Crepes, galettes & cidre...part II

As we were driving into Dinan I asked the navigator where we would be able to find our little chambre-d'hote but she hadn't printed off the directions...ah well nothing like driving into a strange town with no idea where you are headed! Not to worry we headed for the tourist board where a lovely young lady showed us how to get there. It was located just outside the fortifications of the town along from the ancient gate of Porte Saint.Malo.  A site that would become very familiar to us as we made our way back forth from the town.

The chambre-d'hote was situated,according to the owner, beside the only free parking in the town. This was apparently because the mayor of the town lived nearby so that was a stroke of luck!

We spent the afternoon and evening familiarising ourselves with the layout of this very pretty town so as to make the most of our time there.

We also felt we should taste the local drink - cider, which proved to be most palatable - and interestingly served in a prohibition style cup!

 We also took the opportunity to book our anniversary (39) meal at the splendid  'Chez Mer la Pourcel' for the following evening. 

Crepes,galettes & cidre...part I

Last Friday we set off for a long weekend in Dinan in Brittany, on the way we stopped of for lunch in Montreuil-Bellay and for a coffee in Angers places we had not visited since 2002!

It only served to remind us that apart from its delightful chateau buildings there is not much to see here. We had lunch in a little 'creperie' behind the chateau lunch where we took the dish of the day -no surprise it took the form of a crepe - but big surprise in that it was stuffed with spinach - our fault should have checked!

We took a look at the old fortifications before continuing our journey to Angers...

where we had a coffee behind the cathedral before retracing some of our earlier steps...a fine city is Angers.

Barrou missed...

We have been up in Dinan for the weekend...have we mist Barrou...will let you know later!

Mer...

Sometimes the unsympathetic way building here in France are adapted to house toilets dismays me a little...this one is in the town of Mer.

Church on Sunday...

This Sunday the church is a bit of a mystery. I know it somewhere between here and Beaugency! I remember being intrigued by the fact it was attached to the Mairie so I stopped for a closer look only to find it and the Mairie closed!

What price live music?

Last Saturday we went along to  to Leigny les Blois with our current guests at Les Balcons to listen to Audrey et les Faces B...they were great! So good in fact that we wondered if they would perhaps play at our small music festival here in Barrou - but sadly their fee is too high. Not that they are not worth it - we were lucky enough to catch them,along with a couple of dozen others, however for € 5.00/head which included a drink and a biscuit ! 

Bump without the grind...

Don't know why but when I look at this pic of the tree in the churchyard/mairie at Angles-sur-l'Anglin I keep hearing 'Nutbush city limits' in my head!

Last of the summer fruits...

I made a fruit salad last week which included the last (or maybe not) of the strawberries from the garden - not bad since we have been enjoying them all summer. Would have had a lot more but left them too long and fruit flies were having a field day! We also lifted a cucumber to use in a salad yesterday!

Dogged art...

Her is more art from 'Art & Lard' - Pauline had seen this 'installation' before at the chateau in Le Guerche. I think he added a few more 'dogs' after I took the shot.

Art for art's sake...

Here are some of the art exhibits that were on display at Sunday's 'Art & Lard' festival.Loved these unique lighting options by 'Le Filament'

There was a lot of clever metal working...

...including these musical instruments.

Also liked this delightful little car but at 1300€ a bit rich for our blood!

The village lavoir  was as usual used as exhibition space though I did think the exhibits looked a bit like fish out of water!

It rained again...

Despite the forecast we went along to the 'Art & Lard' festival in Le Petit-Pressigny yesterday.

 It was a case of umbrellas at the ready as we worked our way along the exhibitors.

I have to repeat what I have said on previous years...they need to change the date of the event! Even just back to September when they may have a better chance of avoiding such inclement weather. The idea of the day is very good but having a fair weather day would add so much to the event.

 We were actually quite lucky as the rain held of for most of our visit and when we had to retreat undercover we had the welcoming delights of the English tearoom to entice us in. The other opportunity for some refuge was in the church and a good time would have been when the brass quintet were playing but the programme only narrowed the time of this to the 'afternoon' so could have had a long wait!

On the way back I decided to check out the 'exhibition' that was advertised on the Loches/Touraine Sud  website at the nearby Château de Ré only to find locked doors.

Footnote:
 For those who decided to leave strolling around the exhibits until later in the day they were blessed with an unforcasted pleasant afternoon.   

Church on Sunday...Abbey church of Notre-Dame in Beaugency

 Today's featured church is the abbey church of Notre-Dame in Beaugency but for the moment it is just the photographs. I will be making a new page on www.experienceloire.com/loire-valley-churches for this church...it has a few stories to tell!

 Where's Joan? 

Only found her on a video presentation as you enter the church.

Something for the weekend...

http://www.experienceloire.com/whats-on-in-october.htm

The unfortunately titled annual 'Art & Lard' festival (for English speakers anyway) is this Sunday at Le Petit-Pressigny  You can view the works of up to 20 local artists set up in a variety of locations throughout this charming little village. This year's event will also have some musical content in the form of a concert by a brass quintet in the church (not sure when) plus a 'retro-swing group' providing street entertainment. The 'lard' part of the day involves 'tastings' for children and adults plus an exhibition of medieval crockery. 

We understand  there is also an 'exhibition' at the nearby Château de Ré.

From 2013
From 2012
From 2011

La Folie...

We had often sat at the traffic lights at the junction where the D50 from Veigne meets Rue Nationale on the way up to Tours and looked over at the busy carpark at the the adjacent restaurant 'La Folie'.

To us this is always a good sign of good food at competitive prices but we had never tried it - we were always either passing before or after lunch as we'd be on 'a mission' of some sort and as anyone will tell you you can't complete much over lunchtime...except a good lunch perhaps!  

On the way up to Tours yesterday to pick up Miki (the owner of 'Le Bourg') we noticed it had reopened after a bit of a makeover so, as it was in fact a lunchtime train we were meeting, decided to try it on the way back to Barrou.

The new interior is very modern and comfortable. We had a lamb tagine (there was thee other choices) which was very tasty. A couple of things we didn't like so much were the fact that you selected your desert from a chill cabinet and had to take your coffee from a little machine (you can see it on the left above) but overall it was tasty and good value for money.