Getting About part 1

Went into Saumur this morning to visit the château. Only been there once before, which was ages ago. It's an odd place certainly on the inside, most unprepossessing. From the outside it is incredibly imposing as all châteaux were designed to be.  We decided to park down by the river and then walk up, which takes you up to panorama. It doesn't take that long, although in parts in quite steep. But the walk take you close alongside the buttresses and if you look up, the château really looms over you.

It was a lovely day today so the view over the town was very clear. I assume that Napoleon's decision to convert the château into a prison was what kept it from being destroyed but also guaranteed there was a lot of tinkering with the structure. It's very noticeable when you get inside. While a lot of money is being spent on the building there's unfortunately no cohesion inside the building and it's totally lacking in atmosphere. Still glad we went though.

On the way back we stopped off on the spur of the moment at Candes Saint Martin. Incredibly picturesque place that we often taken first-time visitors to see, sitting as it does at the confluence of the Loire and Vienne. This time we stopped for a rekkie at the  Enfin du Vin, a cave/bar which stocks fine wines in the Loire and also serves a small menu of regional gastronomic specialities. We'd heard of it a while ago, but as yet hadn't visited. We came into C.S.M around lunch time - couldn't have been better timing. Wine can be bought in quantity, by the bottle or like us, a glass of wine and a plate of . . . we chose a trilogy of superb rillettes, duck, rabbit and beef, but there's also fish and cheese options, individually or plates to share.  Enfin du Vin is perfectly positioned just off the centre of the village, with decent parking opposite and easy access by pathway down to the entrance which leads directly into the cave/bar, passing by a Barnum covered eating area. Outside and behind the building there's additional seating, with a proper track that locals, visitors, walkers, cyclists use. On the other side of the track is the river. A perfect stopping-off place - which was exactly what happened while we were there. Others arrived for a picnic, dropping into the cave for their wine and a few extra bits. For us it was the selection of white wines that was particularly interesting. We go to a few excellent local wine producers with white wine on their list. But our village is predominantly a red/rosé area. Jean-Louis Loup in Cravant always has a white wine producer at his porte-ouverte. She's wonderful, so we always buy there as she is quite a way off. So to have such a good selection close by at C.S.M. -  20 minutes - is ideal. Also gives us a chance to pick up a few names and visit the domaines.

On the way back stopped for a short walk. The road/route we were one isn't one we take very often, so don't know it well, and can't be precise about where we were. Hadn't realised there was a lake within a forest glade and a walk round.  Light was lovely. It's used as a picnic spot and there also wooden seats scattered round the edge of the lake. No one else there at the time though.

Some traditional boats were moored. But from the look of them and the algae that had set up home on the bows, they'd been abandoned to rot in the water. Great reflections.

The sunlight through the trees was gorgeous as well. We'd almost finished the 'circuit' when we spotted a fallen and now dead bit of branch and leaves. Nothing special about it, other than the sunlight had formed a natural spotlight, with the trees all around creating natural vignetting and a perfectly framed shot for me.