Saturday 26 March 2016

Sunflower Season

Many clients tell us that one of their hopes for their day in the Loire Valley is to see fields of golden sunflowers. They've usually been told that July is the season for the glorious sunflower fields stretching to the horizon. This is true, but not for the first week of July, and occasionally we get someone who has booked just that little bit early, only to be disappointed.


But for anyone who books for the last 3 weeks of July or the first week of August, the sunflowers will be out and proud!

If you want to see the sunflowers in all their glory, email us and let us design a tour that meanders from chateau to chateau through sunlit yellow fields.

Friday 18 March 2016

Unexpected Luxuries

When our cars Claudette and Celestine were designed, it was the middle of the Great Depression, and when they were built it was the era of post-World War Two austerity.

But these are not budget cars. They were designed for professional people to use day in, day out. Doctors, bankers, the police (and gangsters) all relied on their great road handling and reliability. And once all the day to day stuff was sorted, you could fill the back seat with children and leave on vacation.

This is why we really like the Citroën Traction Avant as a car to tour in: the back seat leg room is enormous, easily big enough to have (in days of a maybe less enlightened past) three or four children running around. These days, it easily accommmodates people way over 6' tall, a rare feat for a car so old.

If you would like to tour the Loire Valley in style and comfort, contact us, and let us help you plan your perfect day of chateaux, food, and wine.

Tuesday 1 March 2016

The Varied Loire Valley

When they think of the Loire Valley most people immediately think of chateaux. That is understandable, because it is what the area has become most famous for.

There are a million and one other reasons for visiting the Loire Valley. There are many prehistoric sites in the area: stone circles, burial sites and standing stones.  The Romans were here and left traces which are still visible, and some of these became the foundations for what are now the medieval and renaissance monuments your friends first thought of. Once you look past the monuments, you will notice that the local towns and villages are just as old. The streets of Tours still show the influence of the Roman town, and many of the villages still have their medieval street patterns and buildings.

The Mysterious Roman Monument "The Pile of Cinq Mars."
 And then there is the food and wine, justifiably famous across France and the rest of the world for its quality and sense of tradition.

Email us, tell us what interests you, and we will work hard to may your stay in the Loire Valley your special holiday.