LIGNY-LE-RIBAULT

May 23, 2005

We left La Poterie and began our next day vowing not to do another 83 kilometers.  Shortly after leaving Donnery we crossed the Loire River at Jargeau and we were back into the rolling countryside.  We had partly cloudy skies, with the sun poking through sometimes and a bit of rain.  We continued to ride along the south side of the Loire, through the farmlands, and the woods, and the little country villages.  Don has plotted some great routes on little used country roads, away from the busy highways.

Like good kids, we started looking for a place to say fairly early and ended up in Ligny-le-Ribault.  Checking the chamber d’hotes guide, I found a listing for a nice place “situe au calme”.  That is where we were going!  We arrived in the village and right away Don spotted a chamber right on the main corner of the highway, AND they spoke English. He was all for checking in, but I wanted the atmosphere, so it became my job to find my choice.

The listing referred to the community of Bon Hotel and I was able to spot that on the village map, so we rode out of town for a mile or so.  Don was reluctant and complaining, and somehow he had an idea that we were on the wrong road.  We turned onto a side road, and rode a few blocks across to another highway leading back into town.  Don was still not happy.  I was ready to back off my need for atmosphere and go back to the village hotel on the noisy corner.  We turned left and were riding toward the town when I spotted a sign for the community of Bon Hotel, and just near it was a green “Gites de France” sign.  We turned off the highway and went down a new road.  On and on we went.  No more signs.  Out into farmland and forest.  No more signs.  This was getting to be a replay of some of yesterday’s experiences. 

Just as we were giving up hope we saw a sign for chambers and so we continued on.  Now we were in the forest, about 3 kilometers out of the town.  Houses were scarce.  We saw a car coming toward us and I figured that this was either a guest using the 1 room on offer, or the owner.  Either way it wasn’t a good sign.  We continued on anyway, and just when I thought Don was going to get grumpy again, we found the sign and the drive into the yard. 

Of course no one was home, but the gardens and courtyard looked very nice.  We sat on the patio in the sun and waited.  Luckily, M. Fichelle, who was the driver of the car we saw along the way, came back.  He had spotted us too, and figured we might we wanting a room, so he dropped his family off at the Doctor’s office, and returned to welcome us to his nice chambre d’hote.

After a shower and drink we strolled down the lane to take a closer look at the big old private chateau, the Bon Hotel.  Because it is private and there are people who live there, we could only look in the wrought iron gates.  The buildings where we were staying were once the stables and tack houses of the estate.  M. Fichelle has restored and remodeled them to become a home for his mother-in-law, a home for himself and his family, and he now has 3 rooms available for his chambre d’hote business.

We went into town for dinner and had a great night’s sleep.  Each place we have stayed is so quiet and peaceful we have slept very well.

In the morning we had our breakfast, and M. Fichelle kindly made a reservation for us at our next destination.  Another nice lodging, with a friendly and helpful host.  M. Marcel Fichelle, Ligny-le-Ribault
,

45240 Ligny Le Ribault
Communs De Bon Hotel
Chemin de saint Laurent

Marcal & Dominique Fichelle

Tel 0 38 45 66 90
ccbonhotel@wanadoo.fr