A couple of photos taken at a lunchtime stop in Candes Saint-Martin looking downstream of the Vienne to the confluence with the Loire.
Showing posts with label La Loire. Show all posts
A couple of photos taken at a lunchtime stop in Candes Saint-Martin looking downstream of the Vienne to the confluence with the Loire.
Questionable claims that Eurotunnel is the greenest way of crossing the Channel
Off to the Loire and Bordeaux today.
Always pretty – brief glimpse of le Loir as we speed past
Other attractions: Le Lude and Poncé-sur-Le-Loir
Today's 210.5k stage through the Ardèche and into Lozère will be tough, although not as tough as the Alps nor what awaits the riders in the Pyrenées, but it will be a hard grind. Hot again but probably not as hot as yesterday on the road from Bourg-de-Péage and Mende.
There are three First Category climbs and two Seconds. The stage finishes at the top of a Second Category climb – the Côte de la Croix-Neuve Montée Laurent Jalabert. This climb is only 3.1 km but it is steep – an average gradient of 10.1%, so surely Contador and Schleck will be head to head here each trying to claw a few crucial seconds advantage. I will be surprised if one of them doesn't gain a little bit of time here.
About halfway through the stage passes Le Gerbier de Jonc, the source of La Loire, which is as you know at 1000 kms France's longest river that drains two fifths of the country. Its source is only around 100k from the Mediterranean and, as if sensing the easy option, La Loire heads south - south west for its first 15K or so before making a reluctant loop to starting heading north and then westwards to the Atlantic Ocean.
2009 Café du Nord, Menetou-Salon decorated for the passage of Le Tour
The world's greatest sporting event – Le Tour de France – gets underway today with the prologue in Rotterdam. The 2010 edition ignores La Loire almost entirely apart from the 227.5 km sixth stage from Montargis to Gueugnon which skirts La Loire to the east. It actually goes through St Fargeau, where Mark Cavendish won one of his six stages last year on 15th July. This was the stage that went though many of the Loire's Central Vineyards including Menetou-Salon and Pouilly-sur-Loire. It was also the day before the devasting hailstorm on 16th July that was the final blow to Menetou's 2009 vintage.
The only other time the riders will be in the Loire is when they are on the TGV heading up from Bordeaux for the last day's racing into Paris.
Heading towards the suburbs of Tours and about to cross La Loire
Buy 3 get 3 Free! an offer on Eurotunnel I can easily refuse!
Given the current concern about the UK's alleged booze culture this looks to be a fine example of responsible retailing ....
Sign for Azay-le-Rideau just north of Tours
A familiar landmark – tower at Saint-Pierre-des-Corps
La Loire near Ussé
Today's La Nouvelle République asks whether La Loire could in future be in danger of losing its World Heritage site classification if certain proposed developments go ahead. These include a future bridge to carry the A10 bis (the relief autoroute for Tours), parks of wind turbines and a luxury hotel in Tours on the south bank of the Loire.
'Le classement de la Loire par l'Unesco peut-il être menacé ?
Un pont A 10 bis sur Vouvray, des éoliennes sur Amboise ou un hôtel sur berge à Tours peuvent-ils menacer le classement Loire au patrimoine mondial ?
Un pont A 10 bis sur Vouvray, des éoliennes sur Amboise ou un hôtel sur berge à Tours peuvent-ils menacer le classement Loire au patrimoine mondial ?
La Loire peut-elle perdre son classement au patrimoine mondial de l'Humanité ? Le ministre du Tourisme, et candidat aux régionales, Hervé Novelli, a agité le chiffon rouge au moment des élections : si on n'en fait pas plus pour le fleuve, l'Unesco va nous taper sur les doigts.'
La Loire@Roanne – a distant glimpse by the houses in the centre of the photo This time last year we launched Jim's Loire. I'm not sure what our expectations were at the time but 652 posts later we have certainly been very pleased to have attracted nearly 50,000 visits* in the first year and to have a number of regular readers. On weekdays visits average out a little over 200 a day, dropping a little over the weekend.
It is difficult to know exactly how many first year visitors we have had as we didn't put the sitemeter on until the end of September – now recording a total of 48,348 visits. The sitemeter recorded 2002 visits in October 2008, the first full month, but would be surprised if Jim's Loire had attracted 2000 visitors in its first month when there was no meter.
It is difficult to know exactly how many first year visitors we have had as we didn't put the sitemeter on until the end of September – now recording a total of 48,348 visits. The sitemeter recorded 2002 visits in October 2008, the first full month, but would be surprised if Jim's Loire had attracted 2000 visitors in its first month when there was no meter.
La Loire@Pouilly-sur-Loire – the halfway point It has been great to get comments and feedback. The site has given me an opportunity to write about producers that I could never cover in a magazine and in a way that just wouldn't be possible. My sole regret is that I am still behind in writing up some of the visits that I have made.
* Update: my sitemeter recorded the 50,000 visit on 4th September.
La Loire@Saint-Thibault, near Sancerre To celebrate the first year I have chosen some pictures of the site's heroine – La Loire. Running downstream.
La Loire@Pouilly-sur-LoireSpending a week away from Touraine wandering and doing a little exploring in the upper reaches of the Loire with visits to the Côte Roannaise and the Côte d'Auvergne. Many years ago we went from Sancerre up to the source of the Loire, following the river as far as was possible. This reinforced how long the Loire is – in European terms of course as it has nothing on the Mississippi or the Amazon.
I should be able to get on line most of the time, so plan to post regular reports.
I should be able to get on line most of the time, so plan to post regular reports.
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In the meantime Le Lézard Vert, Epeigné-les-Bois's shop and bar, has reopened for business now run by Stéphane and Nacer.
Sunrise@SaumurLoire: Rendez-vous du patrimoine mondial with its series of events from Sully-sur-Loire (20th June) to Challones-sur-Loire (8th July) starts tomorrow in Sully. Details here.
La descente de Loire: As part of the festivities a raft (le radeau 'Liger'), modeled on those that used to be used to transport wood on the Loire will be making its way down the river starting in Sully tomorrow. There are a number events tied into its journey. Details here.
Loire near Savigny-en-Véron
On Saturday from 7am to 11pm Limeray kicks off the Patrimoine Mondial festivities of UNESCO with a big fête centred on La Loire. The many activities will include a stand with wines from local producers, other local products like goats' cheese and also a brocante running through much of the day. Details here and here.
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Also: Excentrique@Montlouis Tuesday 16th - Friday 19th June
Pour sa quatrième édition, le festival Excentrique fera escale à Montlouis entre le 16 et le 19 juin.
Les espaces du centre ville destinés à devenir le nouveau quartier coeur de ville accueilleront les installations, spectacles et événements. Ces manifestations ont pour vocation de faire appel pour une grande part d'entre elles à des résidences d'artistes vécues au contact de la population.
Details here.
