A Review From Heather

 In July I had the pleasure of guiding for a group of Americans who have been friends since school. They were kind enough to leave a nice review.

"We spent a day with Susan combining Chateau Ambois and then finishing with Chenonceau. Susan gave wonderful instructions ahead of time to ensure our day went smoothly. How and when to by tickets, directions and location of meeting and then planning a lunch in between to keep us going. We learned a lot and were able to relax knowing that we were in good hands. Thank you Susan!"

Thank you Heather and friends!

History of Tobacco Usage in the Loire Valley

The first tobacco shops in France opened in 1716. Over a century earlier the French ambassador to Portugal, Jean Nicot, had introduced it to France and grew it in his own garden. He gave powdered tobacco (snuff) to Catherine de Medici, to give to her son François II to cure his migraines in 1560. At the time, tobacco was often called the 'Queen's herb' or 'Nicot's herb', and considered medicinal and drunk as a tisane (herbal tea).

 

In the apothecary at the Chateau de Chenonceau there are several pots for storing tobacco for pharmaceutical purposes. If you are interested in medical history, then book a tour with us that includes Chenonceau as we can talk about not just the developments in medicine in the 16th century, but also the early 20th century, inspired by objects from the collection at this remarkable chateau. 

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For details of our private guided tours of chateaux, gardens, wineries, markets and more please visit the Loire Valley Time Travel website. We would be delighted to design a tour for you.

We are also on Instagram, so check us out to see a regularly updated selection of our very best photos. You may also like to check out our YouTube channel. 

A Review from Jane

Jane, her husband Jerry and their 10 year old grandson visited three chateaux with me over three days in the summer. She took the time to leave this lovely review:

 "Artful, knowledgable, accessible, able to engage our grandson."

 

I very much enjoyed guiding them at the Chateau de Cheverny,  the Chateau Royal d'Amboise and Clos Lucé, and at the Chateau de Chenonceau. Multi-generational family groups are not always easy to keep engaged, but in this case they were a joy to work with and it was a privilege to be chosen by them for their tour needs.

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For details of our private guided tours of chateaux, gardens, wineries, markets and more please visit the Loire Valley Time Travel website. We would be delighted to design a tour for you.

We are also on Instagram, so check us out to see a regularly updated selection of our very best photos. You may also like to check out our YouTube channel.