Round and Round in the Loire Valley

One of the things some visitors to France comment on is just how many trafffic roundabouts there are in France. And they are not wrong. The statistics bear this out and show that France is a world leader in roundabouts. 

What could be more fun than going round a few in the Loire Valley with us in our classic Citroens? This one in the photo is near the Chateau of Chenonceau and has a piece of an historic modular bridge in the centre. The bridge was erected to replace one over the Cher that was destroyed in the Second World War, and only replaced by a modern permanent bridge a few years ago!

Souvenir Idea From the Loire Valley

Souvenir idea, for if you have a bit of room in your suitcase. Duralex glasses.

 

Duralex Picardie café and canteen glasses.

Some of you may know about Duralex drinking glasses. They are an icon of French cafés and canteens, and once you know them you will see them everywhere in France. A few of you may also know the company, based in Loiret, which manufactures them, came very close to closing last year. The French public was aghast! Luckily a deal was brokered whereby the local municipality bought the factory buildings and a workers cooperative took over the ownership of the business. So you can still buy Duralex tumblers and café glasses. Hurrah!

 

If you want to take home a souvenir of something that is truly French, take home a box of six Duralex glasses. They will cost about 10 euros. You can find them easily in supermarkets, kitchen supply shops and homeware stores, or vintage second hand ones at flea markets, brocantes, depot ventes or vide greniers. Talk to us if you would like to go to a second hand market or shop and we can work together to include this in your tour.

Refreshed, Protected and Conserved Interiors in the Loire Valley Chateaux

Because the Loire Valley chateaux receive a steady stream of visitors, ranging from a couple of hundred thousand a year to over a million, it is inevitable that interiors need refreshing from time to time. After all, these places are hundreds of years old, and were never built to take these sorts of visitor numbers. In order not to disrupt the peak tourist season, renovations tend to be undertaken in late winter or early spring, which is when there are the fewest visitors. The Chateau of Cheverny, for example, has been restoring the parquet floor in their high status rooms over the past couple of years. These gorgeous honey coloured oak floors in the Versailles pattern now look beautiful, and the Chateau has enhanced them with a new specially commissioned drugget in the Arms Room. And we are here to talk to you about what a drugget is* and how or why they are used. Our background is heritage conservation, including the protection and care of historic interiors, so this is definitely something we will be presenting as part of your tour.

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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. 

 

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*A drugget is a modern sacrificial carpet, usually a long neutral coloured strip, which is laid on an original historic floor along the visitor route, in order to protect the more important floor underneath. Because it only covers the areas exposed to wear it allows visitors to see the original without them being put at risk, and without creating a visual distraction.

Eating Seasonally in the Loire Valley

One of the fun aspects of French cuisine is its insistence on seasonality. So it's strictly asparagus in May, melons in July. Even things like cheeses and meats have a certain seasonality, and although are available all year, are considered to have seasonal peaks when they are best to eat. And trust us, it is worth waiting for fresh ingredients to be at their peak. It's one of the many things you will learn when you tour with us -- what is good today, and what you should choose off the menu or at the market, based on the season and our regular discussions with our local producers. The photo shows melons at a village market, grown by our favourite producer and sold direct to the public by them. Trust us, these are the best melons you will ever taste!

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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.