Château de Menars in autumn – Château de Menars en automne

Château de Menars built in the 17th and 18th centuries seen from the bike path between Blois and Saint-Dyé-sur-Loire Le château de Menars construit aux XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles vu de la piste cyclable entre Blois et Saint-Dyé-sur-Loire

A beach on the Cher – Une plage sur le Cher

There are still rivers where you and swim and the Cher is one of them. The only sand beach where swimming is allowed is at Montrichard which is a half an hour’s drive from Blois. Il y a encore des rivières où on se baigne et le Cher en fait partie. La seule plage de …

Mist over the Loire near Chaumont – Brume sur la Loire près de Chaumont

I’m not an early bird but was rewarded by this view as we drove along the Loire past Château de Chaumont at 7.30 am. Je ne suis pas une lève-tôt mais j’ai été récompensée par cette jolie vue de la Loire lors de notre passage en voiture à 7h30 devant le château de Chaumont.  

The Loire, a free spirit – La Loire un fleuve libre

The Loire River, untamed and romantic, with its sand banks and tiny islands, is a paradise for birds, Photo taken from the cycle path near Château de Menars about 10 kilometers from Blois. Avec ses bancs de sables et petits îlots qui offrent un paradis aux oiseaux, la Loire est une rivière à la fois sauvage et …

Bike Path in Summer – Piste cyclable en été

The bike path you can see on the right is part of the Loire à Vélo network of 800 km of shared or dedicated cycle routes from Saint Nazaire on the Atlantic Coast to Nevers. It is part of a much longer cycle route – about 4000 km – called Eurovelo 6 from the Atlantic …

Sunset in Summer – Coucher de soleil en été

This photo is taken from the Vienne side of the Loire looking across at Blois and the Church of Saint Nicolas, the city’s most interesting church, built in the 12th and 13th centuries, and a combination of Romanesque and Gothic. Cette photo de Blois est prise du côté Vienne de la Loire avec l’église de Saint …

Gabarre Boats – Gabarres

  The gabarre flat-bottomed boat, from the Greek karabos meaning shell, refers to several types of river boats in various places along the Atlantic seaboard. Their flat bottom means that with a shallow draught, they can transport a maximum load. The ones on the Loire Valley often have rigging as well. They are made of clapboard, that is, overlapping …