Floral Carpets in the Loire Valley

One of the joys of visiting the Loire Valley from late August to early October is the carpets of the pink autumn flowering Sowbread Cyclamen hederifolium in parks and gardens everywhere. You will see them in the dry shade of mature deciduous trees. The photo shows cyclamens in the grounds of the Chateau de Chenonceau.

 

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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 Rob

 In April I had the pleasure of working with Rob, his wife, her sister and brother in law. They were always ready for a laugh and tremendous fun to guide. We visited the Chateau of Chenonceau together. Here is what Rob had to say:

"Absolutely wonderful tour. Susan is extremely knowledgeable and fun to spend time with."

To learn more visit our website www.tourtheloire.com.

What is the Significance of the Carrot in the Loire Valley?

That's not the vegetable we are talking about, but a piece of French cultural heritage. Our clients are often shocked by how many French people smoke, and the carrot in question is connected to smoking. Everywhere you go you will see a distinctive orange diamond shaped sign above newsagents or bars that tells you that they sell tobacco. It is known as 'la carotte'.

The origin of the shape of the sign comes from how tobacco was sold in the 16th century. In those days tobacco was sold as leaves that you chewed or smoked. The leaves were not attached to their stalks, but in rolls that were wrapped in calico and tightly wound round with string in a way that made them resemble carrots. In order to use the tobacco one grated the 'carrot'. Later, the form changed to cigars and cigarettes, but the carrot symbol for shops stuck.

If you enjoy snippets of history like this then book a tour with us. We have dozens of fun and intriguing stories like this to share with clients.

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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.