One of our favourite times of the year, after Christmas of course, is Summer.
Sun filled days, spent in the garden. The tomatoes and courgettes are ripe and ready to pick straight from garden to plate, always a delight. The roses look superb and the fields are a vibrant green. The swallows which nest in our caves are back. Meals alfresco, Barbecues smoke fills the air, all is well with the world. All these are reasons enough, but, there’s more: we enjoy summer because it is the time for Family and friends to visit!
We love it, Ash loves it and now Skye and Wiggins are happy, often sitting on the guest beds watching the comings and goings.
Breakfast mentioned elsewhere is an important time, we catch up on breaking news and plan the day ahead. This time is always exciting especially so, if the guests are from Australia. Obviously not regular visitors , but both Russell and Vanessa, and Simon and Caitlin have enjoyed sharing a table at Monkvalley, and we look forward to many more
Must dos: An early evening visit to Domaine St Maur for a degustion and to stock up with a few bottles . Saumur Market on Saturday mornings, this usually involves popping in for a cheeky beer somewhere. Maybe a chateaux, or the gardens at Villandry or the Abbey a Fontevraud: Very often if the sun is out folks are just happy lazing in the garden sipping from a glass.
My sister Susan and her husband are regular visitors, often fitting in two visit. They do love to come while the Tour de France is on (July) especially if it is close by, when we can arrange to go and watch. I think we’ve been 5 or 6 times. In 2016 it finished in Angers and the next day started from Saumur. Two thoroughly enjoyable days. Part of the excitement is planning the picnic!
Another must do for Susan is a day in Angers with Sheila. David and I usually go for steak and frites or moules.
They have a strict routine, an espresso in the bar conveniently placed adjacent to the station. Shopping, I use that word loosely, more like strolling around a few of their favourite shops. Then a long leisurely lunch. When from all accounts they put the world to right and everyone in it!!More strolling then ending the afternoon in the bar where they started, but this time not for a coffee.
One visit, unusually in the winter, Sue a was astounded to see Sheila first ask for a doggie bag for her chips ( Ash cannot have chips – so why?) she then asked for more bread and started to fill her pockets; it was at this point Sue was ready to leave Sheila on her own, or at least fetch a doctor! Once outside all was revealed Sheila had spotted a beggar and because it was so cold she gave him the food.
Debbie has not missed a year, normally around Sheilas birthday in August. Its always a good time usually involving two trips to the Xavier’s cave! Debbie is always happy to sit and relax in the garden and it was with her that we officially opened up the cave. A lovely evening. Magical.
DEBBIE AND SHEILA
Other regular visitors are Liz and Matt.We visit usual haunts like Saumur market, perhaps a chateaux and a always a nice long tasting at Xaviers, they both love the Pink Fizz. Matt started his wedding morning off with a glass.
Then one year we spent a couple of nights on the coast in a “town” called Pen Bron and, yes it is in France not Wales. Well I say town! It felt as if we were staying in a hospital, it was unnerving to enter the lift and be greeted by a person in a wheelchair with tubes and pipes poking out from every orifice! A sense of humour was essential. We were reprimanded by the receptionist/bar person for asking for a drink at ……. 9: 00pm..We all agreed it was the weirdest two days any of us had ever spent in a “hotel” Liz’s famous words “I only wanted a night in La Rochelle”!
PEN BROM
The Loire is always an attraction, inviting and dangerous in equal measures. Always changing, sand banks, shallow rippling pools, still like a mill pond, then a raging torrent with dangerous undercurrents.
In 2016 Jill and Steve were on a visit (their first) in early June, and the river was in full flood .
ROAD??
It was exceptional in Le Thoureil where it had reached the church door. We soon appreciated how exceptional: The 4 of us were perched under a brolly, rain bucketing down, in the nearby bar enjoying a beer. We sat for about an hour, during which times scores of people drove down to the river, got out of their cars, took photos, then got back in their cars and drove off.
Many interesting places close by, but, in the end its not so much what to do, or where to go, Its all about spending quality time together.
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