In search of chenin blanc

While Ray was relaxing in the shade of the pomme arbre (apple tree), he decided he wanted to wine taste on Saturday…so we set out in search for good chenin blanc which is available in the region of Tour.  Wow.  Was it beautiful.  But I must interrupt myself to show you our dinner last night!!

Turkey brochettes as done by moi mere( my husband)!!

Turkey, fresh grilled green beans, baked potatoes, fresh tomato.  All veggies from the jardin (garden) picked just minutes before they were required!!  C’est tres bon!  A picture of a just-dug up and just baked potato!!!

So on to today.  Below is Ray in the tasting room at Vouvray.   Looks modern inside.  But here are some of it’s neighbors on the outside!!

The two pictures just above are a couple of doors down from the other modern one.  We achete (buy) deux botellas d rose champagne.

The village of Amboise from across the reve (river).   Below are pictures of the non-chocolat display cases in the chocolat shop!!!

A small fixer-upper on the Loire.  And the Loire as we passed o’re it.

Blois on the river Loire (above) and a dirt road we found by mistake (below).

We had a blast.  Started out on the freeway.  It cost us 12 euro to go for an hour.  On the way back, we took the back roads.  They took longer, but we followed the Loire most of way and the views were superb.  The day was warm.  We found a great parking place almost without effort in Amboise (home of the chocolat and fig sorbet).  We purchased a whole box of chocolat noir filled with hazelnut cream, cafe, walnut, raspberry, chocolat…really, we’re not even sure.  All we know is that it cost 26 euro for a little tiny box and it was worth every euro.  We came home, barbecued chicken, wrestled up some potatoes from the garden and a tomato off the vine and voila!!!  Dinner followed by chocolat!!!  and red wine.  We bought 6 bottles for an average of 5 euro a bottle including two bottles of rose champagne that is excellent.  That was purchased at that place we took a picture of (above) in an old “cave”.   Wow.  Makes you wonder why our wine costs so much where we live.

Anyway, wanted to share mostly pictures today.  Hope you all enjoyed them.

Okay, one comment from the peanut gallery.  California has a lot more in common with France that it does, say, Alabama.  Or the mid-west.  Or almost any state.  It makes me think that someone had a good idea (bon idee).  We should succeed from the Union and join the EU.  We love good food and wine.  Our attitude is more relaxed and non-judgmental…it’s a great fit!!!  There are other benefits as well.  However, it is late and I’ll leave it to your imaginations!!!

Tomorrow we prepare for our trip to the south of France.  We plan to be gone trois jours, lundi to mercredi (monday to wednesday).  We bought quiche for petit dejeuner (breakfast) demain (tomorrow).  Beyond that, everything is a surprise…to you and us!!

We miss our friends but we aren’t homesick, if that makes sense.  This trip is fabulous!!!




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