Sunday 27 August 2023

Wine Cellars in the Loire Valley

Wine cellars in the Loire Valley are often underground, in troglodyte caves. We finish most of our chauffeured tours with a visit to a wine cellar. So what are you waiting for? Book a tour!!

Wine cellar, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.


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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. 

Sunday 20 August 2023

Fossils in the Loire Valley

The Loire Valley is the remnant of an ancient tropical sea, hence all the limestone, which is formed by all the remains of sea creatures over millenia. It also means there are fossils everywhere -- in the rock used for the famous chateaux, but also loose in the soil in vineyards and vegetable gardens. Most vineyards have an impressive collection of fossils, picked up over the years from under the vines. If you are a fossil fancier why not join us for a tour that includes a winery? Don't forget to check the earth at the edge of the vineyards and fields. You never know what you will find.

Fossils, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.


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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. 

Sunday 13 August 2023

What is the Cuisine of the Loire Valley?

Recently a client asked me what French cuisine was. We'd just observed that there are Italian restaurants everywhere in the Western World. Despite the reputation of French cuisine as being the height of perfection (that's how the UNESCO World Intangible Heritage listing describes it), French cuisine is not so universally available or loved at a grassroots level.

There seems to be a lot of misconceptions about French cuisine, so why not book a tour with us and learn what the Loire Valley contributes to this famous aspect of French life. It won't be nearly so full of butter as you might think... 

Baby eating a raw leek, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.
Leeks are the favourite vegetable of many French people, and it seems French babies start early...


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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. 

Sunday 6 August 2023

Winter Conservation Cleaning in the Loire Valley Chateaux

Winter is a great time to visit the Loire Valley chateaux, especially if you are interested in the behind the scenes work of maintaining and presenting a heritage building to the public. Winter time is when the tapestries get cleaned, for example, and the conservators doing the work are very happy to talk to visitors about their job. If you book a tour with us we will always make sure you get to see this type of work being done. 

Conservation cleaning a tapestry in the Chateau Royal d'Amboise, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.
Conservators vacuuming a 17th century tapestry in the Chateau Royal d'Amboise.



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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.