A really good day in the Loire

Well, no!! I didn’t get out for a ride in the morning. After a bottle of Vouvray bubbly and a bottle of Samur red, my wake up was a little slow this morning. We had planned on getting to the Loches market which was about 50 km down the road before 10.00 am. Along the way we made a couple of stops to take pics. Stop Leon, there’s another Chateau.
Finally at Loches and parking was at a premium - finally found a spot but the car was facing in the opposite direction, that’s OK, the French are fairly relaxed about that sort of thing.
Wandered thru the market when Sue spotted our mushroom friends - well we were like long lost friends, hugs, cheek kisses, etc. Wonder where we will meet next?
Sue bought a pressie of a beautiful pot of thyme, to give to Ken and Walt, who write a blog that Sue follows , and who had invited us for drinks that late afternoon.
Then off to Montresor, one of the “most beautiful villages” of France. We were greeted by the gate keeper of the chateau who gave us the tour instructions and sent us on our way. His favourite Aussie movie is Croc Dundee. Surprised he didn’t say G’day Mate!!!
This is a smaller chateau but more “real” to me. It had a real lived in feeling and we seemed to be alone in
this “home” giving us the feeling of absorbing what it may have been like to be living in the building.
In one of the rooms there was a portrait of an ancestor from the past and I said to Sue, “He looks like the gatekeeper”. Sure nuff, he was and the family still live on the property. Reminded me of our visit to Toulouse Lautrec’s family Chateau outside Albi.
Arrived home in time for me to throw on the lycra for a quick 1 hour ride. It really is a great thing to ride thru little French wine-growing villages and flashing a wave to the locals while dressed up like a pro-racer. Yes, I know…..What a wanker!!!!!

The real highlight of the day was meeting Ken and Walt whom Sue had been reading their blogs for the last 2 years.
They were a delight to meet and their life in the Loire is something to envy. Their hospitality was generous, starting with a very local white wine. So local that the vineyard was over the back fence. A guided tour thru their back yard of fruit trees and vegie gardens with their dog, Callie, ball in mouth following was an interlude before starting another bottle of local white.
Thanks to you both for a memorable experience.