We’ve been here in Tours since Saturday afternoon, but the time has flown by. Tours is beautiful, with many VERY old and noteworthy buildings, including a magnificent cathedral:

But Tours is also in the heart of the Loire valley, which is absolutely encrusted with châteaux and blanketed with vineyards, two of my very favorite things.

Yesterday (Monday) I met up with friends, Dany and Francis, who took me to Vouvray for a tour of les caves and some wine-tasting. David stayed back to relax a bit and give me a chance to speak French without the need to translate for him. Since we went early in the afternoon we had a private tour (in French with the occasional English translation for wine-making terms I didn’t know). Les caves were carved out of the limestone cliffs, so double-bonus: beautiful châteaux and other buildings, plus dark, cool space to make wine! 

Today David came along to Chinon for another cave tour and tasting (also turned out to be private, since we were so early — 10 a.m. this time. Rise and shine people! There’s wine to be tasted.)

The area, including the château was under English control for a while, but the woman giving us the Chinon wine tour said, “Heureusement, Jeanne d’Arc est arrivée . . . ” (Fortunately Joan of Arc arrived . . .) “sinon nous boirions du thé et mangions de la viande bouillie!” ( otherwise, we would be drinking tea and eating boiled meat!)

Then to lunch here (where neither tea nor boiled meat was offered). Super cute à l’intérieur but it was such a gorgeous day we chose to eat à l’extérieur. 

Then a walk around town to peak at another château and take more photos.

Another fabulous day with friends. 

Merci beaucoup, Dany et Francis!

Alors, le premier séjour à La Rochelle est terminé. (Well, the first sojourn in La Rochelle has come to an end.) We picked up the rental car Saturday morning, said au revoir to Jacky and Pascale, drove back to the house to load up, and hit the road. Before I close that chapter, one last image of fun in La Rochelle, courtesy of Pascale:

Then we were off to Tours, where I had stayed with a couple–my “host family”–during a week of intensive French classes a couple of years ago. Just a bit more than two hours away, but it has a totally different look:

I found a great apartment to rent for a few nights. It’s part of the former cloisters of Saint Martin.

Our apartment is directly above where I was standing to take this photo. Bonus points: Where’s David?

And an extra ten bonus points: Where’s Sunny? Taken up in the loft bedroom of the apartment.

Did our usually strolling, then got in the car looking for some wine to taste, but alas les caves (remember, say cahv) were closed on Sunday, so drove to Amboise instead and had a look around.

The château that still stands is seriously impressive, but is merely a fraction of the original. Lots of beautiful details like this:

This is over the door to the Chapel of Saint-Hubert, where Leonardo da Vinci is buried:

A few folks looking ready for a masquerade ball were wandering around to add some authentic flavor.

Just one of the gazillion châteaux of the Loire Valley.

The beauty here in France is almost staggering sometimes, and we were fortunate enough to have a gorgeous day in which to appreciate it. Not a bad way to ease the temporary parting from La Rochelle and our La Rochelle friends!

I had to set an alarm to be ready early enough for this jam-packed day, but was it ever worth it — absolutely perfect weather, gorgeous scenery, minimal crowds, delicious food and wine, and of course lots of laughs with our fun friends, Jacky and Pascale.

They picked us up at 8:30 a.m. and took us first to see Brouage . . .

. . . a 16th century citadel that used to be on the coast, but now, where the sea used to be:

I had the wrong lens on to get the full shot of this, but be sure to note more than the pretty stone. The board with the holes . . . that’s the far end of an eight-seater toilette. Yes, EIGHT. Awkward. Lots of cobwebs, so apparently NOT still in use.

After a walk around the perimeter and a stroll through the village, which apparently had not really ramped up for tourist season, we got back in the car and headed to Fouras to catch the ferry to Ile d’Aix (pronounced eel dex).

First order of business, find a bit of shade pour le pique-nique.

Then a stroll (with photo stops) around the island. Do you think I have enough bags and cases to juggle while I snap photos and change lenses? My fab hat did come in handy, though. (These two photos by Jacky)

And for all of you playing “Where’s David?” . . . .

Super photogenic place:

Eventually, of course, we had to head back, and although we managed to score great seats on the ferry for the return trip . . .

Malheureusement (unfortunately), they were  not on this boat!

One of the great little parks in La Rochelle is the Parc Animalier, a completely free tiny zoo. Look who lives there:

This mini-zoo is sort of a bonus tacked onto the corner of the main green space of La Rochelle. Parc Charruyer is enormous, running all along the edge of the centre ville of La Rochelle, all the way to la mer.

It’s big enough that you can choose your experience, a wide paved walkway, lined with benches, that you’ll share with cyclists, dog-walkers, and parents pushing strollers. Or a rockier path down closer to the stream, that you’ll share with the occasional runner . . . 

And these guys:

But on either side, on the far edges, the Wildwood awaits. If you choose either of two narrow hiking paths tucked into the woods, one by a tiny creek, and one on the far side of the stream, you’ll share it with . . . uh . . . who knows . . . . I save those for when I’m with David.

These aren’t the only parks in La Rochelle, but they’re certainly my favorites. Genuine treasures, they’re free to anyone, including this guy, heading in as we were heading out:

Au revoir, monsieur. Bonne après-midi.