Candes Saint-Martin, my favourite spot in La Touraine.

Saturday 5 May 2012

Less than a month to go

This time next month, I’ll be in the Loire Valley; providing my Swedish friends Mats and Vera don’t have a change of mind at the last minute … I sincerely hope not, because I’m so looking forward to this trip and meeting all my blogger friends who live or holiday in the Touraine.


Last night my longing for the Loire Valley was given an extra boost. My former colleague and friend Bea called me with the exciting news that she and her husband Jean-Luc were off to Saint-Aignan this morning. They’ve gone house-hunting again and really hope to close a deal the coming weeks. They have a list of 60 (!!!!) houses to visit, with a shortlist of 12 favourites. They fell in love with the Loire Valley and especially the area around Saint-Aignan when we spent a week together in Vouvray in 2010.

 Saint Aignan's main street in June 2008.

During our stay we visited Ken and Walt and had a fun wine-tasting session at Ken’s neighbour Jean-Noël (aka Jean-No by his friends). Bea and Jean-Luc were really impressed and enjoyed every minute of it. In the evening we had dinner with Ken and Walt at ‘Le Crépiot’. The food and the company were great and Bea and Jean-Luc there and then decided that they wanted to buy a holiday home in the area. They returned to Saint-Aignan in September 2011 and visited several houses, but never had the required ‘coup de coeur’ (crush).

Bea and I agreed to call each other again in two weeks time for a debriefing of their trip. I really hope they find a nice place that fits their requirements. They need at least 3 bedrooms – 4 would be even better – so that their two children and six grandchildren can come and stay whenever they feel like it. And maybe they’ll have room for me too, when the ‘kids’ are not around.

I wish I were a fly, travelling and visiting all these houses with them without actually being in the way or influencing their decision…

7 comments:

Leon Sims said...

Martine - Love to hear what the outcome is when your friends go house hunting. Will be following your travels after we have left France for home.

ladybird said...

L&S, Glad to read that you've made it to France. Enjoy your vacation and let me be the first to wish Sue a very Happy Birthday and many happy returns! Looking forward to the reports of your French adventure!!

chm said...

Hi Martine,

Glad to hear you’ll have a “point de chute” in the Loire Valley when your friends are settled down in the St-Aignan’s area.

I’m sure you’ve begun the count down, now.

So have I. I’m leaving for Paris in a few days and I’m looking forward to see you and all the gang in a month time.

Niall & Antoinette said...

I think that house hunting by proxy would definitely be great fun!

Looking forward to meeting you for 'real' too Martine. Let's just hope the weather cooperates; it is still very wet and soggy here:-(

BTW I think the muguet des bois tradition has lingered on in the southern areas of he Netherlands as they are Catholic; don't think it is a very Calvanistic thing :-)

Carolyn said...

I hope your friends give you veto power over their home purchase. After all, you may be their most frequent guest. (We all hope.)

Louise said...

All I can say is that I am "green with envy"! It is lovely to read about your planned vacation and those of your friendly bloggers.

ladybird said...

Chm, How lovely to read that you'll be in the Loire Valley in the beginning of June. Really looking forward to seeing you again!

N&A, Outdoor happenings and me don't really go well together, weather-wise, I mean. I always seem to attract rain clouds as soon as someone lits a BBQ. Let's hope it'll be different this time, considering all the work S&S are putting in this blogger event. Not long now ...

Carolyn, I'm afraid I won't have a say in this. That's why I prefer to be a 'fly' instead of a real actor in this house hunting deal.

Louise, I really wish you could join us. But as you mentioned before: maybe next year :)