Gardens in the Loire Valley

One of the big attractions to visiting the Loire region are the many gardens. I already wrote about Villandry recently which is fairly well known as far as gardens go in the Loire. But, our guy Sebastien was doing some 'recon' for our cycling and hiking tours last weekend and he sent some photos of another garden stop that is much less known; the Chateau de la Chatonniere. http://www.lachatonniere.com/en/jardins/ We had several large cycling groups travel on the 'Garden Theme' this year and they all loved this little stop. As noted on their website, this is a closely guarded secret!

"The Castle of La Chatonnière is built on the site of a troglodytic village with stables and an underground church. La Chatonnière was originally a stronghold on the old Roman road, the one which in the Middle Ages, Joan of Arc was to take. The four towers at each corner of the castle are strong reminders of the Hundred Years War and the wars of religion. Later the manor became a country house with land stretching between Azay-le-Rideau and the river Loire. During the 19th century La Chatonnière had many owners and the estate flourished while the land fell into disuse. The gardens shrank and the vale became overgrown with trees and undergrowth. In 1955 a family discovered this secret jem and set about restoring the gardens and bringing them back to their former glory."

Please see the website link above for more of this fascinating site! Our 2010 tours are in some cases being slightly reworked so we can include this stop on more of the itineraries.

Wine & Lavender in Provence

Another client submittal here in this blog; it makes fun reading I think for a good traveler perspective. Some nice pictures also. What I like about this customer's writing and photos is that she/they are clearly exploring and taking advantage of the freedom that self-guided travel offers. We include suggestions for visits in our route notes, but not everyone takes advantage the same way; these people are getting into it! These travelers are also finding their own sites. They are meeting locals and checking out the customs. Way to go!!

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FROM Cyndi Lehr:



Vineyards and Lavender: Bike Trip:7 Nights, June 2009



My Husband and I can’t say enough positive about our recent Discover France/Pure Adventures Bike Trip through Provence. Really, to me, the best part was riding the scenic and secluded routes --- the scenery and aroma of lavender were awesome. There were so many opportunities to stop to taste, see and enjoy.

I have written a bit and included some photos of some of our more off the path/but highly recommended stops:

Day 1: Arrival in Villeneuves Les Avignon:

There is so much to see and do (Abbey of St. Andre, Le Forte St. Andre, Chartreuse Pontificale), but don’t miss a delightful tour and tasting of olive oil at Moulin de la Chartreuse (http://www.moulindelachartreuse.com/) located right on the main street.
We love the Hotel L’Atelier, great service. The maps for the bike trip were excellent and we highly recommend upgrading to have the GPS as well.

Itinerary 1: Villenueve Les Avignon to Chateaneuf-du-Pape:

We had a delightful stop at Domaine d’ Aiguilhon, (http://www.vins-de-vignerons.com/vins_par_producteurs/domaine_d-aiguilhon-c-5_22.html) where the proprietor personally gave us a tour of the winemaking process and then to the tasting room. The proprietor greeted us and immediately cut a bouquet of lavender for Lori. This was our first and maybe the best wine stop, an unforgettable experience … fun and great wine. Look for the sign, and take a left at the intersection leading towards the estate. On Itinerary 1: it is after the cimetiere (line 8) and around 6.0 km.

Day 3: Chateanuef-du-Pape to Rochegude:

Our first stop was at the Market in Orange. We shopped and compiled a delicious market lunch.

Itinerary 4: Grignan Loop:

An absolutely fabulous day: the sights, smells and tastes of Provence were beautifully demonstrated with: The Cheese Museum, The Goat Farm and the most fabulous seafood lunch in La Garde-Ademar at Les Terrisols:
Ø The Cheese Museum: (East Bompard 26230 Roussass 0475985108)

See the sign from the road, lovely Mamie Eglantine took time with us to taste her cheeses and jams. You can also browse her collection of artifacts in The Cheese Museum.

Ø The Goat Farm: Just down the road from the Cheese Museum, we saw another sign for Goat Cheese. We parked our bikes and entered the shop. The shopkeeper (who is the mother-in-law of the owner/farmer) gave us a tour of the farm, including their prize pig, Carmen. We saw how they milk the goats. All the goats were so friendly and wanting to be petted. Then of course we sampled some cheese in the shop.

Ø Le Tisonnier, La Garde Adhemar: (http://www.ruba.com/review/RedBalloonTravel/Le_Tisonnier ) This beautiful village certainly deserves it’s designation as one of the 100 most beautiful villages in France. A little off the center of the village, we discovered this great lunch spot. We sat down and were immediately served a carafe of wine. With no menu, Camille –the owner and server, came to our table and explained all the choices. The fish was superb and the atmosphere even better – very fun lunch.

Itinerary 5: Gringan to Vaison-La-Romaine:

Snails: Les Escargots de l’Enclave (http://lesescargotsdelenclave.over-blog.com/ ) Biking along we saw a trail of signs leading us to this Snail Farm. Even though it was closed on Sunday, the owner Clavel, welcomed us. We received a tour and she told us everything we would want to know about snails. Interesting and very different. You can taste when the restaurant is open, or there are products to buy.

Itinerary 6: Vaison-La Romain to Bedoin:

Plan time to sample some of the best wine in Gigondas, we loved:
Ø Domaine Saint Gayan: our bike bags were heavy due to many purchases of this delicious wine.

Ø Domaine St. Francis Xavier: the tasting room was the garage, a real “garagiste”

Customer Stories & Photos

A client Adam Pomerantz traveled with his wife Jessie this summer on our Provence Classic 7 Night Tour and sent some photos and journal comments back; we are sharing for fun and of course with their permission:

"Day four (also our four year anniversary) was the best day so far. After the super fast (and super smelly) train ride, we took a taxi to our hotel across the river from Avignon. This place is literally like something out of our imaginations. The cobblestoned streets twist and turn, and there isn't a cloud in the sky. The temperature is perfect, but the wind may blow even Adam off his bike.

Once we unloaded at the hotel we found a beautiful square to eat lunch. The waiter was extremely friendly and humored Adam as he attempted to converse in French. We spent a good two hours eating our salads and a crafe of wine (only 4.50 euros!) before we hiked up to this abbey that overlooks the town. It was built in 999, and the gardens were awesome.
We then had to head back to the hotel for bike orientation. A guy named Tom gave us our bikes and spent a good deal of time reviewing our information packets (if we get lost on this bike trip we're complete idiots).

After chatting with Tom we spent some time reading in the courtyard. Then my very thoughtful husband surprised me with an anniversary cake like we get every year from Whole Foods. This cake was one of the best cakes ever.

After cake we headed to dinner (this was one of the dinners included in the bike tour). All we had to do was show up and eat. The first course was squid with veggies. I'm not a big squid fan, but I gave it a good try. I then had the tuna and Adam had the beef. Dessert was strawberries with a little strawberry sorbet. Again our meal lasted more than two hours.

After dinner we hit the sack to prepare for our first day on bikes. The wind doesn't look as wild today so it should be a fun ride.
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By now we've been on vacation for a few days and I can't remember exactly how many.

This morning we woke up to a construction crew working outside of our window. Not too much of a problem since we had to eat and then get our bags packed for our first day on les velos.

My concern was that we would go through nice countryside but it wouldn't be that different from where we ride in Chapel Hill. After seeing our third chapel that was built in the 900's, our second middle ages city and the 2000 year old Roman aqueducts (Pont du Gard) my fears were quashed. There was a strong wind the entire day but we took our time and wondered through the countryside. The tour company has us on small roads for most of the time, so small that I thought they were bike paths...until cars rolled through. Riding bikes was the way to go.

This afternoon we arrived in Uzes which is a small town with a ring road surrounding a cobbled town. The streets almost have a Disney World feel to them but this is the real thing that Disney is trying to emulate. We walked around a bit, grabbed some gelatto and few drinks on the town square after we checked in. Eventually we made it back to our room and headed to dinner at our hotel. The entire dining room was 7 tables, the innkeeper was our waiter and there was one chef. Four courses plus a few other goodies later we're feeling fairly satisfied. The French know how to put together a good dining experience. Now it's time for a walk and then bed.

A couple of thoughts on France thus far...

The roads are really small. I mean REALLY small.

The wind in Provence is strong.

We need a change purse for all of the 1 and 2 euro coins.

Jessie and I can burn through euros faster than I ever thought.

Bread and baked good are really cheap. Bagettes are 0.90 euros and the cake I got jessie that would have been at least $20 at Whole Foods was 3 euros.

Vin de pays is also cheap."
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Villandry - A Garden Masterpiece in the Loire Valley

Villandry is one of the most famous gardens in all of France; and it happens to be a favorite stop for our cycling and hiking tour clients to the Loire Valley. I have been on several occasions and with groups and it never disappoints. You don't have to be a little old English lady into to gardens to appreciate. For example, I imagine the maze games from childhood and the little monsters of fairy tales that lurk about (Alice in Wonderland?) in those labyrinths of passageways. Pictures tell a thousand words, so included here and on our Facebook Fan Page are some photos taken by Seb, our Loire Valley tour manager. Here is a bit of what you can read on Wikipedia too for official Villandry info:

The Château de Villandry is a castle-palace located in Villandry, in the département of Indre-et-Loire, France.

The lands where an ancient fortress once stood were known as Colombier until the 17th century. Acquired in the early 16th century by Jean Le Breton, France's Controller-General for War under King Francis I, a new château was constructed around the original 14th-century keep where King Philip II of France once met Richard I of England to discuss peace.

The château remained in the Le Breton family for more than two centuries until it was acquired by the Marquis de Castellane. During the French Revolution the property was confiscated and in the early 19th century Emperor Napoleon acquired it for his brother Joseph Bonaparte.

In 1906,Joachim Carvallo purchased the property and poured an enormous amount of time, money and devotion into repairing it and creating what many consider to be the most beautiful gardens anywhere. Its famous Renaissance gardens include a water garden, ornamental flower gardens, and vegetable gardens. The gardens are laid out in formal patterns created with low box hedges. In 1934, Château de Villandry was designated a Monument historique. Like all the other châteaux of the Loire Valley, it is a World Heritage Site.

Still owned by the Carvallo family, the Château de Villandry is open to the public and is one of the most visited châteaux in France.

Official Website: http://www.chateauvillandry.com/

France Expeditions 2010 or 2011

We are toying with the idea of some long distance, long duration 'expedition' type tours in France for 2010. Already, we have announced our Pyrenees Crossing tour which is being considered by National Geographic as a best trip for 2010. That tour is challenging with mountain riding. So, we are interested in gauging the interest for something like a 2-3 week tour that traverses the country from North to South or even circumnavigates the perimeter of the hexagon. People could sign up for a week's worth, 2 weeks, worth, or do the whole thing. A circumnavigation would probably take 4 weeks however. We have already some routes and with as few as 6 persons throughout at any time we can make it go. Comments posted on the blog would be a great place to start or send an email to contact@discoverfrance.com