A small village in the Touraine Loire Valley, traversed in a Traction Avant. This could be you on a tour with us.
The Touraine Loire Valley is famous for its walnuts (Fr. les noix), although it does not hold an AOC for them as some other regions do. Still, there is a walnut tree in almost every field and along roadsides. There is no real need to possess your own walnut to secure a year round supply – just go for a walk in October and pick them up off the ground – everyone does it. If you like to know about trees or are interested in the lesser known detail of culinary traditions, book a tour with us. We can give you all sorts of fascinating insights into walnuts.
Are you reasonably fit and active and can walk 10 kilometres in a morning? Would you rather have a half day walking along a river bank, along a valley then up the valley sides learning about World War II history, seeing a tower built by Richard the Lionheart, a picturesque church and some troglodyte caves than spending hours in a chateau looking a rich people's furniture? Let us know and we will take you to see Saint Rémy sur Creuse. I hope you are ready to do a bit of steep climbing (but not too much...). Or we can walk through the vineyards and troglodyte caves at Souzay-Champigny. It's your choice.
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| This church can be reached by a lovely walk along the river and up on to the plateau beyond. |
Everywhere you go in the Loire Valley was touched by the Second World War but it can be almost impossible to find the traces unless you are with an experienced local guide. For example, if you visit Loches, you need to look up at certain buildings. You will see the ricochet marks of bullets at attic window level, but they would be easy to miss without someone who knows which buildings and what those pock marks in the stone are. You will not read it in any tourist literature.
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| If you look carefully you can see bullet ricochet marks in the old town gate (under the clock). |
To enquire about our private guided tours of chateaux, wineries, markets and more email us or use our contact form. More tour ideas can be found on the Loire Valley Time Travel website. If you would like an idea of how your tour might look and sound, please check out our YouTube channel.
The City of Tours, and smaller towns like Amboise, Azay le Rideau, Chinon, Blois and Loches have a nice selection of independent boutiques selling fashion (new and second-hand), lingerie, fashion accessories, leather goods, household linen, kitchenware, jewellery, cosmetics, wine, cheese, baked goods, art, antiques and flowers. If you would like to spend a half day shopping for unique gifts and souvenirs just let us know and we can plan an itinerary for you.
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| Second-hand clothing boutique. |
Visit the Chateau Royal of Amboise with us in a 1953 Citroen. It is one of the most famous of the Loire Valley chateau, and steeped in history. We show you just a few highlights of what the chateau has to offer, focusing on the lovely grounds.
We are working with the chateau to develop an exclusive visit using our cars, finishing with aperatif on the terrace.
To enquire about our private guided tours of chateaux, wineries, markets and more email us or use our contact form. More tour ideas can be found on the Loire Valley Time Travel website. If you would like an idea of how your tour might look and sound, please check out our YouTube channel.You might not think door nails are very interesting, but you'd be wrong. Check out our 2 minute video on the subject. If you take a tour with us, this is the sort of fascinating trivia you will learn (and be able to impress your friends with later). We touch on the big stuff too, of course, but we like to make your tour fun and unique.
To enquire about our private guided tours of chateaux, wineries, markets and more email us or use our contact form. More tour ideas can be found on the Loire Valley Time Travel website.
One of the jobs we find ourselves doing from time to time doesn't involve traditional visits to chateaux and wineries, and quite often the client isn't even present. Sometimes we are contacted by authors who are in the early stages of writing a book set in the Loire Valley. Our local knowledge of the geography, properties and history is invaluable in helping writers piece together plausible stories. We find that the period that seems to fascinate authors is the Second World War, and our own interest in this rather hidden history means that we can often help where others could not.
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| Refugees from Paris in June 1940 heading for Bordeaux and overnighting at a farm near where we live. |
If you are an author and would like someone on the ground who can answer your questions about the Loire Valley please get in touch.We understand that discretion and confidentiality are important to authors, particularly in the early stages of researching a new book.