Cycling, Loire Valley, Restaurants, Sightseeing

Cycling in the Loire Valley – Agrémonts Windmill in Bléré and Château de Chenonceau at dusk

August 17, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp 6 Comments

Relationnel loves windmills (and wind for that matter) because he grew up in an abandoned windmill near Saumur. Well, the house itself wasn’t abandoned but the windmill no longer had any sails and the wooden structure on top was missing. He was therefore delighted when we arrived in Bléré yesterday to see the beautifully renovated Aigremonts Windmill. Unfortunately we arrived after closing time but were able to walk right around it.

This type of windmill is called a cavier because the milling room was in the cave or cellar of the house. Aigremonts was built between 1845 and 1848 and is 18 metres high. It was renovated by the Bléré municipal council. The base, called a masse, consists of 4 vaulted cellars made of local tufa stone. The massereau or central part housing the mill rooms and milling machinery, is surmounted by a tufa stone cone, the only one to have survived the ravages of war and time.

At the top, the hucherolle (which housed the drive shaft) and the sails (equipped with a Berton system) have been entirely reconstructed.

We then cycled to Chenonceau Castle, one of our favourite rides, which I’ve already described in another post. Just before we reached the château, we came across an air balloon as it was taking off on the other side of the Cher river. You could hear the sound of the fire under the basket. It’s the closest I’ve ever been to one. I really would love to find the courage to go up. It must be quite marvellous.

chenonceau_1 — Chenonceau from the bike path along the Cher

Then we rounded the corner and Chenonceau was waiting for us, as impressive as ever. The light was just perfect – it was about 8 pm and dusk was falling. We’d never seen it at that time of the day. You could even see the water on the other side through the windows of the gallery that spans the Cher.

chenonceau_2 — Chenonceau reflected in the Cher at dusk

We rode down as far as the bridge and back towards the château. We would have loved to watch the sunset but the bike path would have been too dark to come back and it’s a pretty bumpy ride, with lots of large tree roots and stones. I didn’t want to take the risk of falling in the river!

chenonceau_3 — The château from the other side

So we rode back to Bléré and had dinner at a little open-air restaurant on the main square called Le Bonheur est dans le pré. We ended up chatting to our neighbours who have a property where they hunt and fish in nearby Sologne. We exchanged phone numbers so it looks like we’ll be having game for Christmas this year!

Moulin des Aigremonts

Opening times :

27th May to 4th September : Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 10 am to 12 noon and 3 pm to 6 pm.

Also open during heritage weekend (15th and 16th September 2012)

2 euro for adults, free for children up to 13.

Flowers & gardens, Loire Valley

The Wonderful Gardens of Château de Chaumont

August 15, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp 9 Comments

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 the inside which is rather delapidated. It must have been in the winter too because I don’t remember the gardens at all and I found the view of the river quite austere. Quite by accident today, we decided to visit the gardens where the 20th edition of the International Garden Festival is being held.

Chaumont_from_garden — Château de Chaumont seen from the historical garden

What a wonderful discovery! The gardens, with the château as a backdrop, are absolutely delightful. I just love the colours and the wonderful, sweeping view of the Loire which in summer is far more attractive than in winter, I can assure you!

Loire River from Château de Chaumont

The festival entries are a little uneven in quality – some are lovely while others seem somewhat naive. But all thirty gardens are interesting.

We then visited the vegetable garden and the historical garden with its sweeping cedars.

Despite the price (11 euro per person), I’m definitely coming back again next year!

International Garden Festival of Chaumont

Château de Chamont

Loire Valley between Blois and Amboise

April to October every year

France, Paris, Sightseeing, Travelling

St Jean de Luz – How to Manage and Maximise your Money when Traveling – Père Lachaise Cemetary

August 14, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp Leave a comment

This week, Sylvia from Finding Noon, who is holidaying in French Basque Country, takes us on a visit to one of my favourites, St Jean de Luz. Australian blog writer Annabel Candy, from Get in the Hot Spot, gives tips on how to manage and maximise your money when traveling. I also came across an old post by Andrea from Destination Europe about Père Lachaise Cemetary in Paris which is always a lovely place to visit.

St Jean de Luz

by Sylvia from Finding Noon, an American living in Paris who appreciates fine art, good music, succulent food, and breath taking scenery

After a few days at the beach, I am ready for a break. Hossegor is the perfect place for a curious traveler, because it offers a fantastic range of day trips. We can go hiking in the Pyrenées, visiting quaint Basque villages like Espelette, or Sares. Or we can head south for tapas at the very relaxed, food obsessed Saint Sébastien, Spain. Or even further south for a day of culture and fine art at the Guggenheim in Bilbao. There is the glitzy beach town of Biarritz along the way, the naturally wild Guéthary, and my personal favorite, the very historic and exceptionally picturesque St Jean de Luz. Read more

How to Manage and Maximise your Money when Traveling

by Annabel Candy, travel writer, blogger and delightful misfit and author of In the Hot Spot, a travel blog with inspiration, tips and ideas for people who love travel, writing and living their dream life

Life’s complicated, but not as complicated as working out the best way to manage your money while you’re traveling.

When we moved from New Zealand to Panama, then ended up living in Costa Rica and finally Australia, there was a lot of money changing going on. We’re talking four different currencies right there. But we also traveled round Nicaragua and Guatemala, so as well as dealing with New Zealand dollars, US dollars, Costa Rican colones and Australian dollars we also spent quetzals in Guatemala and córdobas in Nicaragua. Read more

Père Lachaise Cemetary

by Andrea from Destination Europe, also an Aussie Expat who’s been living in France for the last 5 years, food and travel blogger

If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of central Paris, take a side trip to Paris’s most famous cemetery, Pere Lachaise. Not surprisingly, it’s one of the most peaceful places in Paris and a beautiful area to wander and admire the final resting places of the city’s former residents.

I always thought it was strange to visit a cemetery just to admire the surrounds but Pere Lachaise isn’t like any other cemetery. You can visit to check out the celebrity residents like Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, or Oscar Wilde (amongst many others) or to commemorate those who lost their lives for their country. Or you can just admire the fascinating and unusual tomb art work on display. Read more

Cycling, Loire Valley, Restaurants

Cycling in the Loire – Château de Chambord

August 13, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp 11 Comments

My highschool friend Jane is staying with me in Blois for a few days. It’s quite hot so we’ve decided to cycle late afternoon and dine out. Jane has been cycling in Townsville along the Ross River in preparation for her visit and the day before, we’ve already ridden along the Loire from Château Menars to Saint Dyé sur Loire and back, a comfortable 16 K.

halle_bracieux — 17th century market place in Bracieux

I’ve checked my bike map, Les Châteaux à Vélo, and seen that Bracieux to Chambord is about 8 K, which is perfect. I know the route because I’ve cycled on it before. You may remember that Bracieux is the little town where Relationnel and I were recently dubbed “cute” by one of the locals. We arrive in Bracieux without mishap and take the bikes off the back of the car. We’re organised by now and have everything we need, including our rain capes because there are a few blackish clouds floating around.

chambord_sun — Chambord in the sun, taken during a previous ride

We ride into the town and check out the 17th century market place. We see that the restaurant on the corner “Au Fil du Temps” is open because the tables under the market place are already set. Off we go and I realise that I don’t know where the bike route is. I hate to admit this, but when I’m with Relationnel, I leave that sort of thing to him. We head off in what seems a likely direction and eventually find a little bike sign saying “Chambord”.
“I guess it’s because we already went cycling yesterday”, says Jane after about 5 k, “but it doesn’t seem as easy today”. “Don’t worry”, I reply, “only about 3 K to go”. But we arrive in a town that I don’t remember seeing before called Neuvy. It’s a bit worrying because I can’t see it on my map either. Some other cyclists tell us they’ve just come from Chambord.

gates_chambord — Entrance to the grounds of Chambord

I see a sign that says 11 K. Oops ! We find a street map and discover that we must have missed a turnoff early in the procedure and have been going east instead of north.
Jane looks very discouraged. We head off in the right direction this time, along a forest road, and when we get to the crossroads between Chambord (5 K) and Bracieux (3 K), she decides that we may as well push on to Chambord after coming all this way. We finally get to the stone wall surrounding the castle and enclosing what was François Ier’s favourite hunting domain. No one ever lived in Chambord – he used to travel with everything and everyone he needed, including furniture.

chambord_jane — Jane discovers Chambord after a long, hard ride!

I miss the cycle route (again!) so we join it a little further on, which seems preferable to cycling along the edge of a 70 kph road. Now it’s spitting. We come out just before the château and as we round the corner, the view is breathtaking. We put on our capes but the sun then comes out and casts a wonderful light on the castle. We cycle through the grounds, past the château and finally stop and have a cold drink at a café with the castle in full view, just as everyone is packing up. By then it’s 7.45 pm but it’s still full daylight.

After a suitable rest, we go back along the 8 K route we were originally supposed to take! By the time we arrive back in Bracieux, we’ve ridden 30 K and Jane is understandably very proud of herself as 16 K is her record. We decide to have the full menu for 26 euro at Au Fil du Temps. There isn’t a wide choice, but the entrée (melon for Jane, smoked salmon for me) and main course (fresh salmon for Jane and entrecôte for me) are good value for money. The tarte tatin is somewhat disappointing. The service is friendly, however, and the setting is definitely worth it!

Au Fil du Temps, 11 Halle, 41250 Bracieux, France Tel. 0254460384

Art, France, Travel photos

Monday’s Travel Photos – Saint Paul de Vence

August 12, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp 10 Comments

Saint Paul de Vence in Provence, 12 k west of nice and 26 k from Cannes, can be seen from afar. It’s the sort of village that is so well known that you imagine it will be chock-a-block with tourists and craft shops. But in fact, it’s really lovely and well worth a visit. The views are quite stunning and the ramparts ordered by François I and built from 1537 to 1547 are still intact. More recently, it was a favourite haunt of Matisse and Modigliani; Chagall lived there for 20 years and is buried in the cemetary. There is a also a well-organised parking system.

Flowers & gardens, France, Loire Valley

Sans Keys Again!

August 10, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp 6 Comments

Yesterday, I picked up Jane, my faithful friend from high school days, who still lives in my hometown (Townsville, whose name, to French people, borders on the absurd, but it was founded by Sir Robert Towns) at Gare du Nord in Paris and drove to Blois. Jane is a seasoned traveller, with friends across the world, and often comes to visit. The Tom Tom took us on a very strange but competely unencumbered route out of the city and a couple of hours later we were in Blois and I was able to introduce Jane to Closerie Falaiseau.

SANS keys. Again. Fortunately we’ve set up a code box system with the key inside for our gîte guests so were able to get in. I was relieved because I didn’t want to admit to Relationnel that I’d forgotten my keys again. The only problem is that we could get into the gîte OK, but not into our part of the house, for which I needed the key to the back garden. So I had to ring Relationnel after all. Fortunately, he’s so organised that his set of keys was in the car.

It was great to explore the garden and see what had grown since last Sunday. More gladioli have bloomed and we now have three different colours. Not very straight admittedly but I’m still amazed that they have grown at all. The Pierre Ronsard roses on the front steps are in full bloom again and our multicoloured yellow-to-pink Saharan rose bush that we bought at Orchaise Priory at the beginning of June has three roses and lots of buds.

All the wizened potatoes we planted two weeks ago have taken but I’m very disappointed that the raspberries are not forthcoming. Jane is enjoying the wild strawberries growing in the garden of the little house though. What a pity I don’t like strawberries!

Thailand, Travelling

My Incredible Bangkok Adventure #2

August 8, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp 4 Comments

In a previous post, I told you about how we found ourselves with a chauffeur and an air-conditioned 4-wheel drive to take us round Bangkok after buying a pair of gold and sapphire earrings. Our new vehicle is most welcome after the morning tuktuks! Relationnel sits in the back pacha style (he doesn’t speak English you may remember) while I chat in the front seat with our driver. “Why are you doing this ?”, I ask. “Because my boss told me to.” “Yes, but why did your boss tell you to ?” “Because she likes you.” Hmm …

The first stop is Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace. We park a little distance away and protecting ourselves from the sun with umbrellas provided by our driver, we weave our way through the food stalls, smelling strongly of dried seafood, and under the shady trees along the wall of the Grand Palace. I discover that my three-quarter length pants are not suitable attire and stand in a queue to get a wraparound skirt.

Our guide waits outside while we visit the temple, impressed by all the gold, pearls and coloured glass. We file past the 70 cm high emerald buddha that we can see from afar. After visiting several throne rooms we move onto the next temple, Wat Pho, with its 18th century reclining Buddha, 45 metres long and 15 metres high and covered in gold leaf, with its somewhat sardonic smile. We take in some of the 394 seated Buddhas.

reclining_buddha — Reclining Buddha, Wat Pho

We pay for the parking and invite our guide to lunch in a restaurant of her choice. We eat noodles and soup alongside the river. She asks if I can buy some “moon cakes” to take back to her children. We pay about 11 euro in all for the meal and tell our guide that we can continue on our own for the rest of the day. “No”, she says, “I can’t take you back until 5 pm.” She is very friendly and helpful and wants advice on bringing up her teenage son with whom she’s having a few problems!

The next stop is the Vimanmek Mansion, made entirely of teakwood, which is part of the Dusit Palace in a leafy area of Bangkok, built by King Rama V to escape the heat of the Grand Palace. We park the car and our guide suggests we leave our backpack (containing the earrings!) in the car. We look at each other in consternation. Maybe it’s a put-up job? We finally leave the backpack because it would seem rude to do otherwise. We have our money and passports on us, of course.

vinamek_palace — Vinamek Mansion, Dusit Palace

We take off our shoes (as usual) and follow the palace guide who explains the different features of the house in very approximate English. I am very taken by the draperies but unfortunately, no photos are allowed. We finally emerge from the mansion and can’t see any sign of our guide. Our hearts sink. How naive can you get? But we spy her at last and we all go back to the car. Relationnel checks that everything is still in the backpack and we breathe a sigh of relief!

It’s nearly 5 o’clock so she says she’ll take us to our hotel where we’ve left our luggage. Relationnel and I discuss how much we should give her as a tip and finally decide on 20 euro. We ask her to stop at an automated teller machine to get some cash. While Relationnel is gone, our guide asks us if we have “something to give” her. I reassure her and when she stops in front of the hotel, we give her the money and thank her for the visit. She waves happily goodbye.

We then go to the airport for our late flight, keeping careful watch out for anyone who might have followed us. It’s not until we are safely in the plane that we can really relax and appreciate our good luck! And I’ve taken the earrings to a jeweller in Paris since – they are not fakes …

Cycling, France, French customs, Lifestyle, Loire Valley

La Promenade – Paris-Mont St.Michel Route Gets New Name: La Veloscenie – Blame France

August 7, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp 4 Comments

Many of the Anglophone bloggers who live in France are off on their summer holidays at the moment, often taking a break from blogging, which has given me the chance to discover some new blogs, in particular that of Gaynor B. from La Petite Presse who spends the summer in the Loire Valley. She takes us to a very enticing restaurant called La Promenade. This time, Experience France by Bike gives an exhaustive explanation of the bike route that connects up Paris and Le Mont Saint Michel – a mere 442 k! Bread is Pain explains how, if you live in France, you can blame everything negative that ever happens to you on that very fact and not take any responsibility for anything you do! Enjoy!

La Promenade

by Gaynor B. from La Petite Presse who divides her time between the UK and the small village of Le Petit-Pressigny in the Touraine Sud area of France

We seem to have a ‘nose’ for picking homes in small villages with excellent places to eat. In Staffordshire it is the Hollybush, and in Le Petit-Pressigny La Promenade and Le Bon Coin. Different in price and ambiance but each offering good quality food. Last week we ate at La Promenade which is a Michelin starred restaurant run by Jacky Dallais. The food was fantastic and the wines of excellent quality and value. We’ve eaten here before and really think that it is an experience to savour and better shared with other people. Our partners in the gourmet experience this time were Maureen, John and their son Daniel (who live near to us in the UK and have a lovely home and gite near Chatillion sur Indre) together with Nick and Janet. Read more.

Paris-Mont St.Michel Route Gets New Name: La Veloscenie

by Experience France by Bike, an American who loves biking anywhere in Europe, but especially France, which has the perfect combination of safe bike routes, great food, great weather and history.

If there are any more long-distance bike routes developed in France, I am definitely going to need to relocate so that I have more time to explore all of them! This summer has already seen the grand opening of La Velodyssee, the Atlantic Coast route which I wrote about for 2 weeks in May. Now, the much talked about Paris-Mont-Saint-Michel route has introduced a new name, a new website, and significant improvements to the route. The new website for La Veloscenie is only in French, good for my French readers, but not for the rest of us. So here are some key details about this itinerary in case you want to consider it for a future trip. Read more

Blame France

by Bread is Pain, a 30-something American living in the Rhone-Alps, and slowly eating and drinking herself through the country

Narrator’s Voice is heard:

“Does this ever happen to you?”

Queue photos of a woman carrying a grocery bag that breaks, a man having a car splash water on him, a couple having the doors to a theater shut in their face.

“Do you ever feel like you just want to throw in the towel, like the world just isn’t on your side?”

Show image of unattractive depressed person looking out a window on a rainy day.

“What if you could change all that? What if I told you that there is a way that you could never have a bad day again and nothing will ever be your fault?”

The word “HOPE” flashes across the screen. Read more.

Art, France, Lifestyle, Paris

My Favourite Exhibition in Paris this Summer and a Fun Fair

August 6, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp 6 Comments

I love the Tuileries Gardens in the late afternoon in summer. The crowds have died down and if it’s a fine day, the sunset will turn the Louvre a lovely shade of pink. There are four fountains, each with a different view. Just pick a chair and take it all in! But first, make sure you go to the free Ahae exhibition in a temporary installation on the Concorde end, just before the Orangery.

I’ve now been twice and each time, the effect when I leave the exhibition is the same – a wonderful feeling of lightness and serenity. Ahae is a Korean photographer who took 2 million photos over a period of three years from the SAME WINDOW. Not just any window, of course. He looks out onto a pond, maple trees and mountains. And not just any photographer either. His high-tech equipment includes a 1200 mm lens. The stunning result is often more like an impressionist painting than a photograph.

I particularly like his photos of birds in trees or in flight, although the dragonflies perched on reeds in the middle of the pond are not bad either!

When we left the exhibition, Relationnel suggested we take a walk through the fun fair on the other side. Not really my scene but it was actually quite amusing. The first attraction, for small children, consists of a series of large plastic see-through balls floating on water. Each blown-up ball has a zipper. The operator pulls the ball up onto the landing stage and opens the zipper. The child crawls in, the zipper is closed and the operator sends in a blast of air to fill it again. He then pushes the ball into the water. The children all seemed to be having a whale of a time crawling on the bottom of the ball and making it turn around.

However, when I saw the getting-in process, I couldn’t possibly imagine Black Cat at 3 or even 6 for that matter, being zippered into a plastic ball, having air blasted at her, then being thrown into the water in a ball she couldn’t get out of. I watched the next child come along and was not surprised to hear her scream as soon as the air was fed in. The operator undid the zip and she got out, sobbing. However, another little girl, who had just finished her ride, asked if she could go instead, so I guess it’s something you get used to.

Maybe it’s all in preparation for the most horrendous (adult) ride of all – a large arm with an 8-person swing on each end – that had everyone goggling. Relationnel was fascinated watching the riders’ faces. I couldn’t even look at it without feeling ill! He said they all looked as though they’d had enough after one round, but it then starts turning in the opposite direction. Strong sensations are not my thing, I’m afraid.

Even the traditional ferris wheel is not within my possibilities but it’s much more attractive, particularly in the late afternoon!

Practical information:

The Ahae exhibition is open every day from 10 am to 10 pm and the Tuileries Gardens from 7 am to 11 pm. Until 19th August.

France, Sightseeing

Monday’s Travel Photos – Orange, France

August 5, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp 1 Comment

I’ve always thought that Orange was a strange name for a town. Located 200 k south of Lyon, in the Vaucluse, it was founded in 35 BC under the name of Colonia Julia Secundanorum Arausio, supposedly after a local Celt. How it went from Arausio to Auranjo to Orange, no one seems to know but there were so many different populations around at the time that anything is possible! However, it is now famous for its Arc of Triumph on the old Via Agrippa, more than 2,000 years old and in excellent condition, and its Antique Theatre, one of the best preserved in the world. We began the visit with a short film and were then given headsets and strolled around listening to the excellent commentary. There isn’t much else to see in the town, but the Arc of Triumph and the theatre are well worth a visit.

Aussie in France