TRÈVES

After spending some time in Christelle’s class in Cunault we drove back to Saumur along the D751. Christelle’s school is part of a “group scolaire”, a group of three schools in adjoining villages each serving different levels of students. We stopped in one of these villages on the way back to Saumur.
The last time we came to visit Trèves it was pouring down rain and the doors of the church were shut up tight. This time the sun was shining and the doors were open.
St. Aubin’s Church is very definitely Gothic but it has many touches of the Romanesque including the baptismal font with four very Celticy looking figures.
While we were there a French couple came in to look around. I asked the woman where she was from and she said Normandy. I told her I was from Ireland. Her reply was: “Yeah, we conquered you people”.

Cours d'anglais dans une classe française

LA PERLE NOIRE

We went to the campsite restaurant with Stephane for dinner. Things are a little changed there. Harry James, the owner, has set up several Bedouin tents as private dining rooms. They are very colorful. He brought them back from his last trip to Irak where he usually spends the winter when there is no tourist action in our neighborhood.
We had a wonderful meal. I had a shoulder of lamb with frites, Rich had the sèche (calamari), and Stephane had a fried white fish recently caught in the Vienne.
Stephane regaled us with stories of his growing up Francophone and gay in Montreal. We had a very pleasant evening.

TED SPEAKS OF BEER

Ted shows off his math skills as he expounds on the differences between French beer and German beer

BIKING THE COUNTRYSIDE

Ted wanted a Loire Valley biking experience. He borrowed a bike from Karen. We sat at the Lion d’Or with a bike trail map and planned out a route. After a good dose of strong coffee and croissants from the bakery we set out for Chinon.
Along the D751 through St. Germain-sur-Vienne we found the first of the bike trails. We took that through fields along the Vienne all the way to Chinon. We were mostly riding through woods in the alluvial plain of the river so it was very pleasant.
We stopped in Chinon for lunch. There was a little excitement off the main square where the fire department were battling a house fire. Then it started to pour down rain so our little stop for lunch turned into an hour-long beer fest while we waited for the skies to clear.
After it stopped raining we took a walk around town. The market was winding down and lots of stores were closed for the annual holidays but there was still lots to see and talk about.
We got back on our bikes heading across the river and through the Faubourg-St.Jacques in the general direction of Richelieu. When we got to the St. Lazare roundabout we decided to go towards Marçay instead. We found a walking trail that was well signposted so we decided to follow it. That trail took us through fields of golden wheat and as we wheeled into the village of La Roche Clermault we came across a goat farm with an attached cheese factory. We stopped to sample. Ted bought some cheese and I bought some marmalade. Everything was “bio” or biologique meaning organic, but while we were perusing the wares the shop attendant excused herself to go outside for a smoke – super bio!
The sun was high in the sky as we turned our bikes towards Beauxes. It took us another 30 minutes to reach this village. Not even a dog was out in the rippling heat. We dropped our bikes beside the open door of the first café we came across. We each had two cold draught beers and a big pitcher of free water.
Late in the afternoon we mustered the energy to continue to the village of Vizières where we had lunch on fresh bakery bread, our goat cheese and a hazelnut pork sausage that Ted had picked up in Chinon. From there it was an easy 10k ride back to Karen’s house in Roiffé.

WALKING IN THE ‘HOOD

We took a walk to Càndes with Ted. We walked the back way through the Z.I. Jardin. All the gardens looked very nice – cabbages in their rows, asparagus in their trenches, and all standing up perky waiting for someone to pass by and admire them.
We walked up to the lookout point above the town. From there we had a fine view across the valley. We could clearly see where the two rivers come together – the muddy brown of the Loire and the green-brown of the Vienne. We also could see the nuclear power plant at Avoine with its cooling towers making new clouds.
As we made our way back down through the town we decided to stop at the new location of the little pottery store, Pots et Deco. Up until now they were located in a small cramped storefront but this year they have moved to a more spacious building with a patio in front where they serve tea and coffee. The woman who owns the business has partnered with her brother to a create a wine boutique in the celler. We spent most of the rest of the afternoon down below tasting wines of Bourgueil and Saumur-Champigny. Damien, the proprietor, doesn’t yet have a license to sell wine for consumption on the premises. Ted wanted to crack open a bottle that he had bought but Damien counseled against that for fear the gendarmerie would close him down.
Instead we went back upstairs to have a little tea and coffee. We also tried some handmade chocolate from Saumur. By the time we were finished we were ready to head back home to Montsoreau to take a long afternoon nap.

TOUR OF TOURS

After we picked up Ted and Rich we went for a walkabout to see a little of Tours.
We walked through little alleyways and narrow pedestrian streets into Vieux Tours. We stopped at a beautiful church that was part of a monastery of cloistered monks. As we were leaving the curé called us back to give us a personal tour. It turns out that this church is the headquarters of the Levequists – a group of followers of Archbishop Leveque, the super traditional, fundamentalist theologian who was excommunicated for daring to oppose the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.
We walked through the markets area of the city. Close to the Place de Grand Marché we found the Rue de Jerusalem. I wondered if this area had been the Jewish quarter in days gone by. A little further on we found the Rue des Deportés a clear sign that many Jewish people walked along this road to the train station to be taken to their deaths.
There are other signs of a rich past in Tours. We found several brass plaques showing the way to Santiago de Compostela. We found the place where Balzac was born. We took some pictures of the beautiful Beaux-Arts façades of the train station and the hotel-de-ville. We finished our tour of Tours with drinks in Olde Towne on the Place de Grand Marché.

TOURS

I waited all day for Christophe to come pick me up so we could drive to Tours to meet Rich and Ted. Before that though I had to go to the garage in the morning to see about the car. Vincent, the mechanic, remembered having worked on the car before. He said he would go get it and tow it and tow it back to Montsoreau.
Christophe. We whizzed through some beautiful villages that I would like to go back and explore.
We arrived in Tours and found parking in an underground lot in the place in front of the train station. The bus station is also in this place. We needed to meet Ted from the Paris train and Rich was flying in from Dublin but I had told him to take the 5 euro shuttle to the train station.
Ted’s train arrived exactly as scheduled. We walked around for a little wondering why Rich had not arrived yet. Eventually, we decided to go to a café at the edge of the place where we could keep an eye on the arriving buses. After about 30 minutes I went to look for him again and found him sitting in front of the train station, munching a sandwich (jambon et beurre).

FROGS LEGS

Christelle, ready to go through the arches of Souzay.

We cycled back to Saumur together. Christelle knew all the back roads through Turquant, Souzay, Parnay. We got a good workout.
When we arrived at their apartment Christophe was busy making his specialité de maison: frogs legs and a tripe dish that resembled menudo. The frogs legs (cuisse de grenouille) were sautéed in butter and garlic with a generous helping of parsley. I had never had frogs legs before. They were delicious. They tripe dish was also very good.
After dinner we went walking in Saumur. There was a fête musicale going on with stages set up in different streets for different kinds of live music. It was close to midnight when Christelle took me home.

THIZAY

Nico atop the dolman in Thizay.

Today was to be my last day taking care of Nico. His mom promised to be back home by midday so that I could meet with Christelle and Christophe for the Fête de Vélo. We drove to Montsoreau for the weekly market. Montsoreau was already crowded with cyclists and some of the access roads were closed. We walked around the market then went for coffee at the Lion D’Or. Nico greeted a classmate who was there with his family.
I took Nico to see the dolman in Thizay. The church was closed but we continued up the narrow road behind it to the dolman. The dolman sits right at the edge of the road looking out across the valley towards the centre nucleaire in Avoine. We climbed up to the top and scrambled all around – two buddies having fun together. Then we went for a walk across the fields in search of the adjacent holy well. We found a some cherry trees with bright red cherries hanging from the branches. I ate my fill but Nico was not impressed by the tartness.
We drove back to LaBlanchière. Karen had just arrived. I deposited Nico with his mom and took off, grateful that my work was done and my vacation could begin in earnest.

MORE CAR TROUBLES

The Jaguar seemed fine as I left Karen’s to pick up my bike and drive to Saumur. The gas light came on a couple of times and given that the fuel gauge doesn’t work I thought it wise to stop in Càndes for 20 euros worth of carburent.

My bike had a flat back tire but I knew Christelle had a pump so I stuffed the bike in the back of the car and took off flying for Saumur. The main road was closed because of the Fête du Vélo so I had to take a deviation through Varennes. Right after I turned left onto the D10 I heard the most terrible noise coming from under the car. I pulled over to investigate – the muffler had fallen off. I called Christophe. They arrived after about 20 minutes and confirmed the diagnosis. Christophe advised me not to drive the car. We left it parked at the side of the road in front of the house of a very strange man (How strange? The fly of his Levi’s was repaired by a homemade button job.)

We pumped up the back tire of my bike. I cycled back to Montsoreau, a distance of about 10 km and waited for Christelle to arrive from Saumur on her bike.

DUNCAN

Nico enjoying his second ice cream.

We sat for a while outside the sports bar café on the Place du Mail. The other café, the Lion D’Or, was temporarily closed as they set up for a soiree musicale. Nico had two ice creams while I enjoyed a quiet moment with my glass of red wine.
We took a walk to the church but it was closed. On the way back we saw Duncan sitting at the café with his mom. We stopped to chat. Duncan’s mom took Nico to the Vivico store to buy some cookies. She couldn’t quite make herself understood so she asked me to help. I took the opportunity to introduce myself to the new owner of the store and his wife.



St. Pierre-des-Rest, Montsoreau

AVOINE

Nico at swimming pool in Avoine.

After lunch with Christophe and Christelle we all went to Avoine to spend the afternoon at the swimming pool. Christophe is a kind of grown up version of Nico – a big kid. He took charge of Nico, splashing about in the various pools and making multiple trips down the water slide. Christelle and I sat in the shade reading our books. We stayed at the pool until it closed. They were going shopping (a euphemism for private couple’s time?) so me and Nico headed to Montsoreau.

CAR TROUBLES

The Jaguar

Saturday is Nico’s day for his gymnastics class. It is very hard to get him up in the morning but I managed. He likes going to the gymnastics class. The jaguar started up right away and we arrived a little early for the class at 10 o’clock. I left him there in Beaumont-en-Véron and drove back to Avoine for my morning coffee and a read of the Saturday paper. With plenty of time to spare I went to get the car from the parking lot of the Shopi. The car started right up but when I stopped at the intersection the engine stalled and cut out. I was stuck in the intersection with people behind me shouting insults at my poor old car. I asked two men to help me push it out of the intersection. One of them suggested that I try to start it again and miracles of miracles it started as if there was never any problem.

When I finally arrived back in Beaumont Nico was waiting outside with a look of forlorn on his face. I think he thought he had been abandoned.

Christelle and Christophe had invited us to come for lunch in Saumur. Christelle made a pear tart with a blue cheese, Fourme d’Ambert, that is all the rage. Nico tried it but he didn’t like it. He got up to leave the table, saying that he was finished. Christelle looked at him straight in the eye and in her sternest school-teacher voice told him that he was not excused and could not leave the table until everybody was finished lunch. He sat back down for the salad course.

TRES BON ELEVE

GRENIER

J'AI ARRIVÉ

I have finally arrived - I got my library card from the library (mediatheque) in Avoine.
We went to Avoine for Nico's gymnastics class and ended up spending the day there. the nuclear power industry has been good to Avoine. They have a sporting complex that includes the salon polyvalente (multisports gym), a swimming center, a cultural center, as well as this brand-new library. The downside to all this is that the region is neighbors to a nuclear power plant. We were reminded of this yesterday when I received notice in the mail that I should go to one of the listed pharmacies to pick up my iodine kit for radiation emergencies.

While Nico was at his gymnastics I wandered into the town to get a cup of coffee and read the newspaper. When I came back to pick him up we went to the library for an hour. The swimming pool didn't open until after lunch so we walked back into town to get a sandwich and have a picnique in a little park. By the time we were finished and had explored the church it was time to go back to the swimming pool. We spent the afternoon there; Nico splashing about with some new friends and me reading my book.

GETTING MY BEARINGS

Karen came by today. She had business to conduct in Chinon. I went with her for the ride.
At the computer place in Chinon I Skyped Rich and talked with him for about 30 minutes. I am so proud of how computer literate he is - Skyping, Facebooking, IMing - you've come a long way, baby.
All the same people still work at the computer place in Chinon, especially the young woman who helped us so much last year. She instantly recognized me as if I had just been in the store last week.
In the evening I met up with Christophe and Christelle who came by the house to look at the car. Christophe had it running in no time. His diagnosis was spot on - the battery had low from not having been driven for a while. I invited them to join us at Karen's house for dinner. I am taking care of Nico for a week while Karen is on a road trip.

CHATEAU MARÇAY

Despite their advanced industrial and technological economy (probably number 7 in the world after California) the French have not mastered some things. Karen had to swing by this chateau to pick up some ice. (They also cannot make a decent SaranWrap).

CANDES WALK

I woke up early this morning. I guess I am excited to be back chez-nous in Montsoreau.
I pottered about for a while then walked down to the center to pick up the paper and a croissant for my breakfast. The bakery lady gave me my first French lesson – une croissant, un pain. She was very happy to see me (and I her). Back at home I made some coffee and settled in to read the newspaper.
I hung out for a little, doing some gardening, and generally tidying up in front and in the back. I said hello to our fish. At least two of the fish survived the winter.
I decided to take a walk down to Càndes to see what changes have happened there. I bonjoured the mayor of Montsoreau along the way and Batboy whizzed past me on his bike. I’m already back in the swing of things in Montsoreau.
There have been some changes in Càndes. The Deco Pots pottery has moved into a bigger space and now offers tea and coffee. The little antique store, Table des Metiers, is a new fancy gift shop. And everything looks painted and spruced up for the season.