Not all awakenings by a river are the same. Some smell of damp, others of adventure… and today's smelled of the latter with a touch of imaginary toast. After the obligatory morning walk and my yogi dog stretches, we got in the car. Fifteen minutes later we were parked for free (yes, FREE, because for dad that's like finding truffles) next to a military barracks in Saumur. I didn't bark at any soldiers, as lately I've been practicing international diplomacy.

The centre of Saumur greeted us with sun, silence, and shops closed due to that French custom of eating lunchtime with a siesta included. We strolled through pretty and quiet pedestrian streets, and crossed the famous bridge over the Loire, the Pont Cessart, which has been watching boats, wars, and curious dogs like me for centuries. Then we saw the theatre, elegant facades, and silent squares, as if everyone had hidden behind a croissant.

And then… stairs. Lots of them. My dad decided that the castle of Saumur wasn't going to climb itself. So, up we go. Me, with my four all-terrain paws, fine; him, with his two legs of vibrating human, slower. But when we got to the top: wow multiplied by a thousand! The castle is as if someone had ordered a fairytale castle from a medieval catalogue. Pointed towers, walls, gardens, and views of the Loire that made you want to declare yourself Duke of the travelling mutts. We didn't go in (I think you can't or maybe it was to avoid paying, ahem), but we went around the outside as if we were inspecting fortifications.

We went down, went back to the car and ate right there. I took my obligatory nap while dad made satisfied human noises.

Afterwards, a short road to Turquant. We parked under the trees and strolled among troglodyte houses that looked like they came from a French version of Cappadocia. Caves converted into workshops, dwellings under the rock, hidden galleries… very elegant troglodog. We liked the quiet and mysterious air of the place.

Then car again. We passed through Montsoreau, which looked like a postcard but we didn't stop. We parked in Candes-Saint-Martin, and another walk. The village is beautiful, unpretentious medieval and full of corners to sniff around. We went up to the panoramic viewpoint along a steep path that looked like it was designed by goats with a vocation for climbers. Up there is half a tower… literally. They call it the "Tour de la Herpinière", but it looks like half of what it was, as if someone had taken the rest in a move. From there the river and the houses looked like a model.

After almost an hour of further wandering, it was time to go back to the wheels. Heading east. We passed near the Chinon nuclear power plant, that huge EDF block that clashes in the middle of the landscape like a mutant at a medieval party.

We wanted to sleep in some natural corner of the Loire, and there were thousands of options. The first place we saw on park4night promised a lot… until we arrived and it was practically the Comic-Con of the fishermen. Then dad activated the hound mode of hiding places and we found another better place: a hidden, almost secret shore, with no one around, with maximum privacy and the sound of water. The Loire in front, trees around, and me feeling like the alpha wolf of western France.

Here we stay. If the beavers eat us tomorrow, at least we'll sleep like kings.