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 !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
Leave a Reply