This is an account of a trip I took with my parents and Sophie to Chinon in France in 1999. Dad and I had given each other a row of vines in the village of Chaintres so we went to have a look at them and try the wine, a Saumur-Champigny!
The journey to Portsmouth started badly, in pouring rain and with a roof-box that refused to stay shut! Luckily a friendly AA man gave us a length of wire and Dad managed to tie it so it stayed closed. I didn't dare drive faster than 70mph though! A revelation for me!
We stopped at a welcoming village pub somewhere in Hampshire for dinner. Sophie slept through the meal and only woke up when we were about to board our ferry for the overnight crossing - The Duc de Normandie.
It took ages to board the ferry and we daren't risk going to the cafe in case we were called to embark. We eventually drove on at 10.30pm and found our cabins for the night. Sophie was a little nervous because of her obsession with the film Titanic and I tried my best to calm her down. Our cabin was very cosy, with a tiny bathroom and bunk beds. We had a quick wash and then squashed up together on the lower bunk. After a while the ferry began to move out of the port and the engines made a terrific groaning noise. Sophie started to whimper about Titanic again but after a few minutes she fell asleep and thankfully the noise of the engines stopped.
The crossing seemed very short and we were woken at 4.30am by a bell. I left Sophie in bed, quickly dressed and put some make-up on. I felt exhausted and could have done with another three hours' sleep!
My Dad made an appearance and we both went in search of hot coffee while Mum looked after a still-sleeping Sophie. The search for coffee proved elusive and the cafes were full of school children so we resigned ourselves to a caffeine-free start to the day. Even the coffee machine we found didn't work!
Thankfully we were soon back in the car and we promised ourselves a cup of cafe au lait at the first French cafe we came to. We drove slowly off the ferry amidst a long coil of British cars and we were soon on our way with my Dad navigating. We drove on and on with no sign at all of somewhere we could get breakfast as there was nowhere open and I didn't fancy driving into the centre of Caen just for coffee.
Soon we came to the small town of Argentan and we saw a sign for McDonalds. It certainly wasn't our ideal choice but by now we were desperate for a coffee and something to eat. We ordered Egg McMuffins, hot coffee and toasted muffins from a surly waitress but we didn't care! Soon afterwards another British family came in and I wondered whether the restaurant did a good trade from the ferry port.
Feeling better we were soon back on the road and heading for Le Mans. The weather was sunny and we looked forward to getting to our hotel and visiting the vineyard in the afternoon. The roads were almost empty and as we neared Le Mans we stopped for more coffee and pain au chocolat at a quiet service station. Sophie and Dad found a wonderful fountain and came back drenched!
At Saumur we turned off the motorway and headed towards the town of Chinon. There were vineyards along the side of the road all offering degustations (wine tastings) and numerous chateaux perched in the surrounding hills. The countryside was beautiful and we caught glimpses of the Loire river flowing alongside the road.
Chinon was a very pretty town and we found our hotel in a quiet back street. It was set back behind gates with its own parking. There was a lovely terrace with chairs and tables and an abundance of flowers. The owner, who spoke excellent English, showed us to our rooms in an annexe a short distance from the main hotel. The rooms were very clean but old-fashioned. Why do the French persist in using candlewick bedspreads? However, both rooms had spacious bathrooms and we were soon unpacking our bags and watching Sophie jump on the beds in glee!
We had an hour to spare before our appointment at the vineyard so we stopped at one of the wonderful roadside bars for lunch. It was in a quiet village and served specialities including quiche and croque monsieur. Sophie made friends with a little French girl and Dad enjoyed a glass of chilled red wine. In this area the reds (Chinon, Bourgeil and Saumur-Champigny) are often chilled slightly before serving, something we're not used to doing in Britain!
After a delicious lunch we carried on our way along a road that would become very familiar by the end of our little break. The tiny village of Chaintres is tucked away from the main road and we had several attempts at trying to find the vineyard, hampered by a couple of French drivers who insisted on driving too close to me despite my obvious GB sticker!
On the dot of 2.30pm we arrived at the Domaine de la Cune and met Jean Albert who is one of the brothers. He spoke excellent English and we waited in a cool room full of wine for another couple to arrive. Sophie had decided to have a nap so we parked her in a quiet corner while we got down to the serious business of wine tasting. The other couple had arrived and they were very friendly and obviously loved wine as much as we did. We tasted "our" wine, the 1997 3Jean which was exclusive to 3D Wines, and then some more examples of the vineyard - a Saumur-Champigny red, a white wine and a sparkling Saumur, which was delicious.
It was all very relaxing and afterwards we were given a tour by Jean Albert. He showed us the vines and how he was pruning them, the actual winery with the equipment and the fascinating cellar which was built 300 years ago and still holds large quantities of wine.
All too soon our visit was over so we loaded up the car with our cases of wine and departed, meandering around the picturesque vineyards before heading back to Chinon and an afternoon stroll. We wanted to find a good restaurant for the evening and walked around the lovely streets of the bustling little town. There were several places to choose from but the menus looked a little daunting for our three year old so we headed back to the Hotel Diderot to ask if they could recommend a suitable restaurant to eat. The owner's charming sister told us to try the Auberge Rouge where she said the menu was informal and it was a good place for children to eat.
After a quick bath we strolled to the restaurant but forgot the pushchair. A moany Sophie made sure we suffered as she wanted to be carried all the way there! The auberge was all we had hoped it would be and we were soon settled into a tiny alcove with a traditional menu offering specialities of the area, including eels, much to Dad's delight! We chose two specialities for starters which included foie gras, Vouvray pork ribs, pate and smoked ham. Four main courses we all had something different - I chose steak, Mum opted for lamb chops while Dad tried the duck. Sophie was delighted with her ham and fried potatoes. Our main courses came complete with goat's cheese and fruit on a wicker tray. We drank a bottle of red Chinon with the meal which was delicious.
On the way back to the hotel we took it in turns to carry a sleepy Sophie. It was still quite light and the shuttered houses reminded me of Pollensa in Mallorca. We were all looking forward to a good night's sleep as we were shattered by our long day!
Part 2 will follow shortly.
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