The daily diary of a wandering restaurateur
May 9 - Chateau Country
A
sunny day of touring the Loire Valley before we head to the Chateau de Brissac ... for
dinner! A few days ago, Marie spotted a small announcement in the paper about a classical
music concert and dinner at the chateau tonight. She got on the phone and snagged the last
four places for us ... but more on that later.
In the best spirit of America, we spent the day burning up fossil fuel. We headed through Angers and followed the Loire River, stopping here and there when we spotted something interesting. The first thing we noticed were the numerous caves in the limestone cliffs along the river. Many are natural and some are man-made, still used in whole or in part as residences, to store wine or to grow mushrooms. We drove up to the Chateau/castle at Saumur, then back along the river, stopping for a picnic along the way.
Half the fun of a picnic in rural France is picking up the necessities in a small town. The bread comes from the boulangerie, the ham from a charcuterie and the cheese from a fromagerie when you can find one. For pastries, you must find a patisserie. What you lose in supermarket convenience is more than compensated by the quality and selection of the food itself. When you get this close to the source, you realize how processed the U.S. food supply has become.
Then, because we were feeling slightly guilty about not exploring deeper, we went to the Abbaye de Fontevraud for a look around. It's current claim to fame is as the burial site for Richard the Lion-Hearted. The grounds were extensive and the architecture was impressive, but the renovation was so complete that the place looked and felt like new construction rather than something that has been around since the 12th century.
But we musn't keep the Marquis waiting, so it was off to Brissac for a quick tour before we met Marie and Claude for the concert and dinner. The chateau dates from the 1500's and is still in daily use. The family lives in part of it and part is given over to public tours. Even with the tour revenue, the upkeep on a place this size has to be staggering! It is a wonder that more have not fallen into ruin. The story of the evening is better told in pictures than in text, so I refer you to the enclosed photos. Ta ta for today.
Food and Drink in the Loire Valley
© 2004 Restaurant Doctor
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