La Caravelle

This beautiful insignia in Saint Dyé sur Loire  is a caravel (the house is named La Caravelle), a small, highly manoeuverable sailing ship developed in the 15th century by the Portuguese to explore along the West African coast and the Atlantic Ocean. A gently sloping bow and single stern castle were prominent features and it generally had several masts with …

Monument to tufa – Monument au tuffeau

This monument to tufa, the iconic stone of the Loire Valley, was erected by the owner of a stone quarry in Turquant on the Loire River and shows the tools used by the workers, or perreyeux, to quarry and work the stone. Until the beginning of the 20th century, using picks, wedges and mallets, they worked …

Vienne at Sunset – Vienne au coucher de soleil

The light at we drove from Les Gouets towards the centre of the Blois today at sunset was most unusual. This photo, with Gabiel Bridge on the right and Vienne across the other side of the Loire, was taken from the esplanade. The photo below shows the flat-bottomed boats on the left of the photo …

Cherry blossoms on the Loire – Cerisiers en fleurs au bord de la Loire

This photo was taken from Vienne. You can see the cathedral on the right, Blois Castle in the middle, Gabriel Bridge and Saint Nicolas behind. Cette photo est prise depuis Vienne. On voit la cathédrale à droite, le château de Blois au milieu, le pont Gabriel et Saint Nicolas derrière.

Sunset at Chaumont – Coucher de soleil à Chaumont

It was on our way to Amboise via Chaumont that we saw this lovely sunset over the Loire, with its flat-bottomed boats patiently waiting for the tourist season. C’est en allant à Amboise en passant par Chaumont que nous avons vu ce beau coucher de soleil sur la Loire avec ses gabarres qui attendent patiemment …

Gabarre de Loire à Saumur

A solar panel hardly seems appropriate on this beautiful traditional flat-bottomed boat on the confluence of the Thouet and the Loire. Photo taken from the Loire à vélo cycle path. Le panneau solaire ne permet pas de s’y croire mais belle gabarre traditionnelle située sur la confluence du Thouet et de la Loire. Photo prise depuis …

Snake’s Head Fritillaries in the Sun – Fritillaires pintades sous le soleil

Protected in numerous areas in France, the snake’s head fritillary [Frillaria meleagris], also called guinea flower and chequer lily, draws its name from the Latin fritillus, a dice tower, and various interpretations of its delicate pattern – snake’s head, guinea and chequer. It is found abundantly in March in natural wetlands such as the banks …