by Bernard Dugdale on August 3, 2010
This is the fourth in a series of 4 examples of a new mapping tool incorporated in our website . You can use the tool, from Mapometer , to examine The Chain Gang’s bike tours in France, Italy and the UK. ‘Zoom’ to examine features in detail, and select ‘Satellite’ to enjoy ariel views of famous landmarks.
For the fourth example, I’ve chosen the Dart Estuary, from our Tour of Devon.
Aerial view of Dartmouth
This is from our new tour of Devon, so I’m guessing not many readers will have cycled here. It’s a beautiful estuary, unusually deep, which is why Dartmouth has such an interesting naval and sailing history. I love the green fields that surround everything – it’s so Devon.
On the left of the estuary is Dartmouth, on the right is Kingswear, and a car ferry shuttles backwards and forwards.
If you look at the itinerary for the following day you’ll see how the Mountbatten Ferry allows us to cycle right into the heart of Devon’s biggest City, twice the size of Avignon, and out onto the lower slopes of Dartmoor without cycling more than a few metres on busy roads.
Aerial view of Plymouth
For our American readers – see the little ‘hook’ on the extreme West of the route? Those are the Mayflower Steps. That’s where she set sail from in 1620.
Zoom in and have a look.
by Bernard Dugdale on March 8, 2010
This is the third in a series of 4 examples of a new mapping tool incorporated in our website . You can use the tool, from Mapometer , to examine The Chain Gang’s bike tours in France, Italy and the UK. ‘Zoom’ to examine features in detail, and select ‘Satellite’ to enjoy ariel views of famous landmarks.
For the third example, I’ve chosen Château Chambord, from our Tour of the Loire Valley.
Aerial view of Chambord
One of my favourite places to stay on any of our tours is the Hotel Grand St Michel in the Loire Valley. It’s next to the largest of all the Loire châteaux, built by Francois II as a hunting lodge, believe it or not. It boasts a chimney for every day of the year and a memorable ‘double’-helix’ staircase designed by Leonardo di Vinci.
Château Chambord sits in the middle of a hunting park inside the longest wall in Europe, all 32 Km of it. And right there in the centre, 200 meters from the château, is our hotel. Sitting on the terrace in the early evening, nursing a Kir, looking out over Château Chambord, is just wonderful.
You can’t see much of the château from overhead, but the shadow gives a hint at how fantastic the roof is, and after dinner we do actually get the chance to walk round the roof during the ’son et lumiere’ spectacle.
If you look at the detailed itinerary you’ll be able to see how deserted the chateau and the hotel actually are.
Chambord in isolation
