Saturday dawned bright and sunny and we took our breakfast in the lovely old dining room around large tables. I never really look forward to French breakfasts and have always thought they are a bit of a con... It's so easy to chuck some croissants and bread into a bowl and dish out butter and jam. Give me a good full English any day!
Our hotel was mentioned in all the guidebooks I had at home and they all described the wonderful jams made by the patronne. Hmmm, yes, if you like tomato jam and other weird and wonderful varieties! I, however, prefer good old-fashioned strawberry on my croissant, thank you very much! Anyway, the coffee was good and we enjoyed listening to a small group of Brits in our hotel guffawing and talking in posh accents. The hotel was on the modest side, but the small car park was stuffed with BMWs, a Porsche and several large Volvos.
Unfortunately we soon learned how to fall out with the owner when we asked for some more coffee. He looked at us as if we'd ordered vintage Champagne and truffles for breakfast and flounced off to get it, conveniently forgetting to bring back more milk with it...
We decided to have a picnic today so we spent a delightful hour purchasing our lunch from several different shops. We bought two long crusty loaves (which then broke in half), some ham and a bottle of wine which then dropped out of a very flimsy carrier bag we had and started to leak. We also chose some fresh tomatoes and two different salads which looked (and tasted) delicious. Sophie chose some crisps and enjoyed a bottle of mineral water.
Our first stop was the village of Azay-le-Rideau and its beautiful Chateau. There was a small market going on in the middle of the village and after parking the car some distance away we strolled around savouring the different cheeses and sausages. One quaintly dressed man tried to sell us some very smelly sausage but we told him we'd get some on the way back to the car and made a hasty exit to a small cafe for coffee. It was wonderful to sit in the sun and watch the French buy their provisions. I only wish we had a similar system in the UK, rather than having to go to Tesco on a Saturday morning!
After our coffee we walked around the village and bought some local wine from a supermarket. I knew I'd never be able to find it at home! Dad chose some sparkling wine from a small wine shop and we added our purchases to the cases already in the boot.
On the way back to the car we stopped to admire the chateau. The people who worked there were on strike and we missed being able to visit it for free by ten minutes. It was gorgeous and resembled a fairy-tale castle but we knew that Sophie wouldn't appreciate it at her age so we returned to the car and set about finding a suitable place for our lunchtime picnic.
Nearby was the forest of Chinon and the lady at our hotel had recommended it for an al fresco lunch. We drove into the forest on a small road but the only picnic table we saw was already occupied. We drove on and on along deserted roads with not a table in sight or even a dry patch of grass. Eventually we headed to the village of St Benoit en Foret and hoped that we would find somewhere there.
Our luck was in! It was almost as if we'd faxed the village with our requirements and they had obliged. In the centre of the village was a wide open grassy space with a picnic table under a tree. A little garden had been created nearby with a small stream beside it. The views stretched out over rolling hills and woods. It was perfect! We grabbed the food and the picnic basket and ran to the table in case anyone else came along to claim it! Sophie played happily in the garden while we unpacked and dished out the food. Dad had also added some pork ribs to the feast so we ate these along with the ham, tomatoes and bread. The wine had barely leaked and was at least drinkable but I certainly wouldn't have added it to the others in the boot of the car!
After our lovely lunch we headed towards Saumur for an afternoon stroll. Sophie fell asleep again and we took advantage of the peace by eating a delicious chocolate ice-cream (Mum and I) and pancakes (Dad). We found a pretty square with a fountain and watched people wandering past and saw numerous wedding cars arrive with guests. It seemed as if there were weddings going on all around us in the town.
The rest of the afternoon was spent looking at the shops with crowds of other tourists. It was very warm and we ended up outside the Town Hall where all the weddings were being held. Dad was keen to try some of the local wines before we returned to the hotel so we drove to a village near Saumur which had a Cave des Vignerons. Dad was out of the car and into the building before I got there, telling the patronne in his best French accent that he didn't speak the language. We were invited to taste a Saumur red which was quite dry and a Coteaux de Saumur, a sweet white, which was delicious. Dad bought two of the whites while I chose two white wines and a red. A lot of the bottles in the cave had decorated labels, some of which were quite naughty!
We tried another village, advertised from the road as being a village of wine-makers, but everything seemed deserted so we headed back to Chinon where we wanted to try some of the local red wine. A sign directed us along a small track where we believed there was a vineyard but we somehow ended up back on the main road. After much driving about, to the amused looks on the villagers' faces, we eventually found the vineyard (a huge ancient cave) and it was certainly worth the trouble.
We tasted three Chinons, each of them capable of ageing up to ten years. They were quite tannic but the wine-maker assured us they would soften if we kept them properly. We bought a bottle of each and added them to the ever growing amount in the boot of the car!
Back at the hotel we relaxed with a drink on the terrace and watched a new batch of guests arriving. The sun was shining, we were all looking forward to dinner and I called Keith to make sure he was surviving without us back in the UK!
Our destination tonight was a small restaurant that served local food at reasonable prices and had a menu for children. We meandered along in the warm evening air and looked forward to being able to sit outside. However, when we arrived every table had been taken and the patron said we would have a long wait. We had no option but to leave and it seemed every person in the restaurant was staring at us as if we were the evening's entertainment! We made our way back to the Auberge Rouge where we sat at a table outside and watched the world go by.
Luckily we'd enjoyed our meals the previous evening so we chose more specialities as starters and tried different main courses. Dad tried the eel which was cooked in a red wine sauce and served with rice. Mum opted for steak while I had venison. Everything was delicious and we drank a red St Nicholas de Bourgeil, which was a bit tannic but improved enormously with the goat's cheese that followed our meal. Sophie tucked into Vouvray pork ribs and said they were delicious!
We returned to the hotel hoping for a nightcap but everywhere was in darkness so it was off to bed,
tired but very happy!
Part 3 will follow soon.
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