I first visited the Val de Loire on a much needed break from a stressful London life. I had heard of its charm and stunning châteaux and armed with my trusty map and guide book, my 106 and I left London and made for France.
I had especially wanted to visit the many châteaux and sample the wines of the Loire Valley; it was soon clear I wasn't going to be disappointed. First stop, Blois - a charming medieval town dominated by its château, and a taste of what was to come.
Next on tour was Château de Chambord and with an afternoons sun illuminating the white tuffeau stone, Chambord was an impressive sight and was everything one would expect of a château. With its stunning architecture spread over such a large area, it was easy to see why the Loire Valley enjoyed its status as a popular destination in France.
More châteaux followed: Ambroise, Chenonceau, Cheverny, Azay-le-Rideau, Brézé, Brissac, Montreuil-Bellay, Montsoreau, Saumur, Chinon, Villandry - et respirer! Each had their own intrigue and, to this day, I can’t choose my favourite.
Continuing my trail of discovery, I followed the Loire river, passing through one charming village and town after another, all built in the region's lovely tuffeau stone. It was pleasing to see many older buildings had been restored to their former glory, while some sorely neglected and had crumbled into ruin, all of which added to the appealing charm of la belle France.
Wine-ding Down
At this stage, feeling a little château’ed and villaged out, I was relieved to reached my next destination, a quiet hamlet outside Saumur. From here, I intended to broaden my knowledge of Loire Valley wines beyond Sancerre & Muscadet.
Saumur, a pretty town set on the bord de loire, home to the famous Cadre Noir and host to a fabulous Saturday morning market, was in easy reach of the AOC appellations of Saumur, Saumur-Champigny, Bourgeuil, St-Nicholas de Bourgueil, Anjou and Chinon. This section of my de-stressing-break was going to be very interesting!
It didn’t take much effort to adopt the French way of purchasing wine, buying directly from the wine-maker. Open gates to domaines with signs of ‘vente’or ‘ouverte’ was all that was needed to entice me in. Greeted by the vigneron and invited for une dégustation, a wine-tasting either, in les caves or un salon, delicious whites, rosés and reds excited my taste buds. It was soon apparent my little 106 wasn’t going to be big enough for my newly acquired treasures and, perhaps, obtaining my own troglodyte cave for wine storage wasn’t a bad idea. If only I knew what lay ahead....
As with all good things, my stay in the Val de Loire soon came to an end and after experiencing aperitif’s with the locals and a number of ‘les portes ouvertes’, at various domaines, I didn’t want to return to London. I had enjoyed my discovery of the Loire and meeting the French immensely but an embarrassingly overlaiden 106 and I made our way back home.
Never did I imagine my time in France would have such a profound affect. Within five months of my return to London, I had resigned from my job, sold my flat, and my 106 and I were making our way back to France, this time to fulfill a dream.
Admittedly, my move wasn’t done on a whim. I had been planning a life in France for a long time, and had spent much time economising, learning the language and researching what a move to another country involved. It was exciting to know D-day had actually arrived and my efforts were about to be paid off, I hoped.
A Firm Idea
Once in France I rented a delightful millhouse while I searched for my ideal property. Knowing exactly what I wanted, what I could afford and the location I was interested in was a huge asset. Estate agents tried to convince me differently but I stood my ground. Et volia! Within three weeks, I discovered La Bellevue, signed the paperwork and my project, a vineyard discovery business, commenced.
Located in the heart of un village de charme, La Bellevue consisted of a main house and a delightful independent cottage, une maison d’amie, both constructed in the illuminous tuffeau stone. There was also a huge barn - a project for a later date and to my delight, La Bellevue had her own network of troglodyte caves, un pressoir, (wine-press) and un four-au-pain, (bread oven), which is still used today. Surely it couldn’t all be this easy? But it was. The house purchasing process in France was an absolute joy.
It took twelve weeks to finalise the purchase, and the move into La Bellevue took place during a very cold month of January. A baptism of fire followed, as the months ahead involved setting up the vineyard discovery, acquiring new French vocabulary, locating the nearest bricolage and quincaillerie and perfecting those DIY skills.
Wall building, house renovating, tree surgery, gardening and general do-it-yourself became a new way of life, all of which was joyfully embraced. I won’t pretend it wasn't hard work, but it was wonderfully rewarding, particularly as the visable improvements became more and more apparent as each month passed.
Today, with the Vineyard Discovery launched, I can enjoy the surrounding vineyards, quaint sleepy hamlets and stunning views at a more leisurely pace. My move to France has been a dream come true, and I often used to question if my euphoric state could ever be surpassed, surely not? But it has been! One day my path crossed that of a French vigneron - in 2007 we were married, and in 2008 we eagerly await the arrival of our new baby.
Moving to France
