The Loire and city of Blois
The Loire River is the longest river in France, covering more than 1,000 km from its source in the Massif Central to its mouth in the Bay of Biscay in the Atlantic Ocean. The main towns are Nevers, Orleans, Blois, Tours and Nantes. It is famous for its châteaux, particularly Chenonceau, Chambord, Chaumont and Cheverny, and its vineyards. The Loire Valley, a World Heritage Site, spanning about 300 km, is located in the middle stretch, 2 to 3 hours south of Paris.
Blois, where I live, is a town of 50,000 people ideally located for visiting the area. Although much was destroyed during the war, it still has some lovely old streets winding up the steep banks of the Loire. It was once the centre of the French Renaissance with a prestigious castle. Louis XII, king of France in 1498, was born there in 1462. One of its citizens, Denis Papin, invented the steam engine in 1647 and the illusionist Louis-Eugène Roubert-Houdin, born in 1805, is celebrated in the “House of Magic” just opposite the castle.
Guest photos
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C’est grace à la Deuxième Guerre Mondiale que la Loire est ‘la dernier fleuve sauvage de France’ — trop de débris sur le lit de rivière de ponts bombardés.
It’s thanks to the Second World War that the Loire is the ‘last wild river in France’ — too much debris from bombed out bridges on the river bed.
C’est grâce à la Deuxième Guerre Mondiale que la Loire est ‘le dernier fleuve sauvage de France’ — trop de débris sur le lit de la rivière de ponts bombardés.
Mais Jean Michel n’est pas d’accord sur le principe car ce fleuve a toujours été indomptable pour l’homme. Il n’a jamais été navigable (le dragage pour le rendre navigable n’a jamais dépassé Angers), il a toujours transporté trop de sable.
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