Getaway: Loire Valley
Seeking some sunshine, Don and Ailsa James head south to France’s beautiful Loire Valley
Don and Ailsa James enjoy sunshine and châteaux in the Loire Valley
IT HAD BEEN a winter of discontent (which reminds me of a clever camping advertising slogan: “Now is the winter of our discount tent…”) and we were itching to drag the caravan off the drive, hitch up and head for the sun – which shouldn’t be too hard to find in France, right? We are ‘pensioneers’ so we can come and go as we like – and we do like. We live in North Devon, so Plymouth to Roscoff on Brittany Ferries is our favourite crossing and, because we use it so frequently, we are members of their Club Voyage France. This gives us 30% off every trip and a free breakfast if we take the overnight option. Roscoff – with its beautiful, solid Breton architecture – is a welcoming sight, but it was just a stepping stone for destinations unknown. We had our trusty ACSI Camping Book and, for an annual membership of £15, this gave us the location of all sites open at this time of year – and discount prices. Spring was late arriving in Brittany. The fields were ploughed, but not yet planted with their usual crops of artichokes and onions. It was encouraging to see great swathes of rape stretching across the countryside, like bold yellow brushstrokes straight from a painter’s palette. We headed for Saumur and Camping l’ile d’offard, set on an island in the middle of the Loire, where the château looked down on us from its lofty perch. Classified as a heritage site or Monument Historique, this really is a beauty, with its pointed turrets and mellow tuffeau (limestone).
Stroll in the markets
When in France, it really is de rigueur to search out the local markets, and Saumur has a doozy on a Saturday. The canny French never miss a trick, and the stalls were laid out like giant breadcrumbs throughout the centre, luring you pleasantly through the back streets and bide-a-while cafés. The ambience is simply irresistible and creates such temptations that your money seems to leave your pockets with barely a murmur of complaint. The Loire Valley is a registered UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are châteaux
‘Château d’ussé inspired Charles Perrault to write Sleeping Beauty’
galore in this neck of the woods, you really are spoilt for choice. Chinon is a mighty fortress overlooking the historic town and the River Vienne. Its commanding position and the splendid views of the Touraine region alone are well worth the entry fee of €7. Château d’ussé is currently the property of Casimir de Blacas d’aulps, 7th Duke of Blacas, and is as impressive as his name. This picturesque, beautiful stronghold in the Chinon Forest is a fairy-tale castle. In the 17th century, it inspired Charles Perrault to write Sleeping Beauty, whose tale unfolds as you walk from room to room: a delight for adults and children. Log fires provide warmth and ambience as you wander this lovingly maintained family estate. Its good looks also could have inspired Walt Disney in the creation of his own fairy-tale castle. A visit is good value at €11 each – don’t miss it! Monaco has long been on our bucket list, so we headed south. Our journey via Clermont-ferrand was not uneventful. As anyone who has a caravan will know, towing can have its challenges. We have a Coachman Amara 380/2, which is just over 5m long – a relative tiddler, but perfect for the two of us and easy to tow. French drivers, however, like more than their fair share of the road and ‘white van man’ was greedier than most, managing to clip our left-hand tow mirror, which spun off and disintegrated. With a bit of juggling, we transferred the right-hand tow mirror to the left-hand side, which helped when overtaking. Then, as we left the péage for our campsite, Le Ranch des Volcans at Châtel-guyon, we noticed something flapping on the side of the van. The rubber sealant strip that goes around the middle of the awning rail had somehow come loose and was trailing behind us like a whip. We decided just to wind it up until we arrived at our campsite. Once there, with the help of our trusty Swiss Army knife, strong fingernails and strategically placed duct tape, we managed to reinsert the strip into its rightful location. After an overnight stop at the delightful Camping La Pinède en Provence, in Mondragon, we continued our journey to Camping Pinèdes, in La Colle-sur-loup, close to Nice. This is a really great site, with excellent facilities; but it is steep and terraced, and proved something of a challenge with a caravan – thank heavens for a mover!
Road to Monaco
The chaos theory seems to rule supreme in this area, and driving around is not for the faint-hearted. We entered the tiny Principality of Monaco through a series of tunnels, feeling rather mole-like, and made our way to the surface. Here we found ourselves quite in awe at the view that confronted us: harbours filled with yachts and motorlaunches that simply screamed ‘money’. Preparations for the Grand Prix were in progress, and giant viewing platforms were being built on the harbourside. Monaco, although tiny in acreage, has built on every
available inch of land and houses, villas and hotels cling like limpets all over the steep hillside. While the Côte d’azur is a bustling, vibrant area, there is peace, tranquillity and beauty to be found in the rolling hills behind. The medieval hillside town of Tourrettes-sur-loup is a short, scenic drive away from the campsite, through the gorgeous Gorges du Loup, in the Parc Naturel Régional des Préalpes d’azur. This is a stunning place, perched eaglehigh on cliffs that tower over the gorge, with wonderful views across this beautiful countryside. There is plenty of parking, some lovely cafés and restaurants, and the medieval town – accessed through an archway off the main square – is a delight. Another delight that is just a short drive from the campsite is St Paul de Vence, a medieval town with narrow, twisting, cobbled roads, wonderful galleries and enticing cafés and restaurants. Then, desiring some peace and quiet, we hitched up and headed for Haute Provence and Camping Verdon Parc in Gréoux-lesbains: a delightful site by the riverside, with a superb swimming pool complex, and a restaurant and bar open all day. Although the site runs a courtesy bus to and from the village, it’s a pleasant walk, with great bars and cafés as your reward.
Stormy weather
Once again, the weather turned stormy and, with the Météo service indicating sunshine in central France, we upped sticks and headed north – back to the Loire. Our destination was Camping La Grande Tortue, near Blois, which had the added attraction of access to numerous ‘La Loire à Vélo’ cycle tracks. Blois itself is a lovely historical city and a delight to wander around, with lots of cafés and restaurants. La Grande Tortue, classified as a five-star site, did not live up to expectations. The toilet facilities, although clean, were in need of modernisation. If you are a family with children you will love it – couples, not so much. The cycle paths are superb, though, and we enjoyed trundling alongside the Loire in glorious sunshine. Discount tickets for the many châteaux in the area are available from reception, and we visited Château Royal d’amboise and Château de Chambord. Amboise – a 15th-century fortress that became a Renaissance-style royal residence – is perched high on a promontory above the beautiful town, on the banks of the Loire, with views across the river. Many artists came here, including Leonardo da Vinci, who is buried in the Chapel of St Hubert. Château de Chambord was also another delight and quite unmissable. Set in a park of 5000 hectares, it is simply stunning. Its magnificent architecture is world-famous and it’s the largest château in the Loire. We enjoyed glorious sunshine every day in the Loire, a fitting end to our spring sojourn in France. We covered more than 2000 miles on this trip – and we’ve still seen only a fraction of what this wonderful country has to offer. We already have two more trips planned this year. Vive la France!