I was thirty five before I holidayed abroad and was very excited by my first trip to Bulgaria. In the following ten years the locations became more exotic; We bought a Time Share in Portugal, cruised the Med. and the Caribbean ; Summer Sun, Winter Sun, Skiing. After a while deja vu set in; same set up, different country. The few years that followed where holidays were not on the agenda were a welcome relief.
A new relationship meant that holidays were back under
discussion. This time however aeroplanes weren't !
My fiancé wanted to see
The Carousel in Saumur with various stop offs for tank seeing so driving
was the only option.
Since we live in the north west it is a trek to get to Dover but undeterred the ferry crossing was duly booked. We travelled through the night for a 7 am crossing. So far, so good ! The one hour crossing sailed by ! Calais proved the first test point ! We had been warned that signs disappear and they did. The main concern is concentrating on driving on the right ! We followed our noses and found the coast which we followed south to Cap Gris Nez as planned ( another story, tank seeing !)
It was mid afternoon before we set out on our main journey to Saumur. We deliberately hadn't booked in to anywhere for that night so that we weren't under any pressure. We were on holiday after all ! We set out on the minor roads. Heaven ! Mile after mile of undulating countryside, fabulous views, tree lined tarmac stretching further than the eye could see. We felt all the stress of the last few weeks draining away. As there was very little traffic we decided to take to the auto route which proved a great success. The small tolls that were payable were money well spent as the kilometres sped by with ease. We had hoped to reach Rouen but tiredness hit at Abbeville so we made for the town. Parking and finding a comfortable hotel was easy and we settled for the night
. Midmorning we set out for Saumur. We couldn't believe the scenery, fields of sunflowers, orchards, vines, corn fields, tiny picturesque villages. We stopped when we were hungry at a restaurant in the middle of nowhere and had a delicious lunch, then continued on our way arriving in Saumur late afternoon.
Yes we'd seen the pictures but nothing prepared us for our
first sighting as we crossed the impressive bridge spanning the Loire. The
river glistened under the afternoon sun, reflecting the creamy buildings of
the town made from the stone of Saumur, and there majestically
overshadowing the town was the magnificent chateau.
A sharp left as we came off the bridge and we followed
the roads alongside the river for four kilometres to Dampierre and Le
Petite Hureau was hidden behind a high wall to our right. A sharp turn
between brown wooden gates and we just gasped in wonderment.
A mini chateau !!!!
Our host Christian Pommery rushed out to welcome us ! All the travelling, although certainly not unpleasant, was worthwhile ! We entered through a low but wide varnished heavy door in the centre of a turret which was the centre focal point of the house. Straight ahead was a comfortable dining / sitting room for the maximum six guests, to the left Christian's kitchen ! We climbed the stone, spiral staircase in the turret and reached the first floor, which proved to be our floor ! Christian opened the door to further gasps of pleasure from us ! The room was huge, the varnished wooden floor set off the wrought iron double and single beds, the fabulous ornate chests, the enormous stone fireplace, and there was still room to party ! En suite there was an impressive bathroom housing a huge bath in which we soon soothed our travel weary limbs !
Rested and changed we made our way down for our table d'hôte that we had pre booked. The other four guests arrived and after the formalities Christian brought our aperitif ! He served us a four course meal fit for a king . We then took our coffee out onto the patio and chatted contentedly watching the bats swoop overhead. Totally relaxed we made our way up those fabulous stairs to bed !
TOP TIPS
Don't be put off driving in France. It was a lot easier than we expected.The roads are nowhere as busy as the British roads. Most signs are easy to follow. We missed a couple of turnings but easily corrected it.
Do learn the language ! It is appreciated ! We got away with my O'level French from 30 years ago and a phrase book but we intend doing better for next time.!
You MUST have a GB sticker, headlight adapters, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, spare lamps.They are cheaper at home than at the port.
Don't forget you are driving on the right ALL OF THE TIME ! When turning it's easily forgotten and that is where four eyes are better than two ! If you are travelling any great distance to the British port consider staying overnight at the port so you are fresh and alert for your new experience! Relax and enjoy yourself ! It's an adrenaline rush and the best way to see the real France !
When the tourist information centre kindly sent us a booklet of things to do in Saumur we were amazed by what was available. My fiancé already knew about the Carrousel at L'ecole de Cavalry and Musee des Blindee (more tanks!) but there's also the Chateau , Notre Dame and numerous caves called troglodytes , the source of all the stonework in the town, now housing wines and mushrooms !
We had allocated Saturday for sight seeing and Sunday for the Carrousel ( it was on for three days, Friday to Sunday ). Since the Chateau had captured our interest we decided to go there first. It's the easiest to find being at the highest point and with plenty of free parking. It certainly lived up to expectations inside and out, spectacular views, a very informative guided tour by an English speaking guide, entertainment outside in a 'mock' Medieval village. We toughly enjoyed a very informative morning there, learning much more about Saumur and it's history. Exiting the Chateau car park we saw the sign for Musee des Blindee, our next port of call. This is all too easy !!
My fiancé was enthralled for hours with their extensive displays of military vehicles. I must admit I found it well documented and interesting even though my knowledge of history is sadly lacking.Many rolls of films and camcorder tape later we made our way out into the sunshine and decided a winery seemed a good idea !
We thought about going to the one near Le Petit Hureau but on our way down we saw a sign to another one so went there. Everywhere is well signed. We had our own free tour with a guide and then had a tasting! Another hour filled satisfactorily !
Parking in the town centre was surprisingly easy and to our
amazement we came upon the Carrousel which served a double of purpose of
knowing where we going the next day ! A late lunch and a wander round the
shops cancelled any further sightseeing !
That evening we dined alone on the patio feeling very
special !
We were very good Sunday. The Carrousel started at 9 so we breakfasted at 8 and found our way to the previous days car park. It is held in an ideal location. In the town centre and the arena is in front of l'Ecole de Cavalry, a striking U shaped building. We couldn't believe our luck as our seats were facing it making our filming very impressive. There was a morning show from 10 till noon which contained horse displays, both regimental and light hearted with rousing music both from their bands and background tapes.This is the site of the famous Cadre Noir , an elite cavalry regiment.
A leisurely lunch in town, a wander around the numerous displays and demonstrations and we were ready for the afternoon's entertainment. This was from 2 till 5 and consisted of a skilled demonstration from the motorcycle corps and then pageants using military vehicles, all most impressive.
There was entertainment of varying sorts from 9 am till 7 pm so it's a full day and well worth a visit. We are already planning next years trip ! TOP TIPS Get to your seat early, it's sold to capacity. Take a cushion ! It's bench seating ! You can reserve a seat for lunch at the nearby restaurants but we found the staff very efficient and were finished in plenty of time. Make a date in your diary for next July.It's great for the whole family.