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We're booked up to stay in a gite just north of Saumur first two weeks in July, we'll be doing the usual, Chenonceau, Tours, Angers, Azay Le Rideau etc, but wondered if anyone has any secret top tips of places to go / eat?
Unfortunately this will be a bikeless holiday so no ride routes this time, thanks..
Ta from BigG, Mrs and baby,,
there's some ace castles'n'shit down there
one has/had a sort of [s]porn art[/s] misogyny museum in it too 😯 - might've been in the Lot though
Give us a day or two and I will sort you a list (my mum lived in the Loire for a few years)
As kids, we got swept away in a rubber dinghy in the uber fast currents of the Loire. Whilst screaming and flailing uncontrollably, one of us dived out to try and save the others from a tragic end and discovered it was only knee deep.
if you're there for the 14th you're in for a treat - the fireworks at amboise are supposed to be amazing but all the other towns are great too (we saw the montrichard ones and they were ace)
go to amboise for the day
there are some really nice restaurants in Montrichard after you've been to Chenonceau (worth seeing but go early, gets very busy)
http://www.antoinesimoneau.com/ very good wines, and really friendly, they will recommend restaurants for you
The Gratien & Mayer winery in Saumur.
The mushroom caves between Saumur and Chinon on the south side of the river.
Chinon
Thanks all,
MrO, any insider knowledge will be great.
All other suggestions welcome!
As peteimpreza I would make sure that you visit Chinon, proper castle, lovely town.
If you get a chance go to Villandry - wonderful gardens
Sorry for the late thread revival, I saw this the other day but didn't get time to post so here's a few thoughts:
- There are lots of sparkling winemakers in Saumur, worth visiting one but it probably doesn't matter that much which, they're much of a muchness.
- The cooperative des vignerons de Saumur (at St Cyr en Bourg, slightly S of Saumur) is definitely worth a visit if you're actually interested in drinking the stuff too. Excellent independent producer, opportunity to do lots of unhurried tasting (time your visit to avoid coach parties), then load up a case or ten to take home.
- The zoo at Doué la Fontaine, as well as being an opportunity for lots of comedy mispronunciation (the Doo Zoo!) is in a series of old quarries so gives some interesting perspectives on the animals.
- Futuroscope isn't far away at Poitiers, maybe not so great for a baby though
- There's a nice swimming lake somewhere near Jumelles, stuffed if I can remember the exact location though. We stayed in St Philbert du Peuple and it wasn't far from there, but can't be any more precise I'm afraid.
- Villandry seconded, absolutely gorgeous gardens
- Castles castles castles. Try and break it up a bit or you'll get a bit blasé about them
- Be lucky and you might see an Osprey fishing in the Loire. One of the highlights of my trips there.
Another sorry for a tawdry response (work has been shite though!)
From my mother (they moved from the Loire to Brittany 12 years ago)
[i]Eateries:-
We are a bit out of date - probably changed or gone away now after some 12 years - best plan; follow your nose!
Places to go:-
Villandry Chateau--Chinon Castle--Langeais Chateau--Amboise Chateau--Lulu Park (Tours/a hit with under tens)--Tours--Rille Lake--Doue la Fontaine..trogladite village called Rochemenier--Cadillac Museum..near Langeais--Any Tourist Office--Bonne Voyage èt Vacance
A Bientôt,[/i]
MrO's post has jogged my memory - the lake I mentioned is at Mouliherne ([url= http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=47.45791,0.008326&num=1&t=h&sll=47.449575,0.247844&sspn=0.060381,0.128059&ie=UTF8&ll=47.457881,0.008326&spn=0.009343,0.01929&z=16 ]map[/url] - lake not visible unless you use the satellite pic). Rochemenier was also somewhere I'd forgotten about, definitely worth a visit too.
Chaps, those are great updates thanks very much indeed.
MrGreedy, we're staying in St Philbert du Peuple too! You weren't in a little gite by any chance were you? If so, whats the village like? Is there a boulangerie?
Cheers for now
G
It was over ten years ago now so no guarantee it's still there, but yes there was indeed a boulangerie, two doors away from the gite we stayed in. Can't remember the name of the owners, but it was a smallish place close to the village centre (with obligatory pretty church). The owners were adjacent and did good table d'hôte meals. There was a bar tabac in the village, but not a lot else I don't think. Longue Jumelles is just down the road with a couple of supermarchés.
Feel free to email me (address in profile) if you fancy picking my brains further
A few slightly off beat selections.
The tank museum at saumur ( musee DES blinds)
The garden festival at Chaumont
The museum of magic at Blois.
The must dos for me would be chenonceaux, villandry and the zoo de doue.