rivers. And the Rhône-to-Rhine Canal connects the Mediterranean to the North Sea. The kilometers flew by on the flat and well-surfaced trails. Along the way we were entertained by canal-side gardens, tropical-looking birds, and an old French city oozing Renaissance charm.

After 750 km of cycling through the Loire Valley, we’re leaving the river behind. In Digoin, the Loire River turns southward, towards its source in the Ardeche Mountains of south-central France. But we are staying on EuroVelo 6, which heads northeast towards Germany and the Rhine River. Bye-bye, Loire!

We’re now deep in the heart of central France, where the Loire River becomes too shallow for most boats. Here we encountered the Loire Lateral Canal, with its amazing bridges that cross major rivers like highway overpasses for boats. And in a tiny town near Nevers, we discovered Kilometer 0, the source of the Loire à Vélo route.

Continuing our bicycle journey along the levees of the scenic Loire River, we passed several monumental chateaus. The trail has taken us through more areas where caves honeycomb the cliffs, storing the region’s wines and lots of other stuff - including our bikes for a night.

With the temperatures rising to record levels, we’re heading for Tours, France, where we can hunker down for a few days. Along the way, we both had flat tires. But that didn’t keep us from enjoying the beautiful Loire Valley, with more glowing sunflowers and stately chateaus. Even the monster that lurks in Tours’s old town couldn’t keep us away.

We’re back on the eastward road, cycling up the mighty Loire - France’s last, great, free-flowing river. Our path takes us past iconic sights like the grand chateaus, vineyards that produce the regions fine wines, and acres of sunflowers in bloom. But we’ve also discovered a few secret gems, like the troglodyte cave homes of Samur. Every day brings new surprises.

A ferry ride across the English Channel will bring us back to France. But before we can leave, we’ll have to wait in the ferry terminal until our overnight voyage is ready to board. Once we’ve landed in France, two trains will whisk us across Brittany to Nantes. There we’ll finally get to revisit the giant, mechanical elephant, and his equally astonishing, fellow animal machines. There’s nothing quite like it.

On a blustery, rainy day we bundled up our cycling gear and boarded the ferry for England. We lingered in Plymouth for a day, visiting famous sights like Hoe Park and the Barbican neighborhood and soaking up the maritime ambiance. But the Tors of Dartmoor beckoned us. So we rode our bikes northward, up the Plym River and into the rugged, granite hills.

After two more days cycling along the Nantes-to-Brest Canal, we’ve turned north into the region of Armorica - the ancient heart of Brittany. Leaving behind the castles of the valley, we rode through the legendary Monts d’Arrée, where Celtic legends arise from the heathlands and mossy forests. In Carhaix-Plouguer, we enjoyed seeing roadside art inspired by the Tour de France, which raced through the center of town in 2018.

Following the Nantes-to-Brest Canal, we’ve cycled into the very heart of Brittany. Along this route, nearly every town has a castle with a story linked to the Dukes of Rohan, once one of the most powerful families in the region. Between towns, the canal was lightly used, so we often had the towpath to ourselves - making for a serene and relaxing ride.

The Loire River in France is considered one of the great bicycle routes of Europe. Our itinerary postpones cycling the length of the river until August, but we got a taste of the fabled Loire as we headed north towards the English Channel. We cycled more than 60 km along the river, from its mouth to Nantes, the former seat of the Dukes of Brittany. We thoroughly enjoyed the scenic southern bank, and saw an amazing sight as we entered the city...