Loire Valley – Trip of a Lifetime
Loire Valley – Trip of a Lifetime My Mother and I had a mother-daughter trip with Christy and Christine of Off the Beaten Path. We both left considering more trips with Off the Beaten Path. What I loved about this opportunity was the personal touches included in the trip’s design. I really felt like I was being invited into the Amboise and Blois community with the invitations to the homes and wineries of celebrated chefs and wine makers. It’s one thing to make a restaurant reservation - it’s whole other thing to be invited to their homes for an evening or afternoon of conversation with local friends and family. I just loved hearing everyone’s stories. This trip is perfect for anyone who loves history, culinary delights, and beautiful scenery of architecture and gardens. I enjoyed the stories of the previous royals who lived in the chateaus, which stirred an interest in continued study. I also loved not having to worry about ANYTHING! Once we got to Amboise, we did not have to think about tickets, travel needs, or dining recommendations. It was so great to just have the guidance for this or to just get in the van and go. I came home with a few helpful French cooking and beverage tips – chenin blanc and crème du cassis and the perfect tarte tatin. Loved our hotel – Le Pavillion Des Lys. I hope to return there again. As they say in Louisiana – GEAUX! (Cajun French for Go). I would recommend this trip for anyone geauxing to Loire Valley! Thoughts for next time: I only had 2 thoughts: 1. I loved the stories of the history of this time period associated with the chateaus. A forever learner, I would have enjoyed a family tree or snap shop of key people included in the itinerary. During the tour, I would come back to the hotel and google at night the names of the key figures mentioned during the tours. (This was a fun finish for the day for me.) Having this document in the itinerary with names and dates of their reign would have connected a few dots prior to the amazing stories shared before the chateau tours. (That said, these stories really sparked an interest for me, and I’m going to continue to read up on these powerful women of this time. The Friends of French Studies of LSU are going to have a new recommendation for French classes. (Bios of Catherine de Medici, Marguerite De Valois, and Diane De Poitiers. Thank you for introducing me to this time period and French leaders.) 2. I’ll preface this with I LOVE CHOCOLATE! I have a sweet tooth the size of Texas and dove into the all the sweets offered at Chef Damien’s Cooking Class. He was so generous with this time and tastings that I was full for our sit-down meal. (My fault, but I went all in on the tastings to experience it all). I would have felt the same value of experiencing 1 recipe and the cheese class. I am also curious if the cheese class could be held while being seated at a table in the restaurant. I got a little overheated in the kitchen and needed to step out during the cheese class. I was glad to learn about the regions, cheeses, numbering system. Overall, this experience was lovely, and I am so thankful for you. Christy, you and Christine made us feel like family or close friends, and I’m so thankful for that – truly!