Easter entertainment

Part of our entertainment for the Easter weekend...looking forward to hearing her again.

Something for the Easter weekend

"Loches en fête" is an annual event that takes place every Easter weekend. Around fifty exhibitors from companies and artisans in Touraine du Sud will display their products and showcase their work. As well as a carnival there will be other distractions including street performances and travelling musicians plus the traditional egg hunt for the kids.

Place de Verdun, 10 am-8 pm Free Full programme here

Website


Egg hunt in the grounds of Chateau du Rivau

Most of the major chateaux of the Loire Valley are offering egg hunts for children over the weekend...

Easter weekend brocantes...

Brocantes / vide greniers Sunday 1st April

* Up to 50 stalls ** 50 to 100 stalls *** 100 to 200 stalls ****More than 200 stalls    ? Unknown

ANGLES SUR L'ANGLIN  Brocante-vide Greniers de Printemps

AZAY LE RIDEAU  Vide-greniers **

CHARGE  Brocante Vide-greniers *****

ESVRES  Brocante Vivre Avec Bazoulé **

MONTS  Vide-greniers ***

PONT DE RUAN  Brocante Vide-greniers **

SAINT ROCH  Vide-greniers **

TAVANT  Brocante Vide-greniers ****

TOURS  Le Temps d'un Disque (bourse aux Disques) *

ATHEE SUR CHER  Brocante de la Foire à l'Andouillette *

CHATEAU LA VALLIERE  Festival des Collectionneurs et Creations *

CHINON  Chinon Vintage

Brocantes / vide greniers Monday 2nd April

* Up to 50 stalls ** 50 to 100 stalls *** 100 to 200 stalls ****More than 200 stalls    ? Unknown

LANGEAIS  Brocante de Pâques ****

SAINT EPAIN  Brocante du Lundi de Pâques ***

Come on spring...give yourself a shake!

Speaking too soon?

This was the garden at Les Balcons on the 30th March last year when the temperature hit 23 degrees. 'Meteo' are predicting 13deg for Friday (30th)...what's going on!

Now that's more like it!

Pauline and I were busy at 'Le Bourg' again yesterday preparing it for our first guests of the season. We were actually able to enjoy a tea break alfresco for the first time this year, has spring actually arrived at last? Almost there, with just a little more to do. Still have 'Les Balcons' and 'Old Walnut Mill' to do.

Pollarding to the extreme...

Took this on Thursday evening by the river Creuse, this tree has been well pollarded! 

Spring is at last breaking through

Spring is at last bursting through in the gardens of our holiday rental homes  here in the Loire Valley.

  

These are in the garden at 'Les Balcons'

Tulips at 'Le Bourg'

Kerria at the 'Old Walnut Mill'

Something else for the weekend - plant fete at Chateau de Cheverny

This weekend the Chateau is the setting for the 16th edition of the Plant Festival. 

Plant festival at Chateau de Cheverny...website 

Brocantes / vide greniers this weekend 24th/25th March

Brocantes / vide greniers Saturday 24th March

* Up to 50 stalls ** 50 to 100 stalls *** 100 to 200 stalls ****More than 200 stalls    ? Unknown

ATHEE SUR CHER  Brocante de la Foire à l'Andouillette

•

CHATEAU LA VALLIERE  Festival des Collectionneurs et Creations

•

CHINON  Chinon Vintage

Brocantes / vide greniers Sunday 25th March

* Up to 50 stalls ** 50 to 100 stalls *** 100 to 200 stalls ****More than 200 stalls    ? Unknown

ATHEE SUR CHER  Brocante de la Foire à l'Andouillette

•••

CHAMBOURG SUR INDRE  Brocante

•

CHATEAU LA VALLIERE  Festival des Collectionneurs et Creations

•

CHINON  Chinon Vintage

FONDETTES  Bric à Brac des 101 Doltoniens **

LA VILLE AUX DAMES  Vide-greniers **

SAINT CYR SUR LOIRE  8ème Vide-grenier de l'Amicale Numismatique de Touraine ***

SAINT GENOUPH  Vide-greniers **

SAINT MARTIN LE BEAU  Vide-dressing (adultes, Enfants, Puériculture et Jouets) **

SAINT PIERRE DES CORPS  Brocante vide-grenier ****

TAUXIGNY  Bourse aux Plantes

TOURS  Antiquités Brocante Boulevard Béranger

More of what to expect at Chateau du Rivau this Spring

More on Chateau du Rivau here

Spring has arrived in Southern Touraine...

Spring arrived officially yesterday here in Southern Touraine, this is how it looked in Le Grand-Pressigny...

in Barrou

and in La Guerche

Welcome to spring...its official

 It may not feel like it but today is officially the first day of spring...have faith however surely changes are a coming!

More on the promise of what spring will bring

With the weather slipping back to slightly chillier times it is worth remembering that spring flowers are just around the corner like the tulips at Chateau de Cheverny which are so popular with early guests at our vacation rentals here in the Loire Valley.

Cally & a duo of Davids...

'Celtiqua' entertaining us last night at 'Bar la Saulaie' in Descartes to celebrate St Patrick's on what had been a great day for the Irish.

The group were reduced to a threesome as fiddler, Dave, was in the UK.

Southern Touraine sunset

Took these shots last night on way from Barrou to friends just outside Le Grand-Pressigny last night.

Something for the weekend...St. Patrick's night

Vintage paper at the project

Happy to report we were able to use the wallpaper we picked up at a local brocante for 25 cents a roll in the bedroom at the project in La Guerche.

Last night by the river in Barrou

By the river in Barrou last night

Little signs...and big bags

Little signs that spring is on its way at 'Le Bourg' where we are working at the moment...

but with the rise in temperature comes the work and first déchetterie run!

And so it begins...

From this...

We started working at Le Bourg yesterday to prepare it for the coming season.In reworking  the garden  I have created a bit of a monster that needs taming at this time of year to get it back in a fit state for receiving guests. As Pauline says however, what else would a pair of pensioners be doing with their time!

need to get it looking a bit like this

Springing into spring in Barrou

Daffodils on Rue des Jardins, Barrou yesterday

Waiting for the blossom

This was Rue Saint-Martin in Le Grand-Pressigny on this date last year...it was 20 deg! Waiting for that and the spring blossom.

'Beaming' with a little progress.

New walls and ceiling finished in bedroom at the project in La Guerche

Two from different times in Tours...

No 51 Rue Voltaire

No 57 Rue Voltaire

Dining out in Tours - 'La Ruche' 105 rue Colbert

We always enjoy visiting Tours but when we are there over lunchtime we sometimes find it difficult to choose where to eat as we are so spoilt for choice. On our visit yesterday it was made a little easier for us because, as we were walking done the pedestrianised rue Colbert checking out the menus of some of the many restaurants, a charming elderly lady encouraged us to try the one opposite to where we were standing. She said the food was all freshly made using produce bought locally and at a fair price. After confirming she wasn’t related to the proprietrice and her letting us know she was a local resident with three generations of her family living in Tours, we decided to give it a try.

The restaurant was the small but perfectly formed 'LaRuche' which retains some of the authentic charm of the eighteenth century house it once was. We chose the 'Plat et Dessert' menu at 14.50 euro. We both had a very tasty 'blanquette de veau' for our main, plus our choice of dessert, this is Pauline's below, I had profiteroles. It was all served very professionally by a young man (in a dickie-bow no less) and young woman. You can buy a bottle of wine from their wine menu at sensible prices or by the glass at 4.50euro.   

We would certainly recommend it!

'La Ruche' 105 rue Colbert , Tours,  02 47 66 69 83