Blanca & Ian's Travels France Photo Report - 1999
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This trip was a mix of business & pleasure. I work for a distributor of several French consumer electronics products & this was a 'factory tour' trip with a vacation thrown in.
The Loire Valley part of this trip was for some R & R. We took the TGV from Gare Montparnesse to Tour - St Pierre des Corps. Avis supplied the car - a rental thru AutoEurope. Driving was a breeze. |
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The Loire Valley
Château de Chissay http://www.chateaudechissay.com/ Located in a small village southeast of Chenonceau & about a mile from Montrichard. The hotel is in an old château steeped with history, of course. Charles VII, Louis XI & Charles de Gaulle (who only thought he was a king) have visited or stayed over the years. Staying in a château makes you feel like royalty somehow. You start gesturing at people & speak only with the 'royal' we. Not really, but it is très cool. Both nights, just after dusk, an owl loudly swooped & howled around outside our window. Pretty eerie. I also managed to scare up some deer on an early morning walk on the path above the château. Accommodations: We had a large room which looked to the courtyard behind the hotel. Nice 'period' furniture & a modern bathroom in the turret! The stone walls were covered in fabric. Restaurant: The château's restaurant is highly rated & was very good. We also had dinner in a good restaurant in nearby Montichard that was suggested by a friend. Trois Soeur or something about 3 Sisters was the name . . . The Negatives: None. It was spectacular. The Positives: A big room with atmosphere. You can live like a King for a day or two. Nearby: Chissay is a tiny village with only one 'family' restaurant. Nearby Montrichard is a small town with several choices. The Cher River bisects Montrichard with the old town on the north bank. Caves Monmousseau has wine caves & a store in the west end of the town. Their Vouvray is very good & worth aging. |
Loire Images
Splurge & stay in a château if you go to this peaceful area. Driving around the area is easy & château hopping is fun . . . to a point. We went to Chenonceau first, which was a bit of a mistake. Save it for last . . . The area is also dotted with wineries, many of which receive visitors for simple tours & tastings. |