It is getting harder to blog these trips, but this one needs to be recorded. It is either a) another great adventure, b) my last great adventure, c) a suicide mission, or d) a search for a new place to reside.
Saint Valery en Caux
The flight was long and blah. I landed at Charles de Gaulle airport just before 2 pm local time. Picking up the rental car was a breeze. It is a lease of a brand new Renault Clio. A bit small but I will not be driving that long on any given day, I hope. The GPS seemed easy enough, and I rejected the first suggestion, A1 thru Paris. After two tries on the alternate route (back roads) it was trying to make me turn where there was no road, I checked with Google Maps. Same suggestion, I was too groggy from the flight to argue, so I took A1 thru Paris, (loads of traffic) and headed north. Two hours and lots of road construction later, I finally got off the main highway in Normandie. The countryside was beautiful and the villages were charming. Trees were blooming and flowers were everywhere. Most of the buildings were masonry and half-timbered. The farm buildings were stone. A half-hour later I rolled into the tiny commune of St Valery en Caux (pronounced ko). Hotel de Bains is right on the main square and very nice (~ $100 a night). No elevator, so the big suitcase stayed in the car and I lived out of my carry-on. The room was small but charming, with a balcony looking out over the town square. Dinner at the hotel was a gallon pot of mussels, a bottle of white wine, a cheese plate, and a shot of calvados, $42. I am starting to like this place.
The main square is normally a parking lot, but on Fridays, it becomes the weekly market. Some 2nd hand stuff, clothing, beautiful veggies, charcuterie, and an amazing proliferation of cheeses. Breakfast at the hotel was coffee, croissant, tartine, and OJ, $10. And it was warm enough to sit outside! One vendor had a 4 ft diameter pan of paella! I had planned on doing very little on the first day, while I adjusted to the time change. I wandered the market some more, checked out the yacht basin, and then did the seawall walk. It was very nice. After a brief nap, I stopped at a seafood market and had 6 oysters and a glass of wine, for $10. And then I had another round. Dinner was at Brasserie St Val. Normandie is the only department in France that does not have any vineyards. Apples are the big thing, cider (cidre) and calvados. So dinner was .75 L of cider, a fish terrine, and cassolette a la Dieppe, $36. Cassolette a la Dieppe has two kinds of fish, mussels, oysters, and mushrooms in a lobster sauce, yummm. There is not much English spoken here, just the young man who checked me into the hotel. My restaurant French is good enough to eat well, but I have to guess at whatever the waiter says.
I started the new day at a new bakery. The plain croissant and the chocolate croissant were to die for, but the coffee tasted like it had already died. At $5 for the lot, I should not complain. I drove over to Dieppe to see “the prettiest market in France, 2 km long.” Google couldn’t find it, the car GPS couldn’t find it, and wandering aimlessly couldn’t find it. So I visited the Dieppe Chateau, a one-time fort and now museum up on the hill overlooking the beach and town. My cane got me in for free (such a useful accessory). There were some important names among the impressionist paintings (Pissarro). Not wanting to drive thru the very narrow streets of Dieppe, I decided to hug the coast on the way back to St Valery. It was as beautiful a drive as I have ever seen. The views of the cliffs, they call it the Alabaster Coast, go on for 130 km. The villages, Quiberville sur Mer, and Veules les Roses, were so cute they seemed artificial. The weather was perfect, sunny, and low 70s. A stop for cider followed by a mid-afternoon nap made for a perfect day. Dinner was at La Cave de St Val. I always wanted to try Charolais beef and they had it. Charolais are huge cows and the steak was huge but thin, cooked perfectly with a very nice salad and real fries (unpeeled and not frozen). With .5 L of wine, $32.
Sunday was another perfect day. I headed south to see some ancient abbeys. I can’t get over how picture-perfect the countryside is. The rapeseed was in full bloom, the trees were leafing out, and not a scrap of trash in sight. Eventually, I came to a free ferry and crossed the Seine to Jumieges. Both my phone and the car GPS went on break. When they came back, I found the abbey, built in 650, destroyed by the Vikings in the 9th century, rebuilt in 1067, and destroyed during the French Revolution. Most of the walls are still standing and it was a delight to wander thru it. Across the street was Le Petite Auberge. At lunch, you had to order the Price Fixe. I had ceviche, the fish of the day (perfectly poached), and creme brulee, with cider and an espresso; $25. Every course was worth more than that, the best meal so far. After lunch, I stopped at the Abbey of St George de Boscherville. The church was intact and still being used. The monastery is mostly gone but the grounds are quite nice. Once I got back to St Valery I discovered the downside of staying in a small town, almost all the restaurants were closed. I wound up eating at the hotel next door, mussels and a nice rose wine.
The only thing I could come up with for Monday was to visit Roen which did not seem that exciting and the weather forecast was rainy and blustery. The hotel restaurant was closed to boot. So I did what retired people do best, nothing. The sun came out about noon so I went looking for lunch. By the time I got from my room to the front door, it was raining. I scurried across the plaza to the Hotel de Poste. Deviled eggs and veal scaloppini in a mushroom cream sauce, salad, fries, 2 glasses of wine, and coffee, $22. I stopped at the local grocery and picked up a.75L bottle of cider, $4. By evening I had a touch of tourista, so I skipped dinner. A completely blah day.
Bayeux
On Tuesday I checked out and they asked me to pay for the room. It turns out, it was prepaid, we’ll see how long it takes me to straighten that out, ugh. I wanted to visit Fecamp as it is a big fishing port and the home of Benedictine liquor. The town was quite industrial and it was too cold and windy to wander the harbor. The next stop was Etretat, which has a magnificent sea arch that frames a natural limestone obelisk. Definitely worth the stop. The Pont de Normandie is one of the most majestic bridges in the world and crosses the Seine at Le Havre. Across the bridge is Honfleur, a charming village frequently painted by famous artists, Monet, Courbet, Bodin, et al. The old harbor is the focal point, lined with cafes on the west side. Probably impossibly crowded in the summer, but comfortably busy in April. After some picture-taking, I had a light lunch at a cafe and watched the people wandering by. My preferred hotel location is always in the heart of town, but the hotels in the heart of Bayeux had no parking or elevator. I stayed in an Ibis at the edge of town so I could deal with my big suitcase. Eventually, I drove into Bayeux for dinner. The heart of town is pedestrianized and has lots of brassieres, cafes, and restaurants. I settled in a place called La Table du Terroir and got the last table. I wanted something light but the Price Fixe hooked me. 9 Oysters to start, dorado and salad, and a crepe du Normandie (apples)with wine, $52 and yummy.
When in Bayeux, seeing the Bayeux tapestry is a must. Parking was an issue. After two passes thru the museum parking lot and circling a few blocks, I decided to wait in the parking lot for someone to leave. Pretty soon one of the cars parked on the sidewalk moved, so I parked in his place. It was a short walk to the museum and $15 for a ticket to the tapestry and also the history museum. The tapestry is 70M long, .5 M high, and tells the story of Willian, Duke of Normandie’s, conquest of England in 1066. It is 950 years old and truly impressive. I wanted to go to the Creperie across the street for lunch but it was closed. Eventually, I stumbled upon Acte2 for lunch. The starter was Camenber, apples, and lardons, wrapped in filo, then baked. It was the prettiest appetizer I had seen in a long time and tasted even better. The main dish was the fish du jour, perfectly poached and served over a quinoa salad. With a glass of cidre, $26, I may never go home! After lunch, I visited the cathedral and the history museum. By the time I got back to the car, I had a parking ticket, of course.
Thursday I was reminded of the benefits of sticking with plan A. Plan A was to drive to Falaise and see the castle where Willian the conqueror was born, and then take the back roads to Cancale. But then I saw a map of the “route de cidre”, and I love the local cider and I was in the Calvados region. So I headed down the back roads thru some super quaint villages, but no cider vendors were open. I got to Caen about 10:15 and thought “Why not visit the largest medieval castle in Europe? built in 1060.” Mt car GPS took me to a construction yard, but I wandered around and found the parking garage for the castle. I took a wrong turn coming out but eventually found the castle entrance, closed. The other entrance was halfway around, I ran out of steam before I even got there. After a rest, I headed back to the garage, but you could not go in the door I came out of. Eventually, I found the door, activated by my parking ticket, and returned to the car. By the time I exited the garage, I had wasted an hour. I continued towards Falaise, but the villages were not as charming, and still no cider or Calvados vendors were open.
Cancale
I arrived in Falaise about 12:30 and looked for lunch. Google Maps (with the restaurant reviews, had died. I played with the phone for a while but had no luck, it knew where I was but could not find anything. I walked around and settled on a very busy cafe (always a good sign.) The place was packed but the wait was just a few minutes. There were two waiters taking care of about 60 people. They were actually running, probably the most efficient waiters I ever watched, and very nice too. I had Le Menu; salad, duck sausage, creme brulee, and cidre, $24. After lunch, I went looking for the castle. The car GPS took me to a huge Chateau, wrong. It was a small town so I wandered until I found it. As I sat in the parking lot, I checked the time to drive to Cancale. The car GPS refused to show the route on the back roads and GoogleMaps was still dead. I picked Falaise because there was a nice backroad route. So I skipped the castle and drove 2 ½ hours on the freeway (ugh) to Cancale. I did get a good look at Mont St Michel on the way. My hotel, Le Querrien, was right on the seafront. Second floor again (American count 3rd floor) and no elevator. The host carried my bags up and the room was like a suite; $85 a night. Freeway driving really tires me out so I opted for the hotel for dinner. Seafood was the specialty and I had the platter for one. 3 oysters, 3 langoustines, 1 ⁄ 2 crab, 12 pink shrimp, 12 Welks, and a bowl of periwinkles. Washed down with a bottle of Muscadet. It was a bit of a splurge at $62 but worth it.
My hotel room is way bigger than my norm. A big sitting area with a coffee table, a beautiful view of the bay and the beach, the shower is big enough for 4 people and there is a separate tub. The only downside is the bathroom is one step down. The bar/dining room is quite grand and looks to the sea. Off-season rate $85. It clearly is a resort town. There are cafes, creperies, and brasseries, side by side lining the main street looking seaward. Elderly travel involves frequent days off and after yesterday, I needed one. I walked the seawall but not the jetty. At the end were massive oyster beds and about a dozen oyster stands. Pieces went from $5 to $12 a dozen, depending on size. They would shuck them and you would sit on the steps with your bottle of wine. The weather was overcast and windy, so I put that activity off until tomorrow. I stopped in a funky little place for lunch and grabbed a seat at the window. I started with 6 oysters and then had a piece of perfectly sauteed fish with rice and salad, 2 glasses of cidre; $25. Oddly, the cidre was served in a tea cup? As I wandered back for my nap, I noticed the shops definitely had resort prices, much higher than St Valery. I went out for dinner a bit early, nothing opened until 7 pm. I walked the seawall again, stopped at a place with live music, and had a lovely red wine, $5. Dinner was at C’est la Vie (I could not resist the name. ) I started with 7 welks and 7 pink shrimp, followed by sauteed mackerel and fries, with .5L red wine, $42. An idle, but delightful day.
So now I am in Brittany. The population is primarily Celtic people who have been here since before the Romans, 6th century BC. The British and French fought over it until the 16th century. They have their own language, Breton, which was outlawed until the 1980s but it is making a comeback. Some of the draws for me are; the rugged coastline, the extensive neolithic stones, and the oysters. And they serve cider in tea cups.
Saturday was beautifully sunny. I drove about a half hour to Dinan, a charming medieval town with cobbled streets. The parking was well signed and I soon was parked in the center of town. I walked down to the old 14th-century fort and clambered around for an hour, by which time I was completely spent. For some reason, I always forget my water when I do these things, sigh. Then I walked thru the pedestrianized old center with its narrow streets and half-timbered buildings. I stopped at a creperie on the main square for lunch. I ordered the crepe Breton, with egg, tomatoes, onions braised in cider, and andouille sausage, with a cup of cider. I was sort of in a corner with the sun shining on my face, facing the old Jacobean Theater, watching the crowd stroll by, and life seemed ideal. Eventually, I had to move, so I wandered some more little lanes and came to the basilica. I’m not that big on churches but this one was quite impressive, not huge but exquisitely decorated inside and out. A soloist was singing in the choir loft, which was perfect. Most of the town is on the hill but there is another part down on the river/estuary, which was more walking than I was up for. The car GPS decided the way back to Cancale was 4+ hours and 400+ km. It speaks British not American and doesn’t always communicate very well. Back in Cancale, I picked out a nice restaurant for dinner, with recent reviews, on Google. When I got there, it was for sale! Two places I tried were booked (Saturday night) so I settled on a small place with a nice table looking out at the water. The Chardonnay was excellent, the oysters were very good, and the sole was OK.
Sunday dawned cloudy and blustery. I piddled most of the morning, but when the clouds started to break, I went for a drive. I meandered along the coast, stopping to look out over the beaches. It is a very wild coastline and almost no one was there. When I got hungry I went back to Cancale to visit the oyster stands. A dozen oysters were $8 and a glass of wine was $3. I sat on the steps and got oyster juice all over myself. When you’re done, you just throw the shells over the seawall. The tides here are 12M and the shells just wash into the oyster beds.
Roscoff
Monday was a beautiful day for a drive, sunny and cool. I’m still not entirely comfortable with my British-speaking GPS, sometimes it asks me to turn where the road is closed. I skipped St Malo, I can’t see every medieval town. When you have a 40+ foot tide and the tide goes out, there are mud flats as far as the eye can see, and that was my view for the morning. I planned on lunch in Paimpol, but The streets were closed getting to the center, so I puttered a bit further north. My phone was having an off day, so I looked for something open. All I could find was a Creperie in a tiny village. I ordered a galette (savory crepe) and a salad. The galette came with salad, so I had lots of lettuce, but it was a nice lunch. I drove thru several small, darling towns and they are starting to have a Deja Vu feeling. My stay for a couple of days was at Roscoff, a ferry port, and I arrived just after 4 pm. My Hotel, Triton, was all I needed, a small room, lift, free parking, and a short walk to the town center. I went looking for dinner and picked Le Surcouf. There it happened, after 58 years, I had a bad meal in France. The entree was great, a salad with sardines. The main, monkfish, was overcooked and tasteless. The dessert, far Breton, was gummy. I complained and they argued. I complained some more and they took the coffee off the bill. Oh well, nothing is perfect.
Who would have expected a place like Roscoff to have an exotic garden? It was a short drive and the cloudy day probably kept the crowd in check. There was a $6 entry fee, an English map, and signs in French, Breton, and English telling the stories of the 19th-century botanists who sailed the world and started the garden. The garden was very well laid out and most of the plants had labels, in Latin. There were many specimens from Africa, Australia, and some from the Americas. I spent the better part of 2 hours there. Normally I eat breakfast and skip lunch, but lunch in the restaurants has been spectacular, so now I am skipping breakfast, just having coffee. I decided to try the top-rated bistro in town. The octopus starter was amazingly good, and tender. The French take on Ramen, with local shitake mushrooms, was not a success, no umami flavor and the soba noodles were overcooked, but it was interesting. I walked out to view the harbor and then back to visit the charming local church. The belfry in the steeple had a significant cantilever for medieval masonry. One of my favorite things is small local museums. Roscoff has one about “Onion Johnnies.” ApparentlyRoscoff is famous for its pink onions. In the early 19th century, local farmers started taking boats across to the UK to sell their onions door-to-door becoming known as “Onion Johnnies.” The exhibit was entirely in French and Breton, but I could take a picture with Google Translate and get a pretty decent translation of the signage. That evening, I went out for a galette with scallops, bacon, and salad washed down with cider.
Carnac
I headed west on Wednesday morning. Soon I came to my first megalithic standing stone, erected 5000 years ago and still standing. Brittany is famous for these and many predate Stonehenge. Finestre is the westernmost department in France and the name means “end of the land.” Driving along this deserted and rugged coast, it feels like the end of the earth. Eventually, I turned south in hopes of warmer and sunnier days. The sun, which had been in and out all morning, soon disappeared and the rain started. I got to Morgat, founded as a resort by the Peugeot brothers in the 1930s, on the “scenic” Crozon peninsula at about 1 pm and stopped for lunch. Backing into the parking spot, I touched the car behind me. Right away, this young dude was fussing at me. I gave him my best “what do you expect of an old lady” look and he went back into the restaurant. They seated me at the table next to him when I went in. Lunch was a cassolette du Mer and a lovely piece of skate wing, with cider; $20. Lunches are, clearly, the tastiest meal and the best value.
After lunch, I proceeded to Carnac (like Karnak in Egypt) and, shortly, the sun returned. On the way, I got a text from the hotel, that reception would not be open and giving me the code to the front door. The hotel was easy to find and my key was on the desk inside. Not a soul was around. After the great lunch, I was not very hungry and saw a Lidl supermarket nearby. Even a discount market like Lidl had beautiful produce, meats, and cheeses. I picked up a nice Grand Vin Bordeaux, a cheese spread with fine herbs, and some crackers for $7. Not a bad dinner, with a shot of calvados for dessert. The French don’t use screw caps on wine, but they have discovered artificial corks. Fake corks fit so tightly that I can’t pull them without a lever opener, so I used a knife to whittle out a third of it and then pulled the rest. Once pulled, it expands and you can’t put it in, even a tad. I’ll take screwtops any time.
Thursday was bright and sunny. I wandered thru town, stopped at the tourist office, and then visited the Pre-History Museum. The town center is quite charming and, like every other town center I’ve seen, immaculately clean. I’m not a church person, but I do admire the architecture and the peacefulness, Carnac’s was quite nice. Carnac has over 3000 standing megalithic stones, as well as tombs and dolmens (collective tombs). Most were erected 7000 years ago. Oddly they are grouped in neat rows of several hundred to a thousand. I took the little tourist train, and that gave me a pretty good orientation to the town and the main ancient sites. I will drive back and stop at some of the major sites. My energy level was low, so I went back to the room, finished my cheese, crackers, and wine, then took a nap. Dinner was at a little bistro which specialized in burgers. I don’t think I have had meat in two weeks. I ordered the Chevre burger, and the piece of Chevre was almost as big as the meat patty. Unfortunately, as the Chevre melted, the burger became too slippery to hold, so I finished it with a fork. When the waiter brought my coffee, he stumbled and spilled it everywhere, but managed to barely miss me, phew.
Friday I opted to explore the Quiberon peninsula which forms one side of the Gulf of Morbihan. This is a very narrow peninsula, used mainly as a summer resort. As I hugged the north coast, there were many scenic pull-offs to look at the wild and rocky coast. There wasn’t much else to see. The town was mostly closed up tho there was a ferry to Belle Ile. I got back to Carnac earlier than I expected, and the weather was good, so I explored the megaliths I roamed the largest site for an hour and made brief stops at a couple of other sites. The first scientific study of the stones was in the middle of the 19th century by a Scotsman. The state started buying up the stones to preserve them in 1830. That evening, I had dinner at Marie, the top-rated Creperie in town. The atmosphere was very nice with hand-hewn ceiling beams and stone walls. I had a crepe with half a dozen large scallops, leeks, and a cream sauce, followed by one flambeed with Grand Marnier for dessert.
Saturday was forecast to be rainy, Lonely Planet said the nearby town of Vannes was “not to be missed.” As I headed that way, the weather was pretty nice, so I detoured to Locmariaquer to see a few more ancient stones. There was a restored tomb and a standing stone that was 20M before it fell over and cracked. Afterwards, I proceeded to Vannes. The center was very narrow, all the parking lots were filled, the sidewalks were packed with people, I didn’t see anything interesting, and then it started to rain, pfft. On the way back, I stopped in Trinite-sur-Mer for lunch. As I sat down in a small waterfront brasserie, I noticed the couple at the next table had razor clams. I asked them how to say Razor clams in French and it is a word that translates as “knife.” Lunch was razor clams, with a little breading and broiled, and then mussels in a Roquefort cream sauce. The yacht basin there is amazing. There were over 1000 sailboats, including big open ocean racers with carbon fiber masts and sponsorships painted on the side. I realized the grocery store was closed on Sunday, so I bought a bottle of wine and some duck liver mousse for the next day. The Bordeaux I liked was on sale for $2 but the price of the mousse had gone up. The prices do bounce around a lot, so you need to pay attention. The produce was gorgeous, they were unpacking some of the fattest asparagus I had ever seen.
Sunday I drove to Pont Aven, a beautiful old mill town. There were several old buildings (once mills) straddling parts of the fast-moving river. The town was discovered by artists in the mid-19th century, and there are 60+ galleries throughout the town. The art in the windows I looked at was quite good. There was some kind of event happening, with music and flags. It started at the church and moved down to the harbor. Then there were speeches that sounded like politics. Not understanding the language can be a blessing. I circled around the gulf to have lunch at L’auberge de la Mer. It was an idyllic location, right on the water, I watched children frolicking, kiteboarders sailing and other people just taking their Sunday stroll. I had oysters, pan-seared fish, and a pavlova. Life can be so nice.
Chinon
On Monday I said goodbye to the Carnac area and headed to the Loire Valley. I made one last stop at three Dolmen tombs, in a secluded spot just off the road. One was still underground but the other two were partially restored It was a very nice setting and I had it to myself! There were two more close by, but the path to them looked like a swamp. The drive to the Loire Valley could have been more interesting. It is hard to get the car GPS to stay off the expressways. Also, it has a counting issue at the roundabouts. When it says to leave at the 3rd exit, do you count driveways or do not enter roads? Sometimes yes, sometimes no, it is best to look at the screen and/or the road signs. Don’t worry; if you mess up, just do a 360 at the next roundabout and try again. When I says prepare to turn right (or left) it can be 10 km before the turn. I rolled into Chinon just after 3pm. The Hotel de France was darling and right on the main square. I had a first-floor room with a balcony overlooking the square. The room had the best traveler’s aid since indoor plumbing; a heated towel rack. I don’t know anybody that heats their towels, but if you are doing laundry in the sink, a heated towel rack is wonderful. Public parking was about 50M away. Most restaurants were closed as it was Monday. I asked at the desk and tried their recommendation. It looked a little too la-de-da for my usual taste. I guess they didn’t like my looks either, the service was terrible. The foie gras was mediocre, the duck was overcooked, the house wine was blah, and dessert never came. I waited 30 minutes and got up. Of course, they did not really care.
Tuesday was bright and sunny. The breakfast buffet at the hotel was very nice, with many interesting choices. I started my tour by taking the elevator up to the Chateau. It is a huge, hulking thing looming over the town, it was started in the 12th century and has been reworked several times. I’m getting pretty good at clambering up and down stone spiral staircases with my cane. I drew the line at the 5 story clock tower. The exhibits were self-explanatory, and the grounds were very nice. After that I wandered the streets just soaking up the atmosphere, Lunch was at a wine cave, and it was all you could eat. It turned out to be all you could drink too. It started with a ham and cheese tart with a glass of white wine. Then; snail butter, pork rillets, salad, cassolette, chevre, 2 pitchers of red wine, dessert, and coffee, $25. Nap time! Late in the afternoon, the front desk called and said I would have to have breakfast in my room the next day, as I was the only guest that night. I certainly did not need dinner so I sat outside at another wine cave and had a charcuterie plate and a couple of glasses of the best Chinon rouge I ever had.
The next day was overcast, it was May 1st, Labor Day, and most things were closed. Carrefour was open for a few hours in the morning, so I picked up a bottle of wine and some pork liver mousse with mushrooms. Then I set out to visit Chateaux. My first stop was Villandry, Originally built in the 12th century, it was rebuilt in the 16th century, as a luxury chateau with formal Italian gardens, by an ex-finance minister. It changed hands several times and in 1906 was purchased by a Spanish doctor and his American (heiress) wife. They completely restored both the chateau and the gardens to their 16th-century splendor. The buildings were nice, but the gardens were over the top. I don’t think I have ever seen formal gardens that are so extensive or so perfectly manicured. They even have a maze. From there I went to Chateau de Langeais. It was built in the 15th century and was the site of the marriage of Charles VII and Anne of Brittany in 1491, bringing Brittany into the kingdom of France. On the grounds are the ruins of a castle built about 900. The chateau was really interesting, with lots of stairs. Unfortunately, nothing in the village was open for lunch, and it was starting to rain, so I headed back to Chinon. The Carrefour stop proved to be an excellent decision.
Thursday is market day in Chinon. I spent a few hours just wandering thru the streets. Chinon feels like “old France.” No new buildings, no stoplights, cobblestone streets, sidewalk cafes crowded with people (but none open before 10), several wine cellars, a pleasant river walk, and definitely no rush. Down by the river, there is a large statue of Rabelais who was born near Chinon and they claim him as their own. In the afternoon I visited the caves under the Chateau that were excavated to supply the stone for the fortress. Now they have celebrations of their wine there. That evening I ate at a cafe on the square. It was touristy, they even had an English menu. I had an excellent, touristy meal; escargot, steak frites, creme brulee, wine, and coffee; $42.
The next day was partly cloudy and just right for exploring. I started at Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud, founded in 1101 as a monastery for both monks and nuns. I was run by a succession of Abbesses from the beginning. Henry II, Elenor of Aquitaine, and Richard the Lionhearted were buried there. During the French Revolution, 1792, the state seized all church property. Anything that could be taken was looted. Napoleon turned it into a prison which it remained until 1963. The buildings and grounds have been mostly restored, but there is not much inside. From there I drove to the Chateau D’Azay Le Rideau, a picture-perfect, early 16th-century, chateau on an island in the river. It was the first place they wanted to check inside my purse. Just past the ticket office was a cafe with seating in the sun. I ordered a salad, named after the original owner’s wife, with shrimp, scallops, smoked salmon, dried duck breast, white asparagus, tomato, and lettuce. It was fantastic. When it started to cloud up, I started my tour. You had to go up the grand staircase to the attic and then work your way down. It was 3 floors, but they were double-height floors! As I wandered thru the floors observing all the opulence, I had the same thought I had at Versailles, “off with their heads, greedy parasites.” It is really nice that France has done so much to preserve their heritage. Back in Chinon, I opened the special Chinon rouge I like so much. They told me to open it 2 hours ahead. I had a sip after one hour and it was quite good. After 2 hours, it had become remarkable. I wish I had ordered a case shipped home.
I think this is a good place to break this blog. Part 2 will start in Bordeaux.