Insights into the French way of life and European travels by an Australian living in the Loire Valley
Header photo: Blois in spring, 2016. All photos on website copyright by Rosemary Kneipp unless specified otherwise. All rights reserved.Sign up for the latest posts below and don’t forget to click the confirmation email link:
Loire Valley Accommodation!
Stay in our beautiful 400-year old Renaissance house in the Loire Valley. Click on Gîte Loire Valley above. Accommodates 2 to 4 adults. 3-night minimum stay.Live like a local and improve your French!
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Tag Archives: Loire Valley
Moving is No Fun, Not to Mention Exhausting!
It’s 8 am on Tuesday and the removalists are already here (4 Russians, an Algerian and a Tunisian). They start with the apartment down the road from us where Jean Michel’s sons have been living for the last 9 years, … Continue reading
Outside My Front Door
Paula McInerney from Contented Traveller, whom I’ve already featured in my weekly blogger round-up, is publishing a series of posts entitled “Outside my front door”. I was delighted when she asked me to contribute and I’ve been enjoying hearing from other bloggers as … Continue reading
Posted in Loire Valley, Loire Valley châteaux
Tagged Amboise, Blois, Chambord, Chaumont, cheverny, contented traveller, Loire Valley
5 Comments
Photos of the Week – Wisteria & Lilies of the Valley
We have been enjoying spring so much in Blois that we are sad to go back to Paris even though it will be a break from our travaux! We can’t get enough of our wisteria at Closerie Falaiseau. We also love the wisteria … Continue reading
Posted in Closerie Falaiseau, Flowers & gardens
Tagged Loire Valley, muguet, wisteria in France
Comments Off on Photos of the Week – Wisteria & Lilies of the Valley
A Neighbourhood Party – New French Words – Holidaying in the Loire Valley
For this Wednesday’s Bloggers Round-up, I’ve chosen a description of France’s neighbours’ day by Phoebe from Lou Messugo, the latest French words to be included in the Larousse and Robert dictionaries by Stéphanie from Blog in France and, to finish … Continue reading
Posted in Closerie Falaiseau, France, French customs, French language, Loire Valley
Tagged Loire Valley, neighbours' day in France
1 Comment
First Fire in the Fireplace
We’re at Closerie Falaiseau. We’ve had dinner and are sitting on the sofa in front of the non-operational fireplace downstairs . Why, you may ask, are we not upstairs, drinking champagne and eating foie gras in front of our beautifully … Continue reading
Monday’s Travel Photos – the Roof Tops of Chambord
Fellow Australian Susan from Days in the Claise, who also lives in the Loire Valley, but in the southern part of Touraine, has done a series of posts on Chambord Castle recently. We cycled there several times this summer, you … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Loire Valley, Travel photos
Tagged Chambord, châteaux, François I, Loire Valley
9 Comments
The Wonderful Gardens of Château de Chaumont
Every time we go from Blois to Amboise, we pass Château de Chaumont, which stands majestically above the Loire River, with a quaint little row of houses below. I visited it some years ago and was not very impressed with … Continue reading
A Painter Comes to Stay
Closerie Falaiseau was almost ready for rental when I received a phone call from an American and his wife who wanted to stay for nine days, starting just two days later. I was having dinner at L’Embarcadère with Kathy Stanford … Continue reading
Posted in Accommodation, Art, Loire Valley
Tagged Blois, Closerie Falaiseau, impressionist painting, John Modesitt, Loire Valley
16 Comments
Meeting the Neighbours in Blois Part 2
Each time we’ve come down to Blois since we signed the final papers in April, most of our waking hours have been spent getting the gîte ready and planting potatoes in the rain. So this time, we decided we’d have … Continue reading
Posted in France, Lifestyle, Loire Valley
Tagged Chambord, cheverny, côte de boeuf, Les Grouets, Loire Valley, wisteria
8 Comments
Wine Tasting in the Loire Valley Part 2
I just sat down to write up my impressions of our recent wine tasting with Femme Francophile at Vinomania in Blois but, surprise, surprise, I’ve left my notepad at Closerie Falaiseau, and I don’t know how much I can rely … Continue reading

Posted in France, Loire Valley, Uncategorized, Wine
Tagged cépages, Loire Valley, sancerre, Vinomania, wine tasting
4 Comments