It’s a small world

On Monday, the second day of our Loire Valley trip, I surprised my friends with a day in the country and a visit of the castles of Chenonceau and Montpoupon in a vintage Citroën Traction Avant. The car is owned and driven by Simon from the blog Days on the Claise. Simon’s wife, Susan, was their guide for the day, while I went to see my long-time French friends Brigitte and Jean-François who live in Francueil, near Chenonceau. You’ll find photos of this ‘Time Travel’ journey on Susan and Simon’s blog.

Being driven around the Touraine countryside
in a real vintage car definitely has its charm!

We left our chambre d’hôtes in Vouvray around 9.30 a.m. After dropping B., J.L. and Susan off at the gates of Chenonceau castle, Simon drove me to Francueil where my friends were expecting me by eleven. As we were a bit early, Simon took the scenic route and showed me an unusual view of Chenonceau castle. We returned at that same spot in woods later that day with B. and J.L. to give them the opportunity to shoot some unique photos too.

Susan, Simon and Célestine (the car) in the car park
of Chenonceau castle.

When we got to my friends’ house, I was warmly greeted by Brigitte. Her husband, who’s deputy mayor of Francueil, was still at the ‘Mairie’ (village hall) when we arrived. I’ve known this charming couple since 1985, when I met them on a plane to Tunesia.

Simon, who usually waits in the car while Susan is taking clients on a guided tour of Chenonceau castle, was happy to join us for a cup of coffee and a glass of Montlouis bubbly. It was not long before Jean-François arrived. Very quickly the conversation turned to the subject of expats living in the area. My friends, who own and run a real estate agency, know many of them. Some of them are even among their closest friends.

At some point in the conversation Simon mentioned Jim Budd, the English oenologist. I regularly read his blog ‘Jim’s Loire’ on Loire wines, on which he’s an expert, and Jim has already left some comments on my blog. So imagine my surprise, when all of a sudden Brigitte said: “Jim, Jim Budd? But we know Jim. He’s a friend of ours. He lives in the next village and we’ve often been to his house for drinks and meals!” Now who would have thought that my long-time friends actually personally know someone whose blog I have been following. It’s a small world, isn’t it?

To be continued ...

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'Couque Suisse' and 'Pain à la Grècque'

Belgian intermezzo ...

In last Monday’s post I mentioned us having a ‘Suisse’ for breakfast. ‘Suisse’ is short for ‘couque Suisse’. We also say ‘couque au chocolat’ instead of ‘pain au chocolat’.

There are two kinds of ‘couques suisses’: round ones and long onces.

A couque suisse is a pastry, more accurately a viennoiserie-style semi-sweet bread, somewhat similar to a Danish pastry. Couques suisses are available internationally, for example at Le Pain Quotidien bakeries throughout the world. (source Wikipedia).

The soft pastry contains raisins and a thin layer of a custard-like cream. The Suise has an sugar glaze topping. A good couque Suisse is crunchy on the outside and soft and mellow on the inside. It’s often eaten at breakfast or in the afternoon with a cup of coffee or tea.

And while we’re on the subject: do you know what a ‘Pain à la Grècque’ is?

It’s a typical Belgian specialty that has strictly nothing to do with Greece. Like the famous ‘Tartin Tatin’ the ‘Pain à la Grècque’ was invented by accident, when in the 16th century some monks who lived in a monastery on the Brussels’ ‘Wolvengracht’ (the Dutch word for ‘ditch of the wolves’) accidentally rolled the finished bread dough in sugar instead of flour before putting it into the oven.

During the baking process the sugar crystallized on the surface of the bread. The monks, who had taken a vow of poverty, couldn’t bring themselves to throwing the bread away. They therefore gave it to the poor who regularly found their way to the monastery begging for food. These poor people, who couldn’t afford to buy sugar, really liked the bread and came back asking for more … and the monks decided to bake it regularly.

In the Brussels’dialect ‘gracht’ is pronounced as ‘grècht’, and so the special bread with sugar crystals from the monastery became known as the ‘Pain à là grècht’. The actual name ‘Pain à la Grècque’ is the Gallicized pronunciation of the original name. No wonder you don’t find ‘Pain à la Grècque’ in Greece!

These days, the best place to buy ‘Pain à la Grècque’ is the ‘Maison Dandoy’, founded in 1829, in the ‘rue au Beurre’ near Brussels’ Grand’ Place (www.biscuiteriedandoy.be).

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Sunday afternoon in Amboise

Visiting the castle of Amboise occupied the best part of Sunday afternoon. Although I’d planned a walk in the gardens of Valmer castle later that day, I didn’t want to rush my friends as they were obviously enjoying Amboise and the magnificent views from the top of the castle.

The Loire River seen from the top of Amboise castle.

We were rather surprised to find a life fire burning in one of the fireplaces of the castle. As the wind outside was still chilly, in spite of the sunny skies, we appreciated the warm glow of the sizzling logs. Next to the fireplace was a huge stock of wood, which indicated that the fire would be kept going for a while longer; something we had never seen during our two previous visits.

A unexpected life logfire in one of the halls of Amboise castle.

We also visited the chapel where the supposedly last remains of Leonardo Da Vinci are buried. As you may recall, I posted earlier about Italian scientists recently getting permission to open up the tomb to examine the remains. They want to prove a long-existing theory that the portrait of the famous Mona Lisa is a self-portrait of the great man himself. You can read all about it here.

Except from one group of tourists taking the tour with a guide, there were very few people around. We had the grounds and halls almost to ourselves and enjoyed the calm and serenity. When you visit Amboise in June, like we used to in the past, the place is usually very crowded with tourists and groups of school children.

After leaving the castle at half past five, it was too late to go to Valmer as the gardens close at 6 p.m. We therefore walked into the ‘Cave des Vignerons’ which is situated in the rock beneath the castle. Here we tasted three types of red wine, two of which we really liked; the third being far too tannic. We bought three bottles of each. They would be perfect to accompany our evening picnics at the chambre d’hôtes.

Arriving in Vouvray, 16 km west of Amboise, we were greeted by six bell strokes from the village church. We checked into our rooms. At my request I was given the same troglodyte room in which I stayed with my friend during our two previous visits. B. and J.L. were given a nice, spacious room on the first floor of the outbuilding that also accommodates the kitchen where in the morning breakfast is served. Next to it is a sitting room with comfortable armchairs, a television set and a computer.

We unpacked our luggage and freshened up a bit before going out for a short reconnaissance tour of the village. As it was Sunday, all the shops and three out of the four village bars were closed. The one that was open didn’t look very inviting, so we cut short our walk and went back to the house were we had a picnic dinner with the supplies we had bought in the market that morning.

By 9.30 we all agreed that is was time to go to bed. We had been up since four in the morning and had been on our feet for the best part of the afternoon. Before turning in, I made some short notes about our activities of the day. The last thing I heard was the bell of the church tower striking ten times. I think I more or less ‘passed out’ after that.

I had no idea that being a tour guide – even an unofficial one – would be so exhausting!

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Lunch at L’Epicerie

During our Sunday tour of the market of Amboise we bought some pork rillettes, three delicious slices of ‘Jambon à l’os’ (bone ham), a Selles-sur-Cher goat’s cheese, two ripe and juicy Charente melons and a baguette.

We stored these items in the cool box in the car and drove to the ‘Parking du Château’, a large free car park situated between the château and the Place Richelieu. By the time we got there, it was 1 p.m. and most of the people who had come in from the neighbouring villages to do their weekly market shopping, were about to leave.

Part of the car park: 'Parking du Château'

It’s only a short walk from the car park to the Place Michel Debré and the château. The ‘Place’ is not really a square but more something like a normal street, with the château on one side and several restaurants, bars and (souvenir)shops on the other. Before going to the Café du Château for our aperitif, I stopped at ‘L’Epicerie’, one of the better restaurants in the square, to book a table for three. The waiter insisted on us being there before 2 p.m.

Having a drink at the Café du Château on arriving in Amboise has become part of a tradition that my friend and I have kept up since our first visit in 1999. It was therefore very strange sitting there without him. We all had a glass of (Belgian) Leffe beer, before returning to the restaurant for lunch. Although the air was still a bit chilly, we decided to eat alfresco, where we could watch the tourist crowds walk by.

Terrace of  l'Epicerie'.
In the background, the entrance to the 'Cave des Vignerons'.

J.L. had a rabbit’s leg in mustard sauce with tagliatelli, B. choose a ‘Salade folle’ (green salad with smoked duck breast and foie gras) and I had an ‘omelette aux fines herbes’ (omelette with garden herbs) and ‘pommes dauphines’. The latter were rather disappointing as they didn’t look like pommes dauphines at all. Moreover, they were very greasy and foul tasting. I left most of them and ate my omelette, which by the way was excellent, with some slices of baguette.

We washed our meal down with a ‘François Ier’ red wine, an AOC Touraine Amboise. It was slightly chilled and very refreshing. Restored and rested we set out to visit the château. Although it was my third visit of the castle – the first goes way back to 1999 – I got to see it in a completely different way this time.

Before setting out on this trip I didn’t know that my friends like to take their time to visit places and sites. I wouldn’t call it ‘slow travel’, because that’s a concept in its own right. No, J.L. and B. like to explore every inch of the place, shooting artful photos of features that we usually didn’t even notice. This inspired me to look out for special objects, scenes and sights to point my little hobby camera at. Hence my enormous ‘harvest’ of over 600 photos!

This way of visiting definitely has its merits and advantages. However, it also has the inconvenience of deranging a well-planned and carefully timed program … But what the h … we were on vacation, weren’t we?

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Wednesday Whispers

May 16th: the flags of Amboise castle flying in a very stiff north-westerly wind.

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Recycled cucumbers

Just imagine: you grow cucumbers. And like most vegetables, they are all ready to be picked at the same time. You find yourself with an enormous stock of cucumbers, much more than you can eat. So you offer them to your neighbours. But guess what; they have grown cucumbers too and were just about to give some to you. How to use this surplus? Maybe there is a way to preserve or even ‘recycle’ it!

Next time you want to grow cucumbers, you may consider choosing the Luffa (also known as loofah or lufah) variety.

From Wikipedia

The luffa, loofah, or lufah are tropical and subtropical vines comprising the genus Luffa, the only genus of the subtribe Luffinae. The fruit of at least two species, Luffa acutangula and Luffa aegyptiaca (Luffa cylindrica), is grown, harvested before maturity, and eaten as a vegetable, popular in Asia and Africa. The ripe, dried fruit is also the source of the loofah or plant sponge.

What has this got to do with my recent Loire Valley trip?

The first part of the Amboise’s Sunday market mostly consists of stalls selling flowers and seedlings. Next comes the food section, with bread, cheeses, meat, vegetables, Chinese takeaway and wine. In between, on a corner, we noticed an unusual stall with essential oils, soap, bath oils, sea sponges and … Luffa.

J.L. was immediately intrigued by the unusual shape and textures of the objects that were on display. I had already moved on to the nearest butcher's, when I noticed that J.L. and B were chatting with the woman selling the Luffa. I therefore joined them and listen to what the lady had to say.

Apparently, the Luffa is some kind of cucumber which is dried in a special way. What is left is a spiderweb-like structure. It is very hard and looks a bit like the skeleton of some pre-historic creature. You can use is as a sponge or as a support for your wet soap.

Slices of dried Luffa or Loofah.

According to the sign Luffa:

- fends off impurities
- offers a natural contact
- can be washed at 60°C (I’m rather sceptical about that)
- keeps your soap healthy and dry
- is 100% natural and unique
- costs 2 euros per 3 pieces.

J.L. and B. bought three Luffa slices and I’m curious to know whether the product lives up to its promises. We also had a cheerful chat with the saleslady, who was proud to show off her knowledge about Belgium. “Aah, Manneken Pis, l’Atonium et le Ring”. This last bit surprised us, because and although ‘Le Ring’ (Brussels’ equivalent to Paris’ Péripherique’) is notorious in Belgium, it was the first time that we actually met someone abroad who knew about the circular road’s infamous reputation.

Btw: Did you know about Luffa and its qualities?

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Getting there

We set out on our Loire Valley trip on Sunday, May 16th, at five in the morning. The sun hadn’t come up yet and the thermometer indicated a chilly, or should I even say cold, 4°C. We stowed my luggage, including my faithful picnic hamper into the boot of the car. I also took my laptop, but that turned out to be a waste of time and energy as the wireless connection at the chambre d’hôtes was out of order. Hence, the lack of blog updates last week.

By the time we had reached the Belgian border the sun had come up, but … it had also started to rain. We remained optimistic though as the weather forecast for the coming days was rather promising.

We took a brief ‘pit stop’ north of Paris. J.L. thought it would be a good idea for me to take B.’s place in the passenger seat as I knew my way around the Paris’ ‘Périphérique’ from our earlier trips. It turned out not to be necessary because the back seat of the Citroën Picasso offered a very clear view of the road ahead.

The drive around Paris’ western ‘périphe’ was ‘fluide’ (as the signs over the road indicated), and it took less than half an hour to reach the ‘Porte d’Orléans’, the gateway to the Loire Valley and southern France. By nine we were having breakfast (pains au chocolat, croissants and ‘Suisse*’ with coffee and orange juice). Half an hour later we were on the road again.

In the meantime the thermometer in the car indicated a mere 10°C, with a stiff wind blowing form the north-west. The good news was that the sky was beginning to show some patches of blue. The rest of the trip was uneventful, with J.L. driving in a very relaxed way and B. dozing in the front seat. I enjoyed the scenery and from time to time commented on some of the features in the landscape.

In ‘La Beauce’ (I’ve posted about the region in one of my earliest posts) I attracted my friends’ attention to the many wind turbines and explained a little about the region’s history. The new wind turbines, which have replaced the original wooden windmills, made a very pretty picture against the clear blue sky and the bright yellow of the colza fields.

One of the many wind turbines in 'La Beauce', surrounded
by colza fields.

We arrived in Amboise at half past eleven; slightly later than usual, because J.L’s relaxed driving style – never going faster than 110 km/hour – is completely different from my friend’s, who keeps an average of 130 km/hour. The market was in full swing and the town was full of people. A first time visitor would have had a lot of trouble finding a place to park the car. Fortunately, over the years, I’ve learned what to look out for. We were extremely lucky to find a spot close to main entrance to the market, which is situated on the quays of the Loire.

The way leading into Amboise's Sunday market.

When we got out of the car, we were surprised by the temperature. By then it had reached 16°C. In the sun and out of the wind, it felt really warm and pleasant. J.L. decided he didn’t need a jacket. B. and I were more careful and kept our ‘fleeces’. We agreed on a meeting point, in case we got separated, and set out to do our picnic shopping and enjoy the atmosphere that is so typical to French markets.

(*) 'Suisse' is the typical Belgian name for this kind of pastry. Do you know what it stands for?

More to come...

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Where to start?

Exactly a week ago I was sipping a cool beer on the terrace of the 'Café du Château', the little bar at the foot of Amboise castle. It was the start of a very busy and interesting week, with lots of visits, good food, many laughs and meeting up with friends I hadn’t seen since last year or even longer.

I’m still trying to figure out how to organize my coming posts. There is so much to tell and there are so many photos to show. Fortunately, I have kept a short diary, simply listing the things we have done ... in case my memory should let me down. So fasten your seatbelts as we are about ready to take off!

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I'm back!

Mission accomplished!
My first Loire Valley trip as an unofficial tour guide is over.

Sunday, May 16th: the banks of the Loire River in Amboise

We got home yesterday afternoon around 4.30 p.m ... exhausted, yet very happy. I've discovered a whole new way of travelling and visiting. It took a day to get used to, but I got to see things I hadn't seen before, although I had visited the location on three previous occasions.

The weather was lovely, with a few drops of rain on Sunday night. At first the wind was rather stiff and cold, blowing from the north-east. But gradually the temperatures got higher: from a mere 17°C on Sunday to a warm 24°C on Thursday and Friday.

I shot over 600 photos, the best of which I will be posting over the coming weeks and months. I hope you will enjoy them, as well as the stories that come with them.
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One year later

Exactly one year ago I published my very first blog post. What - or should I say who – incited me to start blogging?

The main ‘culprits’ are two colleagues of mine who suggested that I’d write a book about my travels in France. After each trip I used to tell them about the sites we’d seen, the restaurants we had visited and the food we’d eaten, the funny anecdotes which had made us laugh or the frights we’d had when some things went terribly wrong. Apparently, they found it fascinating.

In the meanwhile I had become an ardent fan of Ken’s blog, Living the Life in Saint-Aignan. Very quickly I realized that blogging was an excellent alternative to writing a book. So I put two and two together and ‘voilà’, the idea for a blog was born. I spent another month or so trying to find a catchy title. Somehow the only good-sounding titles I could come up with were in English. Taking into account that there are 23 million people in the world who speak Dutch, against 380 million who speak English, writing my blog in English was an obvious choice. Especially as it would be good practice for me, considering that I rarely get a chance to speak English in my everyday life.

Since then, writing this blog has given me a lot of pleasure. I’ve particularly enjoyed making new (cyber)friends.

So here’s a big thank you to all of you who:

- have invited me to your home. Your hospitality never ceases to amaze me.
- are ‘promoting’ my blog by linking it to yours and thus attracting new readers.
- occasionally send me an e-mail with useful travel tips and delicious recipes. Please continue to surprise me!
- regularly write an interesting, amusing or funny comment. Everyday, I can’t wait to get home from work to read them.
- log in from time to time. I truly appreciate your visits.

When you’re reading this, I’ll be on vacation in the Loire Valley looking for more topics and ‘adventures’ to keep this blog going for the next twelve months (I hope). I’ll be back on Monday … see you then!

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Preview

If all goes according to plan, this time tomorrow, I'll be in Amboise, enjoying the above view, finishing lunch and getting ready to (re)visit the Château.

Although I will be taking my laptop, I don't know whether I'll have time to publish a daily post. I will therefore give you a short preview of our program:

Sunday: Arriving in Amboise, Sunday market and picnic shopping, lunch, Château d'Amboise, gardens of the Château de Valmer (near Vouvray) and an evening vineyard walk (weather permitting), picnic supper at our chambre d'hôtes.

Monday: Surprise Loire Valley Tour for my friends and lunch with my French friends au 'Bon Laboreur' in Chenonceaux.

Tuesday: Market day in Bourgueuil, village of Candes Saint Martin, lunch in Turquant, visit and wine tasting at Brézé castle.

Wednesday: Market day in Loches, visit of the donjon and the Logis Royal, village of Nouans-les-Fontaines (sheep farm), Château de Valençay, wine tasting in Mareuil-sur-Cher, supper with Ken and Walt.

Thursday: Museum of Maurice Dusfresnes near Azay-le-Rideau, basket weavers in Villaines-les-Rochers, lunch in Crissay-sur-Manse, Château de Langeais (La Table au Moyen Age exhibition).

Friday: ... time to go home!

A lot will depend on the weather, of course. For a daily weather forecast: click here!

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Wednesday Whispers

2008: Chauvigny

Another typical and lovely village scene.

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Weird combination

2008: Chauvigny
This is definitely one of the weirdest lunches I've ever eaten.
Mind you, I chose it myself and it wasn't all that bad,
yet I don't think it was very healthy.

Any idea what the main ingredients were?

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Waterside picnic

On previous occasions I’ve posted about picnic spots on the banks of the Loire River, its tributaries or near some village pond or lake.

Going through the many photos I’ve taken over the years, I’ve found one of yet another lovely picnic spot. It’s located across the Loire in Montsoreau and offers a splendid view of the castle. That is, if you are lucky enough to secure one of the two tables by the water front …

We’ve had our picnic lunch there on at least two or maybe even three occasions. But each time we arrived too late and other people had already parked their mobile home or car near the best tables. However, this never stopped us from having a nice meal there.

Our first visit goes back to 2005. In the morning we had been to the weekly market in Bourgueil. On the way back we inevitably stopped at Candes Saint-Martin before driving to Montsoreau, where we visited the castle. We had bought our picnic supplies at the market but still needed to get a bottle of wine. According to the notice board at the entrance of the castle, the visit included a wine tasting session.

We spent a pleasant and interesting hour exploring the castle before returning to the courtyard where tables and chairs had been set out to receive the thirsty visitors. We sat down and waited for a while. Nothing happened though. Ten minutes later, we were still the only ‘patrons’. Behind the closed door that let into the bar, nothing stirred. In the end we got up and walked over to the souvenir shop. It was well past noon and the girl at the reception desk was about to leave for lunch.

She was surprised to see us as she thought that all the morning visitors had left the premises. When we asked about the wine tasting, she looked slightly embarrassed. Apparently, the tasting was part of the ‘summer program’, starting on June 15th. This was early June, and the people that had been recruited to man the ‘bar’ would only take up their duties the following week. When we asked her if we could at least buy a bottle of wine at the shop to accompany our picnic lunch, she immediately proposed to get us a bottle from fridge. We accepted her offer and left the château with a nice chilled bottle of Sauvignon and detailed directions to the picnic area across the river.

2005: The picnic area in Montsoreau seen from the River.

Crossing the bridge at Montsoreau is a bit of an adventure as it is hardly large enough to accommodate two cars at the same time. When you find yourself on the bridge with a lorry coming in the opposite direction, you only have on option: to back up!

In case you’re interested in a riparian picnic yourself, here are the driving directions: when leaving the castle of Montsoreau, turn left and follow the road along the Loire River till you reach the roundabout near the Champignonnière ‘Le Saut aux Loups’. Turn right and cross the bridge. On the other bank, turn right again. Some 3OO metres down the road, on your right, you’ll see an asphalt road leading into the woods. At the end of it is a clearing and the picnic area with four or five tables, two of which offer a magnificent view over the river and the Château of Montsoreau. I’m sure you will enjoy it!

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The countdown has started

Another week to go and - if everything goes according to plan - I'll be sipping an apéro at  'le Château' the little bar across the road from Amboise castle.

 June 2009: Arriving in Amboise,
crossing the bridge over the Loire River.

As they say in cycling terms: 'La dernière ligne droite avant l'arrivée' (The last straight stretch before the finish). Although I'm really looking forward to this trip, I'm also a little nervous about guiding my friends around. And it'll also be the first time that I'll see le 'Fleuve Royal' without my friend. In fact this is an enormous test for the Loire ... Will the River live up to its reputation? Or was it the fact of being there with my friend that made it attractive. I suppose I'm about to find out soon ... Wish me luck!

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Busy Wednesday ahead

After adapting Thursday’s program, I’ve also made some changes to Wednesday’s planning as well. Blogger friend Jean from A Very Grand Pressigny recommended the market in Loches as one of the best in the area. I have some recollections of visiting it in 2002, but I always thought that the market came to Loches on Thursday.

We returned to Loches on a Monday in 2007 and visited the donjon and the superb exhibition on Agnes Sorel, King Charles VII mistress. We didn’t know about her marble tomb though, which is in the Saint Ours Collégiale in the centre of the medieval town. That alone is reason enough for me to go back there. And then I also would like to climb to the top of the donjon to admire the spectacular view. Recently, Walt, from Another American in France, posted some photos that he took from up there and they were simply breathtaking. During our 2007 visit the steps of the donjon were all wet and slippery from the overnight rainfall and we refrained from climbing them.

And the internet has provided me with some more, new sites to explore! Whist looking for a restaurant in the Loches area, I found a place that looks really very attractive and inviting: La Gerbe d’Or. The trendy interior in historic settings and the very delectable menu card make me want to have lunch there! Prices are reasonable and the reviews are very positive. What more could one wish for?

Some 35 km East of Loches, in Nouans-les-Fontaines, there is a sheep farm that specializes in the breeding of angora sheep. The farm also has a boutique selling complete knitting kits and finished garments, ranging from socks and gloves, to stylish ponchos. I can very well see myself wearing one of those ponchos! And considering B.’s interest in sewing and knitting, I’m pretty sure she’ll want to buy one of those kits.

Photo: www.mohairentouraine.fr

One of the main attractions on the Loches - Nouans road is the castle of Montrésor. But I don’t think we’ll have time for a visit. From Nouans it’s only a short drive to Valençay, where I would like to (re)visit the Château and the temporary exhibition of orchids and carnivore plants that I’ve mentioned in an earlier post.

Once again, this program looks too ambitious, especially as we have to be back in Vouvray by 5.30 p.m. for a rendezvous with blogger friends Ken (Living the Life in Saint Aignan) and Walt. They will be driving over to Vouvray in the early afternoon to stock up on some of their favourite bubbly, before joining us at our chambre d’hôtes for drinks and a pizza supper at La Casa Breizh, Vouvray’s local pizza restaurant.

Sounds good, doesn’t it?

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Lunch dilemma

After an almost summery week, with temperatures up to 27°C on Thursday, the weekend was dreary and wet in Belgium. On Sunday morning I was awakened by the sound of water running down the rain pipe from the roof. It rained steadily until 11 a.m. Then the sky cleared a little but temperatures hardly reached 12°C. This called for some comfort food.

I therefore opened the last tin of ‘Confit de Canard’ that I bought last year at the ‘Cave des Vignerons’ in Amboise and used it to cook a ‘Parmentier de Canard’. This oven dish is dead easy to make.

2008: The terrace at 'les Remparts' in Amboise.

With the last tin of Confit gone, it’s time to stock up on some new ones. That shouldn’t be a problem as we’ll be visiting the Cave des Vignerons at the foot of the Château as soon as we get to Amboise on Sunday in two weeks time. In the meantime, I’m still trying to decide on a restaurant for our Sunday lunch.

My initial idea was to go to ‘les Remparts’ where we had a lovely meal in 2008. The restaurant used to have a sunlit terrace in the back, with lots of flowers and even a banana tree in one corner. However, according to the restaurant’s website, they covered it up to increase the overall capacity of the restaurant. Although it looks nice enough, it has lost its original charm. But the food is still excellent, if I’m to believe recent reviews. So that option remains open; depending on the weather conditions.

The second possibility is the ‘Val Joli’ in Vouvray. But that means that we’ll have to travel back and forth twice between Amboise and Vouvray if we want to visit the Château of Amboise in the afternoon.

And finally there is ‘L’Epicerie’, right across the street from the castle. Lunch on the terrace, watching the tourist crowds walk by, can be fun and the food is rather good too. Inside, however, the low-beamed rooms are rather small and dark. When full, the place is pretty noisy …

Sounds like the weather will be the decisive factor. Judging by today’s temperatures and grey skies, a table by a blazing log fire would be the best option!

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About our favourite Loire wine

If you are a regular reader of my blog you probably know by now that our two favourite Loire Valley wines a white dry Vouvray (chénin) and a red Saumur-Champigny (mainly cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and pineau d'aunis). Mind you, we are no real connoisseurs, although we do the mandatory glass swirling and sniffing when we open a new bottle.

What we like best about the Saumur-Champigny is the fact that it is light on tannins. Wines containing too much tannin have a very unpleasant effect on me! It starts by a disturbing stinging feeling in my ears. Next my throat tightens and swallowing the wine becomes really painful. Then I get shivers down my spine, until the wine hits my stomach where it leaves a burning feeling. And if that wasn’t enough, an hour later a splitting headache starts creeping up from the bottom of my skull. Reasons enough to avoid tannic wines!

A slightly chilled Saumur-Champigny has the complete opposite effect. It makes my ears tingle, refreshes my throat, warms my body and caresses my stomach. It leaves me pleasantly light-headed and makes me sleep like a baby.

Although Belgium is the biggest consumer of Bordeaux wines, Saumur-Champigny has become increasingly popular over the last decade. The first ‘brands’ that conquered the Belgian restaurants and supermarkets were Château de Villeneuve and Les Perruches. The latter is a large winery on the Tours-Saumur road just outside the village of Montsoreau. The first is further up the road in the village of Souzay-Champigny.

In 2002 we were still novices when it came to Loire wines. We therefore decided to stick to the little we knew and build it up from there on. A visit to one of the two wineries we actually knew of and of which we liked the wines, seemed logical.

We went to the Château de Villeneuve. The steep and narrow village streets of Souzay-Champigny are lined with wineries. If you were to go from door to door and taste a glass at every house bearing a Saumur-Champigny sign, you would be very, very drunk by the time you leave the village.

Finding the Château de Villeneuve took a lot of skilful driving by my friend. At some point we thought we were completely lost. Moreover, there was not a soul in sight, so we couldn’t even ask for directions. Finally we found a small sign indicating the way to the château.

2002: Château de Villeneuve - Souzay-Champigny

The 18th century building sits on a plateau overlooking the Loire River. Besides the Saumur-Champigny the domain produces a white Saumur. We tasted several ‘cuvées’ of both wines and liked them. However, having set ourselves a ‘wine buying budget’, we didn’t get any Saumur, but only two dozen bottles of Saumur-Champigny. They ‘travelled’ well and we enjoyed them over Sunday lunch at home.

Since 2002 we’ve become far more knowledgeable about Loire Valley wines and we are more adventurous when it comes to tasting and buying. We’ve recently discovered a lovely bio-organic Saumur-Champigny called ‘Initiale’ by Agathe Vatan of the Château Hureau domain in Dampierre. Maybe we should pay her a visit this year!

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Disappointed

That's what I am ... disappointed!

Photo: www.linternaute.com

Yesterday I called the restaurant 'La Table de Béa' in Crissay-sur-Manse to book a table for lunch on Thursday, May 20th. You can't be too careful, can you? Especially as the restaurant only seats 17.

I got connected to an answering machine. A pleasant female voice - probably Béa's - informed me about the opening hours: Friday and Saturday night and Sunday lunchtime. Imagine my disappointment, after all the planning it took!.

Well, it's better to know about it now than dragging my friends there, promising them a delightful lunch in unique surroundings, and finding ourselves in front of a closed door. That would have been an even bigger disappointment. Knowing me, it would have spoiled my day.

But I'm not easily defeated. And I have therefore already found an excellent alternative, also in Crissay-sur-Manse: a lovely Auberge where we had a succulent 'assiette gourmande' of regional cheeses and charcuteries, topped off with a delicious and surprising Chinon Rosé. A quick telephone call and ... our table is booked! Preparing a Loire Valley trip is almost as exciting and exhausting as living it!

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