When we saw these crocuses growing on the side of the road while we were cycling today, we thought they were saffron crocuses, but a closer look shows that the filaments that provide saffron, are not red. Two or three flowers You need 2 or 3 flowers to flavour a dish. Susan from Days on the Claise …
Category Archives: Cycling
Loire Clean-Up – Nettoyage de la Loire
We were surprised as we cycled past Château de Menar to see that many large trees have been felled as part of a clean-up programme. Too many large trees along the river stop the water from flowing freely. Nous étions surpris lorsque nous sommes passés en vélo devant le château de Ménar de voir que …
Back on our Bikes – De nouveau sur nos vélos
The weather was beautiful on Saturday, sunny with a maximum of 25°C so went went on our favourite bike ride from Blois to Chambord via Saint Dyé sur Loire where one of the traditional flat-bottomed boats was reflected perfectly in the water. Il faisait un temps splendide samedi : ensoleillé avec un maxmimum de 25°C. …
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Cours-sur-Loire at Dusk – Cours-sur-Loire au crépuscule
Regular readers will know that I often take photos of Cours-sur-Loire but I had never seen it from this distance. Usually we are on the stony bike path in the foreground but this time, we were coming from Montlivault (see yesterday’s photo) at a right angle to the river. The light was quickly fading. Les …
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A Tall Bell Tower – Un clocher très haut
My previous photos of Saint Pierre in Montlivault have not been very successful because the bell tower is extremely high. As we rode out of the village the other evening though, we had an excellent view of the 12th century church whose 15th century wall paintings we still haven’t seen. Below is a photo taken …
The Double Wash-House – Le lavoir double
It’s the first time I’ve seen a double wash-house. We came across it on one of our Châteaux à vélo bike routes. In 1831, Brouat fountain in Montlivault, which had been used as a public wash-house for several centuries, was in a state of ruin. Renovation was scheduled to start in 1831 but the road leading down to …
The Healthy Vending Machine – Le distributeur automatique santé
We came across this fruit and vegetable vending machine on the bike route in Cour Cheverny just as it was being refilled. What a clever idea! The photo below shows the inside. It’s open 24/7 and is refrigerated. The prices are very reasonable with a selection of several items and the produce looks very fresh. Cool. …
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The Perfect Pâtisserie – La pâtisserie parfaite
Langeais is famous for its mediaeval castle but what we love is the pâtisserie opposite! They make their own delicious ice-cream, pâtisseries and chocolates and the view is wonderful! We cycled a few extra kilometers to go there. Langeais est célèbre pour son château médiéval mais ce que nous aimons c’est la pâtisserie en face ! …
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A Renaissance Porch – Un porche Renaissance
We discovered this Renaissance porch which was built in 1555 quite by accident on the cycle route along the Loir River (not the Loire) between Montoire and Vendôme. Château de la Mézière belonged to the Taillevis family for many generations. Raphaël de Taillevis was a physician and friend of the King of Navarre, Antoine de …
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A Church with a Tower – Une église avec une tourelle
The church in Seur on the bike path to Cellettes, is dedicated to Saint Pantéleon. It was built in the 16th century and refurbished in the 19th century. I don’t know when the tower was buillt though. Next time we’ll have to go in because I have since discovered it has a “churchwardens’ bench” which I had …
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