Busy weekend here in Southern Touraine in the Loire Valley

Visit the tourist office site for more information

Something for the weekend...brocantes Sunday 2nd August

Brocantes / vide greniers Sunday 2^nd  August

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

BARROU – Brocante     Vide-greniers *

BOURGUEIL – Brocante     ***

MONTBAZON – Brocante Vide-greniers ***

NOIZAY – Brocante  Vide-greniers ***

PANZOULT – Brocante   Vide-greniers ***

PAULMY – Brocante  **

SAINT JEAN SAINT GERMAIN – Brocante *

LOUDUN - Vide-greniers ****

Having your cake and eating it in the Loire Valley...

Pauline hosted the Loire Valley Clandestine Cake Club's latest get together and choose the theme ... 'novelty cakes'...

and my was there an impressive collection of tasty treats.

Knives at the ready!

Jean, who 'exported' the idea over to here in the Loire Valley was rightly proud of the groups achievements.

As if we needed telling...

When the rain started on Sunday at the brocante the covers came out over many the vendor's stalls, which made it difficult to see what they were selling...this LP for sale summed up the weather.

What we bought...

Here is what we bought at yesterday's brocante at La Celle Guenand.

 We paid €5.00 for this Cherry Jeffe Huldah enamel print...

and the same for this mirror.

We also bought this Limoge dish and this large serving dish.

Sunday's brocante...La Celle Guenand

 Paid a visit to the areas biggest annual brocante at La Celle Guenand yesterday which proved as populaar as ever.

 You can buy almost anything here as represented by the first lot we came to...all the traffic (train?) controlling equipment you ever needed

 Events like these are as much of a social occasion as a treasure hunt and we happily met the 'usual suspects' in search of bargains.

Toys were as usual in abundance...know which one I'd have kids play with and it's not the 'Kalashnikov'.

As you walked around you were accompanied by the sounds of the 'Tannoy' system ...

and to our surprise we found the 'entertainment' was being provided by an old acquaintance of ours and Cally's- Claude used to play with Cally and Nev as 'CNC' trio.

 Music stand.

Sadly the rain came, after all the glorious weather we have had, I felt for the stallholders. That pink hat could have been useful.

With a little bit of  TLC who knows what you could do...

Wood you like to own this? I know I would.

How much do you think was being asked for these 'shabby chic' items?

€400 & €1000...wonder if they were bought?

Loved madame's hat and hat pin.

We did buy a few things...'a demain'

Expect the unexpected....‘La Malle aux Souvenirs’ in Ciran

When friends Jane & Peter suggested we should take in the “spectacular” ‘Son et Lumiére’ at Ciran we were a little sceptical as their description bellied any thoughts of what type of show this small (400+) village could possibly put on. We often pass through the village on our way to Loches and our shortcut to avoid driving through Ligueil took us past its little ‘etang’ which showed no real hint of a possible ‘spectacular’.

After an initial scare, a really heavy downpour, which we managed to avoid by arriving at the parking (field) just as the heavens opened and sitting tight until it passed, we set up stall courtesy of Mike & Liz’s folding chairs - what was about to unfold was still not clear.

Across the small lake you could see the minimum of props - a small structure which represented the attic, a colourful gateway and a large panel/screen...

.‘La Malle aux Souvenirs’ (The trunk of Souvenirs) was about to reveal itself.

 As darkness fell the scene was set by colourful back lights and music with our host welcoming us to a journey across the world via the trunk of memories of that would be revealed by inquisitive children and their imagination.

The lighting, music and water would feature heavily.

We were taken to America via the wild west, to India and the Ganges

...to Egypt...

...to Paris in the company of Tolouse Lautrec

...to a Venician ball

...to China

...to the Rio Carnival

 they even took us on a cinematic trip which included a 'Singing in the rain' sequence on their water stage.

After nearly two hours of performance the cast of hundreds (mainly local amateurs) took their bow before we were treated to a grand finale of fireworks.  

 We came away thinking that this should be on every visitor to the region's agenda, great!

Here is a small sample of the night...remember they are mainly amateurs...

Expect the unexpected...when Led Zeppelin meets rural France

We were invited over to a small music soiree at friends last night who have two student 'workawayers' Alex and Eden helping them out for a couple of weeks. Music provided by the very generous '! Don't Know' trio of Cally, Dave and Christian.

The surprise of the evening was this rendition of  Led Zeppelin's 'When the levee breaks' by Alex

             

Something for the weekend...brocantes Sunday 26th July

The 'big one' at La Celle Guenand

Brocantes / vide greniers Sunday 26th July

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

BLERE -  Vide greniers ****

BRAYE SOUS FAYE - Vide-greniers *

LA CELLE GUENAND - Brocante et fêtes des metiers ****

LA CHAPELLE SUR LOIRE - Vide-greniers ?

LE LIEGE - Brocante Vide-greniers ***

SAINTE CATHERINE DE FIERBOIS - Vide-greniers ***

SAVONNIERES – Brocante ?

THENEUIL -  Brocante Vide-greniers **

TOURS - Brocante professionnelle ***

Putting the river to bed...at Le Grand Pressigny

Not sure what's going on down at the river in Le Grand Pressigny...they appear to be re-routing the flow and working on both banks. The weir has gone and there are some hew twists and turns..

They have lined the banks with rocks but I wonder how this new course will stand up to the big rivers we can get here in winter and spring?They don't look nearly high  enough but time will tell.