Bon anniversaire de marriage ! Interesting that you enjoyed the sparkling vouvray. My husband’s cousins in Montlouis-sur-Loire used to produce the local vouvray wines.
Rosemary Kneipp
December 8th, 2015 at 10:07 pm
Merci!
I was a little bit surprised to read that your husband’s cousins in Montlouis used to produce vouvray as vouvray today is an appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) which means that it can only be made in the immediate vicinity of Vouvray. However, I checked and this is what I found. For several centuries, the blanc de Pineau grape produced on both sides of the Loire, in Montlouis and Vouvray, was called “vin de Vouvray”. It was only when the AOC system was created that Montlouis, aware of its originality, became independent and became a separate AOC.
Now, isn’t that interesting?
krysia
December 8th, 2015 at 7:40 am
Congratulations to you both. Thanks you for a year of wonderful photos and information on places you have visited. Happy Chrstmas
Rosemary Kneipp
December 8th, 2015 at 10:09 pm
Well,thank you Krysia, and I’m so pleased you have been enjoying the blog. Happy Christmas to you too!
I picked up our fresh foie gras yesterday afternoon. Had an interesting conversation with Mme Charcellay re bird flu and the new animal welfare legislation.
Lavardin is on my list of places I would like to visit, mainly because of the wall paintings. I didn’t realise that apart from being generally pretty, it had other significant attractions, so I’m even keener to visit now. Shame it’s just a bit too far for a nice day trip for us.
Our Christmas market in Preuilly was surprisingly good on Saturday. It was small and didn’t look like much, but there were some very good local producers there. I bought some chocolate hazelnut spread from a very nice and interesting young man I haven’t encountered before, as well as some honey. The weather was absolutely perishing though.
See you on Thursday.
Rosemary Kneipp
December 8th, 2015 at 10:12 pm
Thank you for picking up the foie gras!
Yes, Lavardin isn’t far from Vendôme. A friend has often mentioned it and we didn’t realise until we got home how many other places there were to visit. We were a little put off by the Christmas market. I’m glad to hear yours was better. We had good weather on Saturday.
Happy anniversary. Your photograph shows how happy you are.
The blue sky, autumn leaves and castle make me want to join you in spring.
Rosemary Kneipp
December 8th, 2015 at 10:15 pm
Thank you Helen!
Yes, we were so happy when the sun came out. Everything is always so much better with a blue sky!
Lesley
December 9th, 2015 at 9:55 am
It’s great to have a few anniversaries ‘up your sleeve’ and the day you met sounds like a good one. We have them as well and include the day the dog came to live with us – as well as his official birthday according to the Vet (best guess when he was found) and his honorary one that comes halfway between ours.
Rosemary Kneipp
December 9th, 2015 at 10:15 am
That certainly adds on a few! Ours are the day we met, the day we got married, Jean Michel’s birthday and my birthday. We don’t have any pets or mutual children 🙂
[…] to say that I really am talking about the Loir and not its cousin, the Loire River. We’ve been to Lavardin before – on a cold winter’s day in December last year during the Christmas markets – and […]
Bon anniversaire de marriage ! Interesting that you enjoyed the sparkling vouvray. My husband’s cousins in Montlouis-sur-Loire used to produce the local vouvray wines.
Merci!
I was a little bit surprised to read that your husband’s cousins in Montlouis used to produce vouvray as vouvray today is an appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) which means that it can only be made in the immediate vicinity of Vouvray. However, I checked and this is what I found. For several centuries, the blanc de Pineau grape produced on both sides of the Loire, in Montlouis and Vouvray, was called “vin de Vouvray”. It was only when the AOC system was created that Montlouis, aware of its originality, became independent and became a separate AOC.
Now, isn’t that interesting?
Congratulations to you both. Thanks you for a year of wonderful photos and information on places you have visited. Happy Chrstmas
Well,thank you Krysia, and I’m so pleased you have been enjoying the blog. Happy Christmas to you too!
I picked up our fresh foie gras yesterday afternoon. Had an interesting conversation with Mme Charcellay re bird flu and the new animal welfare legislation.
Lavardin is on my list of places I would like to visit, mainly because of the wall paintings. I didn’t realise that apart from being generally pretty, it had other significant attractions, so I’m even keener to visit now. Shame it’s just a bit too far for a nice day trip for us.
Our Christmas market in Preuilly was surprisingly good on Saturday. It was small and didn’t look like much, but there were some very good local producers there. I bought some chocolate hazelnut spread from a very nice and interesting young man I haven’t encountered before, as well as some honey. The weather was absolutely perishing though.
See you on Thursday.
Thank you for picking up the foie gras!
Yes, Lavardin isn’t far from Vendôme. A friend has often mentioned it and we didn’t realise until we got home how many other places there were to visit. We were a little put off by the Christmas market. I’m glad to hear yours was better. We had good weather on Saturday.
Congratulations on your anniversary.
I am so glad that your meal was such a success. Whatever next – a Chinese chef receiving accolades for his French cuisine!
Thank you!
No, I had never seen a Chinese chef in a French restaurant before and initially assumed he was Japanese.
Happy Anniversary!
Quite a meal too.
I’ve been reading on English castles, so the terminology’s quite fresh. I like this one.
Thank you.
I hesitated over the use of machicolations as opposed to crenellations but wasn’t sure about the difference.
We don’t have castles in Australia :).
Happy anniversary. Your photograph shows how happy you are.
The blue sky, autumn leaves and castle make me want to join you in spring.
Thank you Helen!
Yes, we were so happy when the sun came out. Everything is always so much better with a blue sky!
It’s great to have a few anniversaries ‘up your sleeve’ and the day you met sounds like a good one. We have them as well and include the day the dog came to live with us – as well as his official birthday according to the Vet (best guess when he was found) and his honorary one that comes halfway between ours.
That certainly adds on a few! Ours are the day we met, the day we got married, Jean Michel’s birthday and my birthday. We don’t have any pets or mutual children 🙂
[…] to say that I really am talking about the Loir and not its cousin, the Loire River. We’ve been to Lavardin before – on a cold winter’s day in December last year during the Christmas markets – and […]