I really liked the roads from Saumur to Usse – lots of wineries, chateaus, and lovely views. This would be excellent biking territory.

Fontevraud

**Fontevraud Royal Abbey is huge. Interesting for the state and quality of the renovations (so much work!) and the history of the prisons on site. A unique piece of Romanesque utilitarian architecture, and the Plantagenet tomb effigies of Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Richard I are among the earliest realistic funerary sculpture in Europe.

The town surrounding is pretty sleepy and the dining options are not great.

Saumur

We did the Bicycle Wine Tasting at **BOUVET LADUBAY. It’s not great bubbly, but the experience was charming. Definitely do the bikes to see the caves.

Ussé

**Château d’Ussé: less crowded than the big sites, and still quite grand. Charmingly hokey, with a heavy use of mannequins to fill the rooms.