The Loire Velo Trail

Our arrival in Nerves after 500 kms has coincided with the arrival of winter. People are walking around in coats, scarves, hats and gloves. There is a light drizzle, 15 km/hr southerly and the temperature is around 8oC.
My feet are feeling half frozen, the hands have gone numb , the nose is dripping yet my body is sweating underneath the rain coat from the excursion of the ride.
We have decided that this weather is not ideal to spend the last 2 days cruising the district so have bought a train ticket to Angers to ride the coastal end of the Loire before returning the bikes.
The villages in the upper reaches of this valley have been exceptional and our biggest complaint is the air temperature and no swimming signs on the river bank. While Nemo(bronni) is not so inclined to jump in at 8oC she objects to her freedom been restricted and cannot work out why they don't allow swimming. We do wonder if it has something to do with the 3 nuclear power stations we have ridden past but this hasn't stopped people fishing, kayaking or using the river for irrigation. .... but then we shouldn't forget the Rainbow Warrior either.
2 headed catfish. Just a slight abberration of the norm. Non probleme. Oui?

As far as bikes rides the Loire Velo trail is an amazing resource to experience particularly when you put it in context with our current Government's initiative to have a trail from the North cape to the bluff. This is more than just a track between two points on the map specially for cycles. It is a infrastructure of tourist attractions, accommodation, food, freight and transport that accommodates a wide range of budgets and styles. There are special trains with purpose built carriages. Couriers running luggage between points and returning bikes for those only travelling one way. They have a range of guided assistance from books, pre-programmed gps's to private personal guides. There are a number of bikes shops hiring and selling a range of bikes and supporting equipment and there is even a discrete electrical assisted option if you think your not fit enough to keep up. 
From our self guided perspective the Tourist offices have been pivotal as an information resource in respect to the trail, points of interest, accommodation and attractions in the cities and villages along the way. They become almost a destination point between major villages and nearly all of the people in the offices responded positively to my.. "pardone.Je ne parle pas français . Parlez-vous anglais "...... pronounced very badly....
The track itself was more than just a smooth no or low vehicular trail. Its was interesting and varied with sufficient activities along the way to stop it from been just a pedal slog. It had a blend of cultures and cuisine both present and past. We biked through vineyard, grain fields and dairy farms. We crossed the river many times and bike along old trade water canals now used by tourist's house boats and every 10 kms or so the trail darted through a village with its narrow streets, old churches, castle on the hill, ruin and an espresso in the square.
While I have always applauded the Right honourable Mr Key's initiative until now I have never fully appreciated the enormity of the task to make it a world class success. It requires more that just the track and I just hope his advisors appreciate this or he'll end up with a muddy animal path used by the wild pigs, possums and a few hard core tight tourists who seem to have a reluctance to even pay our DOC hut fees.