The Loir Valley: A Weekend from A to Z (but without an e)
The River Loire sweeps through Western France attracting visitors by the million, awestruck at the magnificent Chateaux dominating the valley. But how many make it beyond, to the Vallee du Loir (no e), where this cuter little sibling cuts a dash too? The Chateaux are fewer, but they’re just as awe-inspiring, the principal difference being they’re not museums. People actually live in them, just as the Troglodytes lived here too, in caves. Miles of open fields and meadows, orchards and vineyards snuggle up to ancient forests where the oaks are 350 years old and grow 50 metres high. This pastoral, wide-angle landscape is dotted with ancient churches in villages where bargains in antiques compete with produce from the local farmsteads. And just beyond earshot? That’s the roar of Le Mans.
How to get there. The UK’s Regional Airports make for simpler travel and from south or west of London little Southampton couldn’t be easier – the direct train from Waterloo into the airport is just over an hour. Car parking is hassle free.
The Loir’s airport at Angers (pronounced Ong-Jay) is served several times a week from Southampton by Eastern Airways, a tiny airline with direct connections from Aberdeen, Newcastle and Leeds. Their fleet of small, smart Jetstreams grew from flying oilmen around and Angers is one of only two foreign destinations they fly to, the other being Stavanger, Norway’s oil capital. This is old fashioned flying – nobody tries to sell you anything on board – instead you’ll be offered free champagne, tea and snacks. The crew are charming to the point of being chatty, reminiscent of some golden age before ‘no-frills’ ushered in the attendant gaudiness we associate with short hops around Europe.
Angers Airport is petite and modern, patiently awaiting the hour long Eastern flight as nobody else flies there yet. There’s car hire, a smart cafe and a small, high quality shop. Fares vary and can be viewed at www.easternairways.com.
If you’re driving, just cross the channel and head for Le Mans.
OK. WE’RE HERE.
The roads between Angers and La Chartre-sur-le-Loir (100km) makes for an absorbing weekend in the valley, crisscrossing le Loir as fishermen reel in the Zander, a local freshwater delicacy, and the dairy herds amble down for a cooling drink. The Chateaux vary from elegant renaissance to towering fortresses, and while most villages are quiet, the little towns bustle.
Angers itself is a pleasant enough student/commercial centre with historic buildings, and if you want to spend the day a Citypass is available (€14 for the day) to visit the attractions (www.angersloiretourisme.com). But the delights of the area are rural. Head for Durtal, La Fleche, Le Lude and le Chartre-sur-le-Loir to uncover the area’s real delights.
STAY WHERE?
At the top end of the spectrum, where you sink back into overstuffed sofas, admire furniture from Louis XVth to Art Deco and soak up historic France by the gallon - if only from the outdoor heated pool - is the four star, pale yellow limestone Chateau Noirieux. They’ll pick you up from the airport (15 minutes away) and whisk you through the countryside to await your every whim. Anja Côme, whose domain this is, likes to greet everyone personally – it’s a Relais & Chateaux but the whole place oozes her personal touch, right through to the bright and sunny yellow restaurant served by her husband’s kitchen -- so it’s her refined taste you’ll see on the walls, the floors, and the ceilings in both the main Chateau and next door in the more ‘rustic’ adjoining Manor House.
The property was rescued from dereliction in the early 1990’s – the buildings date back to the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries – and what stands there now is an estate on the riverbank to relax and unwind. Grassy slopes fall away from the main terrace and undulate down towards the water’s edge, overlooking a view of the valley which explains why this site was originally chosen for such a grand building.
Open the shutters early morning and the views from the bedrooms are breathtaking. Inside, there’s a rolltop bath, period furniture (the suites and rooms are all different) flat screen TV and WiFi.
At breakfast, in your room or the conservatory, ingredients are all made locally – preserves, breads, juices – even the teabags look handmade!
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL, 1,2,3…
(1) The Chateaux surrounding Noirieux are open to the public and predominately in private hands so, after a stroll around their sumptuous grounds, a guided tour inside can rather amusingly involve a lot of door knocking to ensure the owners aren’t about to be disturbed. In one, a Leonard Cohen CD in the music room appeared rather incongruous among the 16th century artefacts, something I pointed out to the owners when I bumped into them 10 minutes later! Two to be highly recommended are Chateau du Plessis-Bourre in the countryside north of Angers whose corner towers shimmer and reflect in the wide moat, and the spectacular Chateau du Lude, a real star in the local firmament which can be traced back in part to the 10th century and was once occupied briefly by the English. It has the added bonus of a small community exhibition over the road depicting life in the village outside the walls, beneath and beyond the grandeur.
(2) In La Fleche, a picturesque little town with a small military school in its midst, and an enormous zoo at its edge, the classic architecture has been complemented well by some modern postscripts. In a neat, walkable centre there’s a very pleasant main square of cafes and shops which will sell you everything from mobile phones to knitting patterns. Hidden from view, however, and worth the effort to see, is an absolute gem, Le Theatre de la Halle-Au-Ble, a tiny Italian Theatre dating back to 1839, one of only seven in France. It was restored at a cost of €12 million to its resplendent former glory and now used for intimate gatherings in a season from September to April. No website but the tourist board at www.ville-lafleche.fr is very informative and helpful.
(3) In Le Chartre-sur-le-Loir, the antiques and brocante outlets are worth exploring from the junk at Petit Bonheur in the main street, to the mix of Antiquites Labbe and the decidedly higher end Antiquites & Design of Anna Chaliapin-Wright. The Sunday morning market’s good too, for fruit and vegetables, and in summer there are bigger secondhand markets which are well advertised. This is also the edge of the Forest of Berce (see below)
And if you’ve made it all the way here the best place to stay is the chambres d’hôtes and g?te Le Grand Moulín, the town’s converted watermill, where owner Marie-Daniele Millet-Lecourt will warmly welcome you to her beautiful home and tell you everything there is to know about the area. She can be contacted at mdmillet-moulin@club-internet.fr .
LET’S DO LUNCH
Cheap
Five minutes from Angers airport is the unprepossessing town of Seiches where you’ll find in the main square Michel and Marie-Claude Daburon’s “La Roseraie”. It’s not destination dining by any means but the lunchtime special is €9.80 for unlimited salad buffet, a choice of three main courses (steak frites etc) cheese, dessert and unlimited vin de table. Cheap, bustling and cheerful, and if it’s busy the place three doors down does the same for €9.60!
Not so cheap
In La Fleche, the centerpiece restaurant is situated on the wide river, a converted watermill le Moulin des Quatre Saisons is justifiably expensive given it’s beautiful setting and haute cuisine – which if you are very lucky will include Poulet la Fleche, a highly regarded black chicken which is reputed to be the original ingredient for poule a pot.
However something less grand can be found at Le Bistrot Saint Francais, hidden down Rue du Mouton, serving a two course lunch with wine for less than €15.
Not cheap but worthwhile
Along at Chartre-sur-le-Loir, the main square, Place de Republique is dominated by the art deco Hotel de France, a pitstop in more ways than one as the British team who compete at Le Mans reside here in season. The classic dining room and terrace have both tourist and terroir menus for set price lunch and dinner everyday – excellent rillettes and pates, rabbit and local fish. Four courses and coffee for well under €30
WHAT’S YOURS?
The Vallee-du-Loir is carpeted with vineyards offering tastings and direct from the owner offers. The local wines are Jasnieres and Coteaux du Loir and at Chartre-sur-le-Loir one of the best producers is Gigou, whose cellars are carved back several hundred metres into the hillsides. Sharp minerality characterize the dry whites, bright conviviality the owners. Roll up and try some, you’ll end up buying!
DINNER IS SERVED
For seventeen years at his Chateau de Noirieux, Gerard Come has been creating seasonal sensations, rewarded in 2000 with a Michelin Star. In addition to the full al a carte, there’s a changing seasonal menu which invigorates and excites with every course. Degustation de Foie Gras is served fresh and cold (goose) rolled in nuts, and hot (duck) with apple. I’d never tried anything called Jambon d’Agneau before which appears on the plate as bacon, but in fact is paper thin slices of specially prepared lamb, served with a tuna tartare, fresh artichokes and balsamic vinegar – a taste sensation. Lobster with vegetables was accompanied by a vivid emerald green mousse – puree de petit pois nouveaux – another taste explosion. When I asked what was in it – expecting a secret ingredient – the answer from Msr Come was “peas”, a reminder that the best ingredients, even the simplest, need very little adornment.
A lychee sorbet with rose water preceded a melting roast pigeon, a groaning cheese chariot of mainly local fromage and then a climactic array of desserts. It’s supposed to be seven courses, but with all the amuse bouche, ‘extras’ and so on I’m sure I counted eleven.
The wine list has all the heavy hitters – two d’Yquems, 83 and 89, if you’re a fan of this sweet nectar – but more importantly almost half the list is given over to Loire Valley wines, most of which are only available in the region and all of which are reasonably priced.
The room itself – warm in autumn and winter, bright and sunny in spring and summer – opens out onto a terrace with a view over le Loir to die for. Bliss.
DRIVE BY
For an hour or so…
The Forest of Berc is one of France’s great historic woodlands, thirteen and a half thousand acres of broadleafed trees, giant oaks, slender beeches and almost total silence, save for the sound of the wildlife. From la Chartre-sur-le-Loir get directions to le chene bopp, park in the clearing and walk off under the 50 metre high oaks which date back to the 17th century. It’s a beautiful forest and well worth the time.
For lunch or a drink closeby is St Pierre du Lorouer, a quiet hamlet where you’ll find an intimate little church adjoined by Le Fer A Cheval, a welcoming bar and restaurant. But since they don’t do food on Sundays you’ll get an equally warm welcome in nearby Jupilles at the Hotel St Jacques. Both places cheap, cheerful and traditional, run by great patrons
For the day…
Cave dwellings for Troglodytes at le Chartre-sur-le-Loir are now largely given over to the storage of wine, so for the real thing a visit to Troo is required, about 25 kms east. The village still has about 200 caves in use, carved out of the soft limestone rock known as “Tufo” from which the region’s chateaux are built. According to no less a source than the Troo Gazette, 360 people still live like this, (see here) mostly now as second homes or artists’ studios rather than the original needs-must habitat for the poor. The village itself is charming too.
Overnight…
Le Loir offers innumerable opportunities for adventure afloat, from guided boat trips to kayaking and camping along its banks. Boats can be hired at both La Fleche and La Lude and more information is available on this and all other types of accommodation from www.vallee-du-loir.com.
Useful links
Angers Loire Tourisme
Eastern Airways
Troo Village
Vallee du Loir
Ville La Fleche tourist board
Added 2008/09/25 @ 15:52:09
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