Paris1972-Versailles2003

And as I came to the end of my latest road warrior trip in my belle France ; realise had a couple pictures left, Rather than not, will put them up here sort of a wrap up post on this wonderful trip with my Dad in wheelchair, our good dog Rex ,and my three young men -sons, Let me tell you about some curiosities in the Indre et Loire dept 37 of the Centre Val de Loire region of my belle France. Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The Viaduc of Monts built in millstone in 1845 and completed in 1848, was inaugurated on July 1, 1851 by the future Napoleon III. It allows the Paris-Bordeaux line to cross the Indre valley thanks to 59 arches of 751 meters long. Impressive going under it !

The town of Monts on the Viaduc : https://monts.fr/fr/rb/487710/patrimoine-37

The Hôtel de Ville of Montbazon was built on the site of a former arm of the Indre river, rests on pilings which ensure the stability of its foundations. The building was built in 1836 for its ground floor. Its entrance was then protected by a columned porch surmounted by a triangular pediment, but this device was subsequently demolished and a floor in the Restoration style was added in 1883. A clock was installed on its roof and its still functional mechanism was visible in a room on the lower floor.

The town of Montbazon on its heritage : https://ville-montbazon.fr/loisirs-et-tourisme/destination-montbazon/

The village of Panzoult is located 12 km from Chinon and 4 km from Île Bouchard,on the right bank of the Vienne river , which serves as a boundary with Tavant and Sazilly. François Rabelais located in Panzoult, in the Croulay valley, the house of the sibyl whom Panurge came to consult on the advice of Pantagruel !

The lordship of Roncée is mentioned as early as 1486 and was a stronghold of L’Ile Bouchard. A confession made in 1536 by François d’Availloles, describes the estate, which then includes a walled park of about 100 arpents, within which are: castle, chapel, barn, stable and pigeon house, but the current dovecote seems later. A description of 1634, indicates that the main entrance preceded by a beautiful staircase, was to the south and not on the road of the Colombier hillside built on a hexagonal plan on the outside and circular on the inside, and covered by a dome in stone, surmounted by a small campanile. The pigeons penetrate inside by six skylights established in the cupola and by the openings of the campanile. On the ground floor, the access door is surmounted by coats of arms.

Acquired in 2005 by the County Council, the former Château de Roncée dovecote in Panzoult was in a worrying state. The castle was destroyed in the 19C and only the dovecote remains, remarkable for its 2,400 putlogs and its lantern dome inside a winegrower’s estate. The dovecote has been completely renovated and now shows cultural events and expos on its inside. It is along the road D221 from Ïle Bouchard that becomes the D21 arriving Chinon.

The town of Panzoult on the dovecote : https://www.panzoult.fr/le-pigeonnier/ 

There you go folks, another dandy wonderful road warrior trip of a beautiful spot in my belle France. The valley of the kings of France, mostly in the now region of Centre Val de Loire is huge and beautiful, Working on it to see it all before my time is up, Again, hope you enjoy the post as I.

Postscript: This is in Cholet dept Maine et Loire 49 of the Pays de la Loire and we were coming home on my road warrior trip. Before getting home, we were hungry and I saw this restaurant Patàpain at ZAC de l’Ecuyére, Route d’Angers road D160 just before heading for Nantes to connect the N165 home. Very friendly, nice service, and inexpensive sane fast food of fougasse, chicken sandwich, beef charolais sandwich ,lulu ham sandwich, with soft drinks and pastry desserts for less than 9 euros per person. Nice, will seek them out again! Patàpain is a French fast food chain, founded in 1984 in Bourges by François Prely, founder of the company France Restauration Rapide. In 2020, it has 52 restaurants mainly located in central and western France. webpage: https://www.patapain.com/

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

I am on my road warrior mode again, and again in the beautiful Centre Val de Loire region with many visits. These are all firsts amazing abundance of marvelous places to see in my belle France. I had time riding along and came on the town of Avoine, passed by here but just zipping thru, this time was different. I stop and took a peek into the church,right on the road D749, a surprise nice church. Do not understand but very little if any information is available on it and even the town has hardly nothing on it. An off the beaten path jewel to be seen me think. Let me tell you what is available on the Church Saint Maurice of Avoine !! . Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The town of Avoine is located in the department 37 of Indre-et-Loire, in the Centre-Val de Loire region. It is 5 km from Bourgueil and Chinon train station is 7 km away, The name of Avoine is mentioned for the first time in the 12C in a charter of the abbey of Turpenay. The legend has it that in 732, some Arabs fleeing after the victory of Charles Martel(at Poitiers) found refuge in the Véron. The inhabitants of Savigny-en-Véron, a neighboring town of Avoine, would therefore be its descendants, hence their nickname of “Bedouins”. In the Middle Ages, the royal court stayed at the Château de Razilly, and many lords settled in the surrounding area.

What struck me passing on the road D749 was the Church Saint Maurice ,rebuilt in the 12C and gradually enlarged until the 16C, The lower nave was added in 1543, A rathe nice church that much more information should be made available, and I left my note inside !

Some of the things to see here are the nuclear power plant located on its territory, which provides it with significant financial income. The town territory is watered by the Loire and Indre rivers, The discovery area of ​​the Chinon nuclear power plant (town of Avoine) offers visitors an interactive exhibition around several themes to better understand the history of electricity, the challenges, The nice La Baronnière, an old 16C dwelling located at the entrance to the town, the majestic Château de la Caillerie, the old castle of Néman offer themselves to the enchanted gaze of walkers. The Puys du Chinonais, a set of limestone and sandy mounds where magnificent wild orchids bloom will delight lovers of rare flowers. Similarly, visitors will not fail to discover the Hauts de Bertignolles, a remarkable site made up of vast dry sandy lawns, small wetlands and an old gravel pit converted into a pond where water mints and loosestrife abound.

The town of Avoine is labeled “4 Flowers” thanks to the actions carried out by the services of the town, A jewel within a privileged environment and the starting point for many discoveries to nearby monuments and castles of the Loire valley.

The town of Avoine and its heritage : https://www.ville-avoine.fr/35-le-patrimoine/

There you go folks, this will be my introduction to Avoine. There is so much to see here and so much architecture and history in the valley of the kings of France! I try to give you a taste of the region and Avoine is worth a stop me think. Hope you enjoy it as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!