There was no fixed agenda. Just a couple of chateaux, wines, round it off in Tours and then back to fonty, this was the plan.The day started around 8-30 am after a night of heavy pisco drinking with the Incas. I was amazed that we managed to get up! A beautifully sunny day. We were all gung ho about it and then somewhere around Bois de Bologne or something like that, the fog started rolling in. There was pin drop silence in the car as the four of us were simultaneously saying our prayers to ward the clouds away. Et voila! The first stop was Chambord and take a look at the sky. Walked around the grounds - pictures galore or as we say - pateling. Outside the chateau, their definition of cappuchino is a little different from what I am used to. You ask for a capu...and you get a cafe with a huge dollop of Chantilly. In fact, the cafe is constant. When you ask for cafe au lait, you get a cafe, then the milk carton comes out. Dont expect a boiling hot cup of coffee - in fact, a cuppa tea might be a little more pleasant.
Coming back to the chateau, beautiful - as much for the architecture as for the rolling lawns and green grass all around. It is a white island in the middle of a green sea - isolated and standing tall.In a distance is a nuclear center and the offices of the EDF. The clouds that you see against the blue sky aren't god's creation but man-made pollution.
Next stop Cheverny - the home of Captain Haddock and the imaginary Marlinspike. Its an excellent marketing gimmick. The ficitional copy has done full justice to the real chateau but you cant see it from the road.
You end up buying tickets for 6 euros per head just for a dekko. And the insides are amazingly ordinary. The only interesting feature was a document signed by George Washington for one of the ancestors who fought with La Fayette and Rochembeau during the American war of Independence. People enjoy watching the dogs being fed....different pleasures. We moved on to Blois to feed ourselves. Pretty town. Cobblestone streets, lovely chateau again and a very pretty church. There were people praying and I didnt feel like using the camera. It had a very unusual altar - with a blue Mary. Missed the Museum of Magic - lack of time but Amboise more than made up for it. A small village with a fort like chateau, the christmas lights up. After walking all the way to the Clos Luce, we found the tickets cost 9 euros. Oh..oh...not paying that much for some IBM models. So we decided to just stroll around. The four of us in the explorer mould, climbed a hill and voila! A full view of the Loire valley, the river, the town and a setting sun. It was quite magical.When we got back to the car park at the chateau, I got lucky. Happened to notice a wine tasting underway at one of the outlets. This was Plou et Fils. Lets give it a shot, was the instant thought. Of course, we were too self conscious to sit there and give our opinions on the wines. So we did the next best thing - asked specifically for what we were interested in. The chardonnay - strong nutty flavour and it left an aftertaste (a pleasant one) which lasted all the way to the car. Ended up buying the Chardonnay and Cremant de Loire...THANK YOU TWEEDLEDUM!!!!!
Post this, the drive along the river was fini. It was on to Chenonceaux - views from different angles, disappointments (no lights in the winter), pleasures (seeing the spires across the river) and then Tours. Its a huge city! I hadnt imagined it this big. Modern multistoreys juxtaposed with ancient statues, fountains in the river changing colours. There was a 'je ne sais quoi' in the air, I still cant identify it, but it reminded me of the sea front in Goa. Couldn't capture Hotel de Ville too well (photographer genius that I am) but it was a lovely sight especially with the Christmas tree and all the lights having been put up. Had coffee in a very nice cafe - Le Vaubray - suprise, suprise - an amazingly polite and sweet proprietor. In fact the proprietor of the restaurant where we had lunch was also a very friendly man. I think it was La Petite Pizzeria. He had a board which read - Prix net - Sourire compris. For the first time in France, I had coq au vin..in an Italian restaurant. And it was delicious. Exactly the way I imagine french cooking - thick, brown sauce to dip my bread into.Anyway, post Tours, we were all ready for home. The plan was dinner in Melun and then home. None of us had any idea what time Supra closes but we decided to take a chance. Fortune favours the brave. 10-45pm - we got in just before he closed for the day. We were so touched that he decided to extend the time for us that we have actually got back a huge bunch of cards to put on the notice board. His food needs publicizing. Its good.
No comments:
Post a Comment