Another year another Garden Festival

Saturday, 9 February 2019

The theme for this years International Garden Festival at Chateau de Chaumont-sur-Loire has just been announced, this year's gardens will be designed around 'Gardens of Paradise' - looking forward to it already. The festival will run from the 25th April until the 3rd of November.

Above are some random pics from our visits over the years

October in the gardens at Loches

Loches public gardens in October

World travellers stopping in at Le Grand-Pressigny

The lovely courtyard at 'Chez Grand Ma'

Said goodbye yesterday to our Australian guests who loved Le Grand-Pressigny especially the restaurants...they used all three! We enjoy exposing world travellers to our beautiful part of France. After a changeover we welcomed a charming American couple who are on a mission to find a home for themselves here...exciting times!

The welcoming 'Chez L'

'La Savoie Villars' dining room

Our Australian guests comments:

14/09/18

Thank you Jim & Pauline for a wonderful stay at 'Les Balcons', gracious hosts providing  lots of information...great stay!

Lyn & Carrick,

Rhonda & Robert,

Australia

October roses in the Loire Valley

Here in Centre-Val de Loire our roses just seem to go on and on...took this pic yesterday in the garden of the Old Walnut Mill in Barrou. May still be worth a visit to the beautiful rose village of Chedigny

Looking to relax in the Loire Valley

The charming couple who left the 'Old Walnut Mill' last Saturday were well acquainted with France,having had a holiday home in Normandy for 20 years but they were looking for a relaxing stay in another part of the country...and choose Barrou.

Here is their comment from the house guestbook:

24th August 2017

We came away for a relaxing week and that is what the 'Old Walnut Mill' gave us. It is extremely spacious and well equipped .Pauline & Jim were the perfect hosts - so  infectiously enthusiastic about the region. We were fortunate to have some glorious weather so enjoyed eating our evening BBQs in the lovely, peaceful courtyard. We had some great days out and planned our days around Jim & Pauline's recommendations and also other guests comments. The chateau at Villandry was spectacular and the gardens were immaculate. Other visits included Amboise, Chenonceau, La Roche Posay,Angles-sur-l'Anglin,La Guerche and Le Grand-Pressigny.

We've enjoyed two superb lunches at 'Chez Grand Ma' in Le Grand-Pressigny (€13 pp) the food was freshly prepaired and of excellent quality and the sevice was very attentive. This is indeed a beautiful area of the Loire Valley and well worth exploring some more. If we are around this area again we'd love to catch up with Jim and Pauline to see how all there developments are progressing. Thank you again for the welcome drinks in the fridge - much appreciated. Many thanks for everything to make our stayso enjoyable

Glenys & Peter,

Nr. Burton on Trent,

Staffordshire,UK

Reacquainting themselves with the Loire Valley

Saturday's departing guests at 'Les Balcons' were a lovely family who had visited many years ago and used their two week stay to reacquaint themselves with this beautiful part of France that is the Loire Valley.

Canoeing

Here is their comments from our guestbook:

12 to 26/08/17

Brilliant time - thank you Jim & Pauline. 'Les Balcons' was a joy and we had a great time seeing chateaux, canoeing and getting reacquainted with the Loire after many years away.

Thank you!

Lochlan, Ossion,Mary,Jo & Neil Thomson

North Yorkshire,

UK

Even better than expected - Parc Oriental de Maulevrier

Yesterday along with Mike & Liz we made the two hour drive over to the 'Parc Oriental de Maulevrier' in Maine-et-Loire. It was a trip I'd wanted to make as it looked great in any photographs I'd seen. I was not disappointed with the real thing -well worth the trip.