Loire valley--Love at First Sight! (Loire Valley (France))

Member Name: Meggysmum

Product:	Loire Valley (France)
Date:	11/08/09 (84 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Tranquil, picturesque setting.

Disadvantages: Several hundred miles from here.

I have visited France with my family several times in the last 8 years but we have always stayed by the coast. This year we thought we would like a change so we decided to venture into the Loire Valley. I must admit I didn't do a lot of research before I made the booking so I opted for an area that looked easy to get too and then opted for a caravan site that looked promising. The Loire Valley is in fact separated into several departments and we were actually staying in the Anjou region, very close to Touraine, the closest large town was Saumur.

We sailed overnight to St Malo and then found we had an easy drive down to our destination of about 5 hours. Due to the fact we tow a caravan we tend to stick to the A road and pay tolls ( about 25 euro) when necessary because it makes our journey easy even if a little longer, if you are using the ordinary roads there is a very direct route.

Our first impression of the area was that it was very flat. We had decided not to take our bikes this year as we had not got around to buying new roof bars after changing our car. We were immediately disappointed as we discovered that there is a well sign-posted cycle route that runs along the Loire. It follows the river and also takes you into the towns and other places of interest. The route follows quiet roads (although we tend to find all the roads are quiet compared to England!) and off-road cycleways. Maps of the route are available at the local Office du Tourisme and the route is also shown on the ordinary road maps that we had. We did plan on hiring some bikes but to be honest when we were there the weather was so hot that I didn't have the energy!

Wherever we drove we noticed signs for the Wine Route (Route Touristique du Vignoble). This directs people through the vineyards of the area and also to local producers and small wine specialists. I know a lot of people visit the area for its wine but as a virtual tee-totalled I am not very interested. However the views of the vineyards were delightful and there were certainly a lot of places to visit if that is something you are keen on, unfortunately I do not know very much!

One of the main reasons that we ended up in this area was to sample a little of French history. My husband is very interested in history and knew that Henry of Anjou became Henry II of England and the area was the feudal capital of the Plantagenets. The whole area seemed to be the seat of power at one time. I was more interested purely in the beauty of the Chateaux in the area and the delightful scenery.

As I mentioned the weather was lovely when we visited at the end of July so a lot of our time was spent relaxing and taking the odd walk along the tranquil river side. However we did take the opportunity to visit a couple of the local attractions. Everywhere we went we found good information in English and considering my poor oral French I was always treated politely. We were pleased to find that unlike in England our children were admitted free to the historical places of interest, all children under 18 and part of a family visit were admitted free of charge. I think this is an excellent idea and certainly made our money go a little further, particularly useful with the weak pound at the moment. We also found that we never had to pay to park anywhere which was also useful.


-- Fontevraud Abbey --

This Abbey is situated quite close to Saumur. It is easy to find parking in Fontevraud but we did find it a little tricky to actually find the Abbey! The signs are not very useful and we realised that we were not the only people wondering aimlessly up the High street when actually you needed to head down the hill slightly. Once you spot it you can't believe you didn't notice it before as it looms very obviously over the shops in the small town. The building was an Abbey from about 1100 until 1792, in 1804 it became a state prison and remained so until 1963, it is currently being restored but the work is very unobtrusive. 15 members of the family of Henry II are buried here and there are impressive painted effigies of four of them. The site is huge with delightful cloisters, a very unusual Romanesque smokehouse and wall paintings from the 16th century. A lot of work was done by two very wealthy nuns in the 16th century who have their initials everywhere and even had themselves painted into the pictures of the last supper and the crucifixion etc. Obviously I think they were on a bit of an ego trip! The Abbey has small grounds that are a pleasure to walk around and afford some lovely photo opportunities of the Abbey from a higher vantage point. Overall this was a lovely place to visit and even my children (aged 12 and 15) found it quite interesting and didn't moan at all!


-- Chateau d'Azay-le-Rideau --

I really wanted to visit the chateau at Chenonceau as I had been told it was brilliant. However when I saw that is was a good hours drive from where we were staying I thought I would look for somewhere closer. Azay-le-Rideau was only 30 minutes away so that swayed my decision! On arrival we discovered that we could hire English audio-guides which were very informative and certainly added to our enjoyment, at 1euro each and not having to leave a deposit it was certainly a good idea. This Chateau is not very large but it is very attractive, it has a beautiful lake in which it is reflected (once a moat) and an intricately decorated facade of local limestone with a slate roof. The central staircase is open to the front of the property which is an unusual feature and is very attractive. The property was built in about 1518 but it was confiscated by Francois I in 1527 so the poor owners didn't get to enjoy it for long! There is not a lot of furnishing in the property as, like most such places it lost a lot through the Renaissance. There was a large exhibition on in several rooms when we visited relating to a ballet performed at the property relating to a French story, we didn't quite get to grips with this but there were some interesting pieces to look at. The grounds were pleasant and after the visit (once you have battled through the gift shop!) the town has some charming quiet streets to wander through.


-- Saumur --

Saumur is an impressive town set on the banks of the Loire. The chateau is set above the old quarter. This area offers the chance for a charming walk with many interesting buildings. There are some timbered properties that date back to the 15th century which reminded me very much of the market town I live in. However most of the property had a more traditional French look. The town is mainly closed on a Monday which we did not realise when we went to visit. This meant that really only the very main part of the High Street was open. However we found there were many small shops and cafes down the side streets that would certainly provide some interesting shopping (must return one day when it is open!). The walk through the old town up to the chateau is steep so I suggest you take a drink of water as there was nowhere obvious to buy any refreshment (but it was Monday). The view from the top, along the river to the bridges was very pretty. We didn't venture in the Chateau as there is only so much history we can inflict on our children before we start to suffer a backlash!

We drove past the Chateau at Use as it is supposed to be the one that Cinderella's castle was based on. It looked very pretty but the village was heaving! People were picnicking in the car park and it was probably the most chaotic place I had been in this part of France. We decided not to stop and turned right towards the Loire, within 5 minute we had come upon a beautiful picnic area right down on the banks of the river, there was plenty of parking and tables and it was so tranquil I could have stayed all day! I couldn't believe everyone was sitting in a car park when such beauty was only a stones throw away, it is always worth popping off the beaten track!

The other main visitor attractions in the area are on the Troglodyte tour. There were many people who made there homes dug into the soft Tufa cliffs (limestone) in the area. Many are now used as holiday homes but some are open for visitors. There is even a mushroom production company that gives guided tours of its caves. Although I saw the outsides of many of these places we could not fit in the time to investigate further. Something else on our list for the return trip.

Overall I would certainly suggest this as an area to visit. It is a beautiful, tranquil area with some real hidden gems. Everywhere you looked there were fields of sunflowers or corn swaying in the breezeand a relaxed pace of life. We would certainly like to return as there were things that we didn't get to do. I would certainly recommend cycling as a way of getting around and we will definitely take our bikes next time!

Summary: Lovely place for relaxing and soaking up the scenery.