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
If you would like to contribute a photo, please contact me at rosemary.kneipp @ gmail.com. I would be happy to publish it under your name.
This is the first time I’ve been under a hot air balloon up close! We were at Chateau de Chaumont.
It’s been quite awhile since I’ve last seen a hot air balloon. Terrific shot!
William Kendall recently posted…Spring Action
Brilliant! Several passed overhead as I was driving last week. I so wanted to follow and watch their landing but I had an appointment to make.
Helen recently posted…A Short Visit to Paradise
Living near Castle Howard, N Yorks we often had them flying over us, here not so many. It’s the noise of the burner that is the first thing that makes us look up. I love the pretty coloured ones and the ones that are adverts and product shaped!