Padraig

Herself and I are off travelling again at the end of this month. Ferry from Ireland to France (Cherbourg); overnight stop in Rennes to see friends; then onwards to the Loire Valley.

Two nights between Angers and Saumur, at a village that we have visited before. Our dinner venues are decided, because there are two restaurants there that we like. The tourism is undecided, but we will almost certainly waste some time in Saumur, because we like it there.

Then to Amboise for four nights. No particular plans. Two or three chateaux, possibly a visit to Chinon. We'll decide when we are there. [Last time we were in the Loire Valley, we didn't visit any chateau; in fact, we didn't do much of anything. Who needs to be busy on a holiday?]

Then back to Cherbourg, fill the car with wine, and sail home.

That an okay plan?

StCirq

Sounds brilliant to me, but then I used to be a tour guide in the Loire, so when I go back there pretty much the last thing I want to do is the ch^ateaux circuit. I much prefer seeking out local cheese fairs and troglodyte dwellings and such. You might want to check www.whatsonwhen.com before you go to see if there's any interesting local exhibits or fairs or such happening.

Are you planning to eat at L'Epicerie in Amboise? More than 25 years ago, when I first visited Amboise, that was Madame Bigot's pastry shop, and I always stopped in for an eclair, which in my youthful naivete I thought was the quintessential French dessert. She's built it into something of an empire now, with a good restaurant, and actually, for all I know, she's no longer alive. She was a good deal older than I was back in 1975.

Padraig

One of the things that will be happening is Easter. That will probably have some impact on things.

We are not major league foodies, but do like to eat fairly well. The guideline is that it should be different, or more interesting, or simply better than we might have at home (and I'm not a bad cook). l'Epicerie is on the list for consideration.

Padraig

Not there yet. Disembarked at Cherbourg, and set out towards the Loire (Rennes re-scheduled to end of trip). The weather changed every few minutes, generally between showers and heavy rain, so driving was more bothersome than usual. We got as far as Alencon, a town we have never visited, and decided to stop there. After some frustrations, we ended up in one of those hotels used mainly by French workers on the road (you generally know them by the ratio of cars to vans in the parking area, later by the large proportion of men dining alone, but most of all by the prices, which won't burst any expense account limits at €40 per night).

A small bedroom, but clean. Dinner in the hotel because I didn't want to drive any more, and I wanted some wine. Not haute cuisine, but very pleasant, and we hit two marks: sandre de la Loire accompanied by Saumur blanc. This is what we associate with our visits to this part of France.

Tomorrow: Saumur. Maybe online; maybe not. On va voir.

StCirq

Is the lace museum still there in Alençon? The first article I ever had published was about the lacemakers of Alençon, but even when I first visited decades ago, there were only a handful of them left, all quite elderly.

Check your map and see if you can locate an area called Le Val de Misère, maybe La Vallée de la Misère. I happened upon it on the way to Alençon once. It was a thickly forested area, very spooky like parts of Brittany, and somewhere in its depths was a tiny museum devoted to hats - the whole thing was really odd.

cjogo

Padraig, I will be traveling from Ireland to France next year and didn't think about a ferry. Where does the ferry depart from and how long (and rough) is the ride? We were planning to fly but the ferry might make more sense since we would like to see parts of Brittany and Normandy.

Thanks.

Padraig

I have no idea what is in Alençon. When we arrived here I was a bit tired and vexed from driving through so much rain; I had meant to get at least as far a Le Mans, but it just seemed like too much effort. We drove into Alençon, and were unable to get into "centre ville" because of "travaux". Found the railway station: the hotels there were either a bit scruffy or full; checked a couple of locations at the edge of town before getting a room in this place. We were relieved simply to park the car. No restaurants within walking distance other than the hotel's own. Not fine dining, but acceptable (and not very expensive, so I'm not complaining).

I should have remembered Alençon lace. Not that I am very interested in lace, but there is a lacemaking tradition where I live, and thus some general awareness of other places with similar traditions.

We have no map. This is country that we planned to traverse rather than visit, and we thought our Satnav would be sufficient. Well, it ain't. Even though it seems to know every country lane in Brittany, it treats this part of France as terra incognita. Le Mans doesn't exist for it.

I am not sure that I need to go to any place that is described as la misère: that was my state of mind after hours of driving through rain.

Do I sound very cranky? You should have seen me earlier, trying to find accommodation in a town I didn't know and where I couldn't get into the centre - during rush hour on a wet Monday.
cjogo, there are several ferry services between Ireland and France, but I think they are not a good option unless you are taking a vehicle (or, perhaps, are afraid of flying). There are also air connections to Brittany, to Brest, Rennes, or Nantes. If you want more information on the ferries, say so, and I will try to help.

Coquelicot

There's a lot to do south of Alencon. We stayed at a B&B in Ancinnes that had the best list of what-to-do locally we've ever encountered. We spent two days in the area and didn't get through the whole list. The B&B (La Basse Cour) is a very nice place to stay, if you return this way. La Basse Cour also does a blog about what's going on nearby.

http://visitnormandy.wordpress.com
/guest-house-on-the-border-of-normandy-and-pays-de-loire/

Padraig

It seemed to rain all night. Not that I was awake all the time to check, but whenever I was conscious I could hear spattering on the window and the cascading of water through the downpipe just outside. This morning's sky is 50% blue and 50% grey.

Coquelicot, that B&B proprietor does make an effort!

I think the truth is that there is a lot to see and do just about anywhere in France. Herself and I have, on occasion, rambled in places that are not in the guidebooks, and have found some of them more interesting than places that are well publicised.

Anyway, we are still in transit: our accommodation in the Loire Valley is booked, so we move onwards today.

Padraig

When we were checking out of our hotel, I enquired if there was still a lace-making tradition in Alençon. Yes, the receptionist told me, young people learn the method, but then do not persist: it's slow work, and they don't have the patience for it. But they have a museum.

We pressed on, with no maps and satnav that didn't cover the area. And we found the signposting less helpful than usual in France because there were a number of déviations that were confusing. But we muddled through, past Le Mans and to the banks of the Loire. We have never been in this area in springtime, and it was nice to see the river in its full glory, with plenty of water.

Padraig

[This thread is shaping up like a bad blog: you will get random bits when I can get online and nothing else is actually happening.]

The satnav provided us with some good in-car entertainment: it knew odd bits of road, but not always the exact co-ordinates, so it showed us off-roading for most of our trip. It did have the Loire river, if not the riverside roads, and didn't seem greatly concerned when we went through what it saw as water.

We arrived in Saumur and with human navigation (I know the city a bit) we got to our hotel. Then we had our own traditions to observe: lunch at the Aubèrge St. Pierre, accompanied by Saumur Champigny (and, thanks to an understanding with our hotelier, also preceded by a complimentary aperitif, a flute of Saumur Brut). Thence to the chateau, going up steep slopes, to enjoy views over the town and river.

Some might deem the Aubèrge St. Pierre a bit touristy: what would you expect when it occupies a half-timbered medieval building in an eye-catching position? But tourist appeal is not necessarily bad, and it also has a solid local clientele.

The rest of the day we have just wasted, strolling around, visiting bars, looking into shops, deciding on a restaurant for dinner, trivial stuff like that.

Nikki

I say off-roading through the Loire followed by a flute of Saumur Brut qualifies as adventure travel. Reward yourself.

Padraig

Thanks, Nikki.

Herself commented to me that I have omitted something: today was the day of the "convoi exceptionnel". We met six of them, including two boats and two houses. Who builds big catamarans in an inland workshop?

Finding a suitable dinner after a big lunch was a minor challenege to which our hotelier rose admirably: he sent us to l'alchimiste, which specialises in fish. It's a small restaurant, with only 20 covers. And it turned out to be a great suggestion, meeting our need for interesting but light. We both had lieu noir, even though we could not remember what it is (it's coley, or black pollock), cooked and served in a cheffy way of which I would normally not approve, with froth and foam, and carrots served in a shot glass, the whole thing very technical -- but tasty.

Two meals today for the two of us: good flavours; nice places; proper service; plenty of wine; total outlay under €100. That's okay.

Tomorrow we might do some more conventional tourist stuff, like visit a chateau. Or maybe not.

mike1728

When in Amboise....take a quick drive 10-15 minutes into Vouvray...if you like wine. Cool little village with some great family owned wine caves to taste and buy at great prices...a good bottle of Vouvray for around 4-6 euro.....also the Da Vinci Museum in Amboise is pretty good..a litlle bit cheesy, but not a bad way to spend an hour or so....10 minute walk from the middle of Amboise..also a great church at the far end of town (another 10 minute walk) which has some plaques honoring the British/US soldiers of D Day......Mikek

Padraig

Thanks, Mike.

The Clos Lucé (the da Vinci house) is on our list, because on a previous visit to Amboise we arrived there to late in the day to get in.

Yes to Vouvray. We like the wine (to some extent, as a novelty, with its "petillance").

I don't know about the church, but we may find out. I am mildly surprised that D-Day would be strongly commemorated here: in this region, there tends to be more of a focus on opposition to the German invasion, and on the resistance movement.

scrb

What kind of nav do you have, TomTom? Maybe maps our outdated, though I can't imagine any map not having Le Mans.

Mobile Internet access or just finding hotels with Wifi?


One time I went, a long time ago, there was this bakery near one of the chateau and they made the most memorable sandwich I've ever had. You didn't have to specify crudites like you would in Paris, where you just get ham and butter on baguette. They had some light mayo-like dressing that was perfect. Under 5 Euro too, or maybe $5 at the prevailing exchange rates!

StCirq

The last convoie exceptionnel I ran into was in the Gorges du Tarn, just outside/above Ste-Enimie. We had to pull over and scrape our car against the rock cliffs and pull the mirrors in so it could pass, and even so it did with about a half-inch to spare. Never could figure out what a convoie exceptionnel needed to be doing up there.

Padraig

The satnav is a Garmin Nuvi, and the maps are one year out of date. I don't think that explains why it doesn't know Le Mans, or Angers, or several other major centres. It does know Baugé and Beaufort-en-Vallée and an odd mix of other small places. It has the sort of incomplete and imprecise map that I might do from memory.

I'm not an internet junkie, nor do I have business needs to be online, so it's WiFi if I happen on it; otherwise I'm incommunicado (unless you have my phone number).

irishface

Padraig, thanks for posting as you go. I am enjoying your report immensely--both for its own sake and because the Loire is a place I would like to explore soon. Thanks!

Padraig

Just over forty-eight hours in France, and we are well tuned-in.

I didn't mention that our hotel in Saumur is the Hotel de Londres, which we rate a good find: nice room, friendly host, central location; good price too: €60 per night.

No chateau today. For a number of years, Herself had her personal "projet grand Louvre", where she observed the development of the Louvre from what it was to what it is today. Now she has her "projet Abbayé de Fontevraud", where she notes how the restoration work is proceeding there. So that was our first visit today. Thence to Chinon, to ramble around a characterful town that we like, and to have lunch.

Our first effort to buy wine failed, because Domaine Filliatreau where we sometimes go for Saumur Champigny, was closed. But we took ourselves off to St. Nicolas de Bourgeuil, to Domaine Les Valettes, and got ourselves some wine and friendly banter with the producer (partly, I think, because he was relieved that he did not have to struggle with his limited English because we are unembarrassed by our limitations in French).

Car now parked; driving done for the day; Herself is telling me that it is time to get some tea.