Wine tasting at Pintray - 2

2007 - As a child Mr. R. used to live on the ‘île de Ré’, an island on the west coast of France. His father owned a small press shop and he and his brothers worked the fields, growing potatoes. Unless you were a fisherman there was little else to do on the island in those days (we're talking about the sixties). When his father died, Mr. R. inherited the shop. By that time tourists had discovered Ré, and real estate prices were increasing rapidly. Mr. R., recognizing a good opportunity when he saw one, sold the shop.

He decided to relocate to an area with more opportunities and moved lock, stock and barrel to the Loire Valley.

When he first saw the Château de Pintray, the house was almost in ruins and the surrounding vineyards that came with the property had not been taken care of in years. With is wife and children he decided to bring the Château and the vineyard back to life.

At this point he stopped. “I suppose you would like to taste some wine now”, he said. We nodded. We thought he was going to pour us some wine from the bottle that he’d been holding all the time. But no! “Let’s start with a ‘Méthode Traditionnelle’ (a white sparkling wine). “It’s made by the ‘coopérative’ to which I deliver part or my grapes”. And off he went to get a bottle from the fridge in his kitchen! We sat there, waiting and waiting, until finally he reappeared from the house wearing a freshly ironed shirt and clean trousers. He obviously had been scolded by his wife for receiving guests wearing his dirty working clothes.

The wine tasting session lasted well over an hour and a half. The Château is located in the denominations of Montlouis-sur-Loire (Chenin or Pinot de la Loire) and Touraine (Gamay and Cabernet ). After the sparkling wine, Mr. R. served us some of his medal winning white wines:

- a ‘moelleux’ (sweet) white wine 2000: Golden medal at the ‘Concours Agricole de Paris’ in 2002.

- a ‘Cuvée des Armoiries 2002: Lys de Bronze 2003 at the ‘Concours des Vins du Val de Loire.

One of his dry white Montlouis wines has obtained a three star mention in the prestigious ‘Guide Hachette des Vins’.

And to think that all this has been accomplished by a man who 20 years ago didn’t even know how to make wine! During the tasting session Mr. R. told us how he had to take classes to learn about the grape growing and wine making business. After all, he had never done anything similar in his life. But his efforts won’t be in vain as his son, who has studied at the wine academy of Bordeaux, was at the time (in 2007) about to move in to help his father running the place. He will eventually take over the vineyard and the winery.

Mr. R.’s Montlouis and Touraine wines were some of the best I’ve ever tasted. We couldn’t resist buying two dozen bottles of red and one dozen of white. On top of that, we each received three bottles (red and white) that came with the internet competition’s first prize.

When we said goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. R. the next morning, thanking them for their warm welcome and the good time we had spent at the Château de Pintray, Mr. R. was wearing his usual working gear again.

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Lunch and wine tasting at Pintray - 1

2007 - Remember the first prize we won in the quiz on the Touraine website? It included two wine tasting sessions: one AOC Montlouis and one AOC Chinon.

The first was at the Château de Pintray in Lussault-sur-Loire (west of Amboise), the manor where we were staying in a chambre d’hôtes. We arrived at Pintray at about one o’clock on the first day of our annual stay. We were greeted by Mrs. R., who immediately made us feel very welcome. We asked whether we could have our picnic lunch on the terrace and she quickly produced the necessary plates, glasses and cutlery (in spite of the fact that we told her we had everything we needed in our picnic hamper).

While we were having our lunch, Mr. R. came walking towards the house. He had been cutting the lawn with his little tractor and looked dirty and sweaty. He came to greet us, extending his right wrist to shake instead of his smudged hand. When he saw that we were drinking water, he proposed to get us a bottle of his chilled white wine. An offer we couldn’t and didn’t refuse.

At the Amboise market earlier that day we had bought two small ripe avocados, a piece of fresh salmon and one egg. The picnic hamper supplied the rest of the ingredients to make a salmon tartar: olive oil, pepper and coarse sea salt. All throughout the meal we had the company of the yellow Labradors of the house. My friend had given them the egg white (as you only need the yolk to make a tartar) and they were hoping that there was more to come. Their patience was rewarded as there were some salmon leftovers.

We had finished our lunch and were just packing up when Mr. R. came out of the kitchen and asked us when we wanted to have the ‘winning’ wine tasting session. We decided to have a walk and a nap first and agreed to meet him in the winery on the other side of the courtyard at 6 p.m.

“Perfect, I’ll see you then”, he said walking away in the direction of the vineyard.

After an invigorating walk and a restoring nap and shower we went down to the winery. Mr. R. was already waiting for us … still wearing the same sweaty T-shirt and dusty shorts. He had set out some glasses on the table and invited us to sit down. Holding an open bottle in his hand he started to explain the history of the Château de Pintray and how he had become a ‘vigneron’.

(to be continued)

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Bumping into to locals

2006 - Halfway between Azay-le-Rideau and Richelieu you’ll find the sleepy village of Crissay-sur-Manse. It’s a member of the association ‘Les Plus beaux villages de France’.

The ruins of the 15th century castle remind the visitor that this was once a viscounty, belonging to the town of I’Ile-Bouchard and the archdiocese of Tours. The ruins are privately owned and can only be visited from the outside. There’s also a 16th century church.



When walking through the village in 2006 we literally bumped into to one of its 115 inhabitants. We were coming up an alley, when all of a sudden a solid metal garden gate opened into the alley, blocking our way. A lady appeared from behind the door, standing with her back to us. She was wearing gardening gloves and pruning some branches that were growing over the top of the gate. Completely oblivious of our presence, she took a step backwards, and bumped straight into us. ‘Oups’ I said, which made her shriek with surprise.

All this happened in a split second and it was impossible to avoid her. We apologized to each other and started chatting. She was very talkative and told us that there were only 35 of the original inhabitants of Crissay left in the village, and that she was one of them.

We asked her whether there were many tourists (like us) who visited the village. No, although things had changed slightly since the ‘Auberge de Crissay’, the only ‘watering hole’ in the village, had opened four guestrooms. Apart from the guests it was mainly people cycling though the area that stopped for a walk around the village and sometimes a drink in the Auberge.

After leaving her, we walked up to the Auberge, where we were greeted by a charming young lady. At her recommendation we had a glass of chilled rosé from the nearby AOC of Chinon. We were surprised to find a Chinon rosé, as the AOC is mainly know for its excellent red wine.

It was almost one o’clock, and we asked whether it was possible to have a light meal. Our hostess suggested ‘une planche’. We followed her advice and enjoyed the selection of charcuteries and cheeses that she served us, sipping some more Chinon rosé.

We haven’t been to Crissay in 2009, but apparently there is now a second restaurant called ‘La Table de Béa’. Maybe we should check it out the next time we’re in the area.

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Unexpectedly back in time

Last weekend I was going through some old papers when, unexpectedly, I came across this:


It's the original card that I picked up during our very first ,and unfortunately only, visit to Le Moulin in Saint-Aignan in 2000.

On the back of the card the proprietors, Nelly and Patrick GRANGER, explain why you should come to their restaurant: the situation on the banks of the Cher, the calm atmosphere, the attractive interior, the two terraces (we didn't get to see those as it was raining cats and dogs on that memorable day in June 2000), the labyrinth of gangways, the lounge and the icecream parlour, the traditional cuisine, the warm welcome and the parking lot.

It was all that indeed ... but a bit less glamorous. I wonder if the buxom lady who waited on us was Nelly?

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The mayor?

2008 - The village of Turquant.

Could this handsome fellow be the mayor of Turquant? We noticed this strange creature sitting by the front door of the village hall while we were having our aperitif on the small terrace of l'Hélianthe.

It's a clever arrangement of flower pots with a bush growing out of the head. The tri-coloured sash could indicate that this is the mayor or another village official. What do yo think? Is this a prank, the work of a great creative mind or an inventive municipal gardener?


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Runaway snail

Crossing the Loire River at Port Boulet near Bourgueil, and driving west through Candes-Saint- Martin and Montsoreau, you reach the village of Turquant in the Maine-et-Loire department. Seen from the main road, the village has very little to offer, but once you drive or walk up its narrow streets, you’ll be charmed by the typical troglodyte houses and the peaceful atmosphere.

Across the local ‘Mairie’ is an unusual but excellent restaurant, called ‘l’Hélianthe’. The troglodyte house used to belong to Antoine Cristal, the ‘inventor’ of our favourite red Loire wine, the Saumur Champigny. There is a bas relief portrait of him carved in one of the restaurant’s walls.

The present owner has invested a great deal of time and money in buying and restoring the house. It had been abandoned as a ruin by the former proprietor after a fire had ravaged the whole interior. Even now, and in spite of the amazing restoration job that has been done, some of the floor tiles still look blackened and scorched.

As it was a sunny and warm day, we started our lunch on the tiny outdoor terrace. A delicate salmon mousse accompanied the chilled sparkling Vouvray that we had ordered.

In the meantime we studied the menu card. One of the starters was ‘escargots’ – snails. Nor my friend, nor I are big fans of the ‘grand gris’ (the large variety), which can be rather chewy, compared to their smaller cousin, the ‘petit gris’, which is more to our liking.

While we were discussing this, we heard a ticking-clicking noise coming from the steep alley leading to the restaurant’s kitchen. The noise became louder till finally we saw what was causing it. It was a large ‘escargot’ in his shell rolling down the alley. It landed right in front of our feet. The poor creature must have heard us talking and was obviously ‘making a run for it’ after successfully escaping from the kitchen! We picked it up and placed it carefully on a nearby wall in the shade.

After this little incident, it was definitely out of the question that we would have snails as a starter. So we shared a plate of trout rillettes that came with thick slices of wholegrain homemade bread. This was followed by guinea fowl with braised baby fennel in a port sauce for me and a filet of Loire River fish with white beans in a wine sauce for my friend. An excellent lunch, in a unique setting.

L’Hélianthe

Ruelle Antoine Cristal

49730 Turquant


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The perfect picnic spot

La Touraine is a great region to picnic, because the banks of the Loire’s tributaries offer fantastic picnic locations. The best one we’ve ever discovered, however, is not near a river, but by a pond in the village of Champigny-sur-Veude.

Champigny-Sur-Veude is some 7 kilometres north of Richelieu. There used to be a 16^th century castle in Champigny, built by the Bourbon-Montpensier family, but the Cardinal de Richelieu had it demolished. Today, all that’s left are some outbuildings and a chapel dedicated tot Saint Louis. The chapel has gothic as well as Renaissance features and it is renowned for its glass stained windows. They go back to the second half of the 16^th century, but were dismantled during the French Revolution. In 1793 they were put back into place. In the 19^th century the windows were restored. During World War II, and to avoid them being destroyed by the bombing, they were dismantled once again. After the liberation of France in 1944, they were put back.

Driving through the village, coming from the north, you’ll see the chapel on your right. A little bit further, on your left, is a small street that leads to the municipal pond. On the well-tended lawn and in the shadow of the neatly pruned trees are three or four picnic tables.

Make sure to arrive early, because the place is very popular with the locals. Last time we were there, a party of seven – probably friends and neighbours – were having lunch. They came well equipped with extra chairs and tables and a large cool-box, with lots of food and drinks.

Other people come to fish: carp and trout … and sometimes even a pike (if you’re lucky). Well, that’s what we were told by the two men who were fishing there during our first visit. To be quite honest - although we stayed well over an hour and half – we never saw them catching any fish. But that didn’t seem to bother them too much. They were obviously having a great time, sitting in the sun, occasionally taking a sip from the bottles of red wine that they kept hidden in the shade of their fishing baskets.

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Belgium, the epilogue.

Bell tower in the hamlet of Chassepierre near the small town of Florenville.

This is the last post about Belgium ... well, for now. I hope you've enjoyed reading about my country. Tomorrow it's all about France and the Loire Valley again.

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When Miss Piggy goes ‘walkabout’

In the old days, before pig were raised closely packed in sties, farmers occasionaly used to herd their animals into the woods. There they could forage for nuts, leaves, moss, mushrooms, truffles, etc. Sometimes the pigs would run into a wild boar. When the farmer wasn’t paying attention, there would be some ‘hanky-panky’ between the pretty pink pig and the fierce boar.



The result: a litter of two-toned piglets, some with a pink torso and a striped bottom, others with a pink bottom and striped upper body. But the combination of a pig and a boar proved to be more than just cute … the meat of these ‘sanglochons’ (sanglier (boar) + cochon (pig)) turned out to be particularly tender and tasteful.

The habit of walking pigs in the forest no longer exists. However, some 20 years ago a farmer in the village of Verlaine reintroduced the tradition in a more ‘controlled’ environment. He put a sow and a wild boar together and … the ‘sanglochon’ was reborn!

Noix de jambon (smoked lean shoulder ham).

He sold the meat fresh and smoked. He also used it to make the famous ‘saucisson’ and ‘colier’ d’Ardennes. Instead of only selling it through local butchers he renovated an old farmhouse and turned it into a tavern. The ‘fumoir’, where the hams and sausages are cured, is a small museum explaining the different steps of the production process. In the three adjoining rooms, there is a little shop and a tavern.

Here you can taste some traditional dishes prepared with ‘sanglochons’ products.

In the meantime the Ferme has changed hands, but the new landlord still respects the old traditions and the food is still fabulous.

I warmly recommend the ‘fricassée Ardennaise’. In the UK you would call it eggs and bacon … except that here the pork is from a ‘sanglochon’.

Sorry, it looked so tasteful and smelled so good that I forgot to take a picture before starting to eat it.

Or why not try the ‘Jambon fermier poelé’ with sautéed potatoes and a green salad.

When we were in the Loire Valley last June we offered some sanglochon bacon to blogger friends Ken and Walt who live near Saint-Aignan. Ken used it to flavour one of his favourite dishes: collard greens. He shred the cooked meat and mixed it with the greens. It’s another perfect way to get the most out this unique product. Bon appétit!

You’ll find the ‘Ferme des Sanglochons’ near Exit 26 (Verlaine – Libramont) on the E411 motorway Brussels – Luxemburg.

Ferme des Sanglochons - Chaussée de Namur 42 - 6840 VERLAINE

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Bastogne - part 2

In the course of the Battle of the Bulge, the town of Bastogne was heavily bombed and almost completely destroyed. Many civilians were killed. However, 'Les Bastognards' (as the inhabitants of Bastogne are called) bear no grudge. In the main town square - Place McAucliffe - you'll find an old but recently restored Barracuda tank and a bust of the General.


Just outside of Bastogne, the 'Mardasson' memorial, erected in the form of an American Liberty star, commemorates the American soldiers who were killed in battle.

All year round Bastogne is visited by American veterans and/or their offspring who want to see where there (grand)fathers fought.

This was my first visit to the Mardasson monument and I was moved and touched by the serenity of the place.

In the star-shaped memoral are inscribed the names of the 50 American states, as well as those of the many divisions that were invoved in the battle.



In spite of the many tourists, it's very peaceful and the people that climb up the stairs leading to the top of the monument have a tendency to whisper as they are overwhelmed by the surrounding landscape.

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Bastogne - part 1

On our way to or from 'La Provence Belge' we always stop for a drink or a meal in the town of Bastogne. It was here, in the East of Belgium, that between December 16th ,1944 and January 25th ,1945, the retreating nazi army led by a.o. General von Rundstedt made a final attempt to reverse the situation. In Europe the battle is known as the 'Bataille des Ardennes', in the USA it has gone down into history as the 'Battle of the Bulge'. One of the many Divisions involved was the American 101st Airborne.

'Landing Eagle', symbol of the 101st Airborne, in the Mardasson Memorial park in Bastogne.

For days on end the Division, under the temporary command of General Anthony McAucliffe - an Normandy veteran - had been kept under siege in Bastogne. The troops were almost out of ammunition. Their advance had been quicker than expected and the supply lines overland couldn't keep up with the pace. And to make things worse, the extremely bad and overcast weather conditions were preventing the Allied Air Force to drop supplies and give the necessary air support for a counter attack. It was foggy, snowing and freezing.

The siutation had become quite desperate when the nazi command asked General McAuliffe if he was ready to surrender. The General's legendary answer was short but could not be mistaken (and I quote) ... 'NUTS'. A few days later the weather cleared, the planes brought the much needed supplies and support and the trapped soldiers were able to fight their way out of the siege, thus winning the 'Battle of Bastogne', which was only one of the great battles in the Battle of the Bulge.

Overall 800,000 men were engaged, 19,000 of whom were killed, in the Battle of the Bulge.

(to be continued)

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It's one small step ...

... from wine to beer!

After leaving Torgny we drove to Villers-devant-Orval, which is the official name of the village where the Abbey of Orval is located.

Apart from the abbey there is very little to see. There're a nice pond, a seemingly abandoned manor and two taverns serving the local specialties to tourists and pilgrims. The abbey is renowned for its Trappist beer and cheese. Both are still produced at the abbey, which is quite unusual as most of the Trappist beers are nowadays produced in industrial breweries using the original brewing recipes.

The abbey was founded in the 11th century by Cistercian monks from Tuscany. The legend says that the widowed duchess Mathilde of Tuscany (1046 - 1115), who came here to recover from the then recent death of her husband, accidentally dropped her wedding ring in abbey's fountain. Desperate and grieving over her double loss, the duchess prayed and prayed, until a trout swam to the surface of the fountain with the golden wedding band in his gills. Mathilde considered this to be a miracle and immediately called the location 'le Val d'Or' (the golden valley). Out of recognition she donated the fountain and the surrounding grounds to the monks of the abbey.

Ever since then a trout holding a golden ring has been the logo of the Orval brewery and cheese manufactory. The Orval Trappist is a very authentic beer, quite strong and with a slightly sour taste. It's a bit 'cloudy' as the second fermentation takes place in the bottle, creating a base of yeast and other (inoffensive) impurities. It has a high alcohol content and can be drunk at room temperature, chilled or very cold. In the region several bars carry the label of 'Orval Beer Ambassador', where the landlord will always ask you at what temperature you want to enjoy your Orval.


I don't know whether you can get Orval abroad. Personally, I've never seen it in France and definitely not in the Loire Valley. But if you can, make sure to ask to have it at the right temperature to savour its peculiar taste in the best circumstances. If you're a fast drinker, ask for 'cold', if you're a slow drinker go for 'chilled'. I wouldn't recommend room temperature, but that's my personal opinion.

Do you like beer, or do you prefer wine?

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4.000 bottles of wine

In the past Torgny, in the Belgian Provence or ‘La Gaume’, was the only village in Belgium where grapes for winemaking were being grown. Over the last decades, however, and with the changing of the climate, vineyards are being reintroduced in the ‘Hageland’, a region between Leuven and Landen, east of Brussels. And apparently not without success, as winemakers have already produced some medal winning Chardonnay wines.

In the centre of the country, the area of Overijse-Hoeilaart has always been famous for its so-called ‘table grapes’. These grapes that are grown in glasshouses have big juicy and sweet raisins that are used as such and eaten as a fruit. It would be a shame to crush them to make wine.

But let’s return to Torgny. It’s a lovely little village with a distinctive French feel to it. There’s only one road leading to Torgny and driving straight through the village centre will only take you a minute or so. On the other side is France. From the highest point of the village, amongst the vineyards, you have a stunning view of the French Lorraine.

Most of the houses are built using the local sandstone. On a sunny day, the stone renders a warm yellowish glow, which enhances the Mediterranean character of the village. There are hanging baskets and pots with brightly coloured flowers everywhere. The authentic ‘lavoir’ is not unlike the ones that you’ll find in most French villages.

In 1828 the Torngy vineyard extended over 4 hectares and 45 ares. By 1945, most of these vineyards had disappeared. In 1955, however, new Riesling-Sylvaner plants were put in. Unfortunately they perished in the winter of 1985 and had to be replaced in 1987.

Today the total production varies around 4.000 bottles a year. That’s probably less than one medium sized French winery produces.

The wine production is coordinated by the vineyard of ‘Le Poirier du Loup’, property of the commune. Between 1986 and 1990, 1680 Auxerrois, 1400 Pinot Noir, 400 Pinot Blanc, 400 Chardonnay and 350 Rivaner ‘pieds’ have been planted, covering an area of 90 ares.

During our visit we walked around for a while, shooting some colourful pictures of the typical houses. We also drove all the way up to the top of the vineyard for some more photos. After that we had a drink a the local bar, before setting out to our next destination, the Abbey of Orval … known for its strong Trappist beer and savoury cheese.


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Belgian Week

The USA have their 4th of July, France has its ‘14 juillet’ and we have our ‘21 juillet’: the Belgian ‘Fête Nationale’. In view of this upcoming yearly event, and after spending a few days in the ‘Belgian Provence’, I thought this would be a good time to write some posts about my home country.

So, if you don’t mind, I 'll tell you about:

Torgny, the utmost southern village of Belgium. French Lorraine is just across the valley.

The town of Bastogne and the Battle of the Bulge during WWII.

Our favourite hotel in Habay-La-Neuve and its fabulous restaurant.

‘La Ferme des Sanglochons’, a cosy tavern, serving an unusual kind of meat.

… but not necessarily in that order. By the end of next week, life will return to the usual with more stories about France.

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Back home !

Our little getaway was a big success. The weather was very cooperative and we had lots of fun. Just to put you in the mood ... here's a picture of the view from our hotelroom window. More tomorrow.

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Taking a break ...

We’re off for a few days … Not to France this time (unfortunately), but to what we lovingly call the ‘Belgian Provence’. Officially, this region is called ‘La Gaume’. It’s located in the utmost southern corner of Belgium.

It is said to have a micro-climate, with less rain and more sunshine than in other parts of the country.

The region has some excellent restaurants and cosy hotels. It’s a perfect getaway destination for a relaxing midweek or weekend stay, especially for those who like good food and long walks in the woods. It's not France, but it's definitely the next best thing.

I’ll be back on Saturday. In the meantime … take care and enjoy your week!

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Modern Times

Do you know the song ‘Le Plat Pays’ by Jacques Brel? It pays tribute to ‘Les Flandres’, a region in the north west of Belgium where the Brel family originally came from. I even believe that some relatives of his are still living in the area.

One of the lines reads "avec des cathédrales comme uniques montagnes" (Where cathedrals are the only mountains). The region is very flat and the only silhouettes that stick out in the completely horizontal skyline are bell and church towers. Being close to the North Sea, the fields are often battered by raging winds.

If Jacques Brel had been French (sorry to disappoint those of you who assumed he was), he could have written a similar song about La Beauce, a windswept plain between Paris and Orleans. Here, however, Brel would not have sung about ‘cathedrals being the only mountains’, the Beauce’s skyline being dotted with old windmills. At least, that was until recently!

Last June we were struck by the way modern times have caught up with the region. We can only assume that the traditional wooden windmills that were used for grain-grinding, water pumping, etc are still there, as the landscape we drove through on our way to Amboise is now dominated by endless rows of wind turbines. According to an article on the internet, there are no less than 200 of these gigantic structures scattered over the area. And there are plans to build even more of them.

Personally, I think wind turbines are an excellent and nature friendly alternative to reduce the use of fossil fuels. But seeing these huge wind turbine parks overtaking the countryside and spoiling the view, made me, nevertheless, a little bit sad.

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Meet Alfred !

During our first real annual stay in the Loire Valley in 1999, we stayed at the Château de Belmont in Tours. Over the eight following years the restaurant owner and his wife have become our friends. Unfortunately, in February 2008 they sold the château and the grounds to a real estate developer, who’s turning the place into a four star residence for affluent senior citizens. Only if I were to win the lottery, I could consider taking up residence there when my dream about retiring in the Loire Valley eventually turns into reality!


On our first evening at Belmont we were sitting on the terrace sipping our aperitif when the Maître d’hôtel came out with a plate with on it a slice of cake that had been cut in 1 cm cubes. Instead of offering it to the guests, he put it on a little side table. Five minutes later a fair-haired lady in a posh frock appeared at the door. She picked up the plate, took a few pieces of cake and scattered them on the lawn whilst shouting ‘Venez mes petits cherries, venez!’ (Come here, my little darlings, come here!). She repeated this several times until, from the undergrowth near the duck pond, appeared two quacking and squeaking brown ducks. They ran over the lawn and gobbled up the pieces of cake.


We, as well as the other patrons sitting on the terrace, were charmed by this amusing spectacle. However, the best and most astonishing part was yet to come.


The lady kept feeding cake to the two ducks, but seemed worried. ‘Alfred, où es tu?’ (Alfred, where are you?), she called out again and again. Finally, there was a ruffle in the undergrowth where the two brown ducks had appeared earlier. To everybody’s surprise a white duck poked his head out of the bushes. Slowly and self-consciously, it made his appearance. How to describe what we saw? Alfred, because that’s who it was, was a very unusual duck indeed. Unlike the common specimen, that move with their body held horizontally, Alfred kept his body very erect, almost vertical while he limped – not wobbled – towards the lawn. What was wrong with this duck?

Alfred and his two companions

The explanation was a very simple, yet rather distressing. It turned out that Alfred had a wooden ‘leg’. Apparently he had been run over by a car when crossing the main drive on the château grounds. The hotel proprietor loved Alfred so much that she had refused to have him put asleep. So the vet had given Alfred a wooden leg.

Alfred lived for another two or three years after our first meeting, until he finally died of old age. I bet he’s the only duck limping around on a wooden leg in duck heaven !

Memories

Yesterday, at the supermarkt, I bought a Boursin cream cheese. Boursin used to be in vogue in the sixties-seventies when it was first commercialized in Belgium. Today it's still moderately popular, but for some inexplicable reason I don't seem to buy it anymore. I guess yesterday's purchase was more or less a spur-of-the-moment decision.


Or maybe it was because, subconsciously, it reminded me of our trip to Loué in 1993. On our way down, we stopped in a town called Pacy-sur-Eure in Haute-Normandie to have lunch. "What's the link with Boursin?' Well, although Boursin is a Gourney cheese (Gourney being the native village of François Boursin who sort of invented Boursin cheese in 1957), the production plant is nowadays located in Pacy-sur Eure. By the way, it wasn't an 'invention' in the proper sense of the word. All the man did was 'industrializing' the common French pratice of flavouring cream cheese with ingredients such as pepper, salt, chopped garlic and chives.


In this, in 1993 brand new, 'Auto-journal', listing over a thousand restaurants all over France, I had found the description of a restaurant called 'La Mère Corbeau'. Intrigued by the name and the favourable comments, I had suggested it to my friend as a possible place to eat.


The restaurant turned out to be everything the guidebook said. It was a nice day and we had our meal outside on the 19th century terrace with its intricate wrought iron and glass roof. There were lots of hanging baskets with pink and red geraniums. The waiters were dressed in typical long white 'brasserie'-type aprons, white shirts and black trousers and waistcoats. They were very cheerful and efficient.


As far as I can remember, we had the standard 'brasserie' lunch: homemade pâté, faux-filet steak with garlic butter, sautéed patatoes and a green salad. The cheese platter offered a choice of typical Normandy cheeses: Camembert, Livarot, Pont l'Evêque and ... Boursin (or course).



I have no pictures of our meal at 'La Mère Corbeau' in 1993, but I found this ancient postcard on the internet. Believe me, the place looked exactly the same when we were there in 1993 ... And I suppose it hasn't changed since. The restaurant still exists and, judging by my past experience, is still worth a visit when you're in the area.

La Mère Corbeau
Place de la Gare
27120 Pacy-sur-Eure

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Unusual sight

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Meeting ‘la châtelaine’

Driving through the countryside around Azay-le-Rideau we had often noticed a signpost indicating the way to ‘La Chatonnière’. Each year, when planning our holiday, I pencilled it in as a possible visit. We finally got to see it in 2006.

The Chatonnière is an enchanting castle, surrounded by twelve exquisite gardens. They are the pride and joy of the owner Béatrice de Andia who, with her award winning head gardener Ahmed Azéroual, have created this amazing gem. The castle is surrounded by sweeping, almost endless wheat fields dotted with bright red poppies.

Apart from the carefully planted and tended vegetable garden, one of the most striking features is the rose garden with no less than 2.000 rose plants. The ingenious combination of subtle pink, lively yellow and soft orange coloured roses make a breathtaking sight. When we were there in June the roses were in full bloom and their fragrance was almost overwhelming.

We arrived at the château just before noon and were delighted to see that some picnic tables had been set up in the woody part of the park. Several gardeners were clipping the hedge. By the gatehouse a lady was waiting for us to collect the entrance fee. Having seen the picnic tables, we asked her if we could have our lunch there. No problem, as long as we kept the place tidy and put our wrapping paper, empty wine bottle and other unwanted leftovers in the bin.

By the door of the gatehouse stood a stack of crates containing freshly picked cherries. To our surprise the lady handed us a ramekin of cherries. When we asked her how much we owed her, she simply told us that they came with the entrance ticket and that they would make a nice dessert to our picnic!

Sitting in the shade of the old chestnut trees, we enjoyed our traditional picnic lunch. After cleaning away the leftovers, we walked around the gardens, shooting several pictures of the colourful sights.

We were about to leave when an elegant lady, dressed in a bright green cotton skirt and a white linen blouse, came out of the castle and walked over to us. She introduced herself as the lady of the house and asked us where we were from. As she had seen us picnicking in the park, she wanted to know whether we had enjoyed it. We thanked her for taking an interest in us and told her that we had liked the gardens very much indeed. We chatted for a while before taking our leave, shaking hands. She walked us to the gatehouse and offered us more cherries. We declined as we already had more cherries than we could eat.

The Château de la Chatonnière itself is not open to the public, but the gardens are definitely worth a visit. There’s even a chance that you too will run into the ‘châtelaine’.

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Garlic, honey and a surprise visit

Our annual holiday wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the weekly market of Bourgueil. It takes place every Tuesday in and around the old ‘halles’. With its approximately 150 stalls, it’s the second biggest in the Indre-et-Loire after the Sunday market of Amboise.

This year we set out for Bourgueil right after breakfast. The drive from Vouvray to Bourgueil takes about one hour by the ‘route départementale’ D952. There is a faster way, by the A85 motorway, but being on vacation we prefer the scenic route along the Loire River and through the picturesque villages of Luynes, Cinq-Mars-La-Pile (with his strange and mysterious tower), Langeais, Saint Patrice, Ingrandes and Restigné. This time we had an extra reason for driving through Restigné, as we wanted to make a surprise visit to fellow blogger Amy. We didn’t know her address and it took us some detective work – Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot would have been proud of us - to find her. It wasn’t too difficult though, as Restigné is a tiny village and Amy is the only American woman living there.

Amy used to write this interesting and extremely amusing blog about her life in France. Right now she’s taking a break to write a book. Although we came unannounced and in spite of the fact that we had never met before, she immediately made us feel very welcome. She showed us her ‘boulangerie’, a side building of the farmhouse that they are in the process of restoring. In the quiet of this ‘boulangerie’ she has set up her laptop to write. Next she invited us into the house, where we sat chatting for half an hour, sipping a refreshing glass of water. As we didn’t want to take up too much of her time, we left soon after that. It was lovely meeting her. She’s a very talented writer, and I’m sure that her book will be a great success.

By the time we arrived in Bourgueil it was almost eleven o’clock. We didn’t need any picnic supplies as we had enough cheese and charcuteries left from the day before. However, there were two items that I absolutely wanted to buy: honey vinegar and fresh pink garlic. We buy them each year at the same stalls. The honey lady has a large range of different sorts of honey and honey related products. The vinegar - especially the garlic flavoured one - gives green salads an original twist.

Picture: Bourgueil market - honey lady in the foreground and garlic lady in the background.

We buy the fresh pink garlic from a smiling little old lady, who’s selling different produce from her own garden. The garlic is delicious when fresh, and dries very well. By buying ten heads in June, I usually have enough garlic to last me till the end of the year.

Dining guests at my house are definitely in for some garlicky dishes during the coming months. Maybe I should get some after dinner mints, shouldn’t I?

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Jam, jelly and more jam and jelly

Although it is the season for it ... this is not a recipe for making jam or jelly!

I want to tell you about a lovely little shop that we've discovered last year in Vouvray. At breakfast on the first day of our stay, our hostess, Mrs. T. served us 'madeleines' (sweet butter cakes), 'croissants' and two types of baguette (plain white and wholegrain), butter and four kinds of jam. There was coffee or tea, of course, and orange juice.

The colour of one of the jam caught my attention. It was transparant lilac with dark purple particles. Not knowing what it was, I asked Mrs. T. She told me that it was made of violet petals. I had heard of rose petal jam and had even eaten it. But this was quite new to me. I put some on a slice of buttered baguette and tasted it. Believe me, it was delicious! You could almost 'taste' the frangrance of the violets. Did Mrs. T. make it herself? No, she bought it at the corner shop just down the street. She described it as a small grocery shop, also selling cheeses and bio fruit and vegetables supplied by local farmers.


That afternoon, on returning from our daily excursion, we stopped at the shop and went in. It turned out to be more than just your ordinary village grocerer. Although small, it carried a vast amount of gourmet items, ranging from fresh fruit and vegetables to wine, cheese, special salad oils, such as the rare and expensive 'argan' oil. The main feature, however, was this cupboard stacked with at least 50 different types of jam and jelly.

We were greeted by a shy looking young man behind the counter. Could we look around? Go ahead, he said and looked very surprised when I started taking pictures of his impressive jam collection. My friend explained that we were staying at B & B up the road and that we had had the unusual, yet exquisite violet jam for breakfast. The young man was pleased and told us all about where he got his produce from and how he chose his suppliers.

Being invited that evening by friends who live nearby, we bought some bottles of sparkling Vouvray as a gift. We also got two splendid melons and a slice of aromatic Saint Nectaire cheese for next day's picnic. Two days later we returned to get some jars of jam and jelly for my mother. It goes without saying that I didn't leave without buying some violet petal jam for myself.

Next time you're in Vouvray, drop in at this little deli. You'll love it! You'll find it at the corner of the avenue Léon Brûlé and the rue des Ecoles.

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'Poires Tapées'

Our first prize in the Touraine internet competition included two tickets to the 'poires tapées' museum in Rivarennes, north-northwest of Azay-le-Rideau. The best way to translate 'poires tapées' would probably be 'crushed pears'. The museum is housed in a typical troglodyte cave. It's privately owned and we were greeted by the owner who showed us around and explained the traditional part of the production process.

A pizza-like wood oven is heated to a very high temperature while the pears are being peeled and put side by side - not touching - in large trays. These are shoved into the by then hot oven, where they stay to dry for 36 hours. After that, the pears are taken out and turned over, while the oven is being fired up again. The pears go in a second time for about 24 hours.

Once they have cooled down, they are crushed and flattened. This is done manually, using a torture-like wooden tool. Then the basic product is ready. It is sold as such in small cellophane bags. If you like dried figs and prunes, you'll probably like theses 'poires tapées' as well. Although they are slightly drier and not as sweet.

The other products are nowadays prepared in plants that comply with the strict EEC sanitary guidelines. The dried pears are rehydrated and preserved in alcohol. Once they have absorbed the flavour of the alcohol, they can be eaten as a dessert, accompanying vanilla ice cream, for instance. Often some of the alcohol is poured over the ice cream as well.

Of course, there are other ways of using the rehydrated pears. Their texture is slightly chewy, but they are far more juicy than the basic product. The latter can also be used as a substitute for dried prunes in traditional dishes such as 'canard aux pruneaux' or 'lapin aux pruneaux'. Bon appetit!

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We had company

If you have been reading this blog for a while, you might remember that I told you about our arrival in Vouvray two weeks ago, our lunch at the Val Joli and the air show we witnessed sitting by the swimming pool of our chambre d'hôtes.

After the air show we sat around for a while relaxing and watching the sun reflect in the water of the pool. Then we noticed that we were not alone ... Between the boards of the wooden deck around the pool had appeared a tiny little head. It glanced around furtively, checking whether the coast was clear. In less than the blink of the eye, an agile small brown-greyish lizard was slithering over the deck. It stretched out in the sun, soaking in the heat. I grabbed my camera, but it must have seen me moving and by the time I had zoomed in, it had already disappeared between two planks.

We waited patiently till it poked up his little head again. I was standing behind it and, completely oblivious of my presence, it hopped upon the deck to continue his sunbathing. Carefully, like a cat stalking a mouse, I moved in closer ... Got it! And this is the result.






It was a very common little lizard, not really pretty, but so much fun to watch. As a child I was told that if you managed to catch a lizard by its tail, it would break off and that it would grow back within a couple of days.


Lizards are a rarity where I live. They are not uncommon in the southern part of Belgium, though. If you are very observant, you'll find them basking in the sun on a stone wall or swiftly disappearing into the foliage as soon as you get too close. As I never got to catch one, I don't know whether the tail story is true. Do you know more about it?

First prize!

To make a long story short, I picked up the letter at the post office the next day and immediately felt relieved - but at the same time very much intrigued - when I saw the sender's address. Once again the Conseil Général du Département de l'Indre-et Loire was writing to me. What could they possibly have to say? Did I receive the keyring by mistake. Were they going to ask me to return it? That would have been a shame.

No, it actually was excellent and very exciting news. The letter read that I had won first prize in another internet quiz! No keyring this time, but something far more valuable, because the prize consisted of:

- 1 night for two in a chambre d'hôtes (Bed & Breakfast) near Amboise
- dinner for two in a gastronomic restaurant in Amboise
- 2 wine tasting sessions in Amboise and Chinon
- 2 x 6 bottles of Amboise and Chinon wine
- 2 tickets to the Château d'Amboise
- 2 tickets to the Château d'Azay-le-Rideau
- 2 tickets and a 'dégustation' of 'poires tapées' in Rivarennes

for a total value of ... 370 euro!

This was the first time in my life that I had ever won first prize in a competition. I was stunned and pleased at the same time. We had no experience what so ever with staying in a chambre d'hôtes and we even felt a bit awkward about the whole idea. I had heard colleagues and friends talk about it, but very often their experiences weren't exactely positive.





However, one look at the website of the Château that the Conseil Général had chosen for our stay immediately reassured us. The Château de Pintray, in the village of Laussault-sur-Loire near Amboise, turned out to be a charming manor surrounded by vineyards.

So we decided to integrate the above program in our 2007 visit. Little did we know at the time that this first B & B experience would completely change our way of visiting the Loire Valley.

Another 2009-holiday memorable moment