Chateau Sunday
February has arrived! We continue to patiently await warmer days and changing hours for chateaus and other places. Yesterday, we walked around in the tiny village of Le Puy-Notre-Dame in the late afternoon and visited the coldest, quietest gothic church. Understandably, since the Collegiate Church of Puy-Notre-Dame was built in the 10th century. One step inside sent us quickly back to medieval times, with candles and a chilling draft, and a holy relic brought back from the Crusades. After a holy linger and prayer, we searched for a bar or restaurant to warm up.
Constance d'Argoeuves, the manager of a small boutique restaurant, Le Puy à Vins, and the chef, David Beaufreton, were preparing for their dinner seating in a couple of hours, but they didn’t hesitate to invite us in for a glass of organic, local wine by their roaring fireplace. The dog, Michieu, a short-haired pointer, periodically and enthusiastically checked in on us. While they couldn’t fit us in for last night’s dinner, we are looking forward to joining them soon because the dinner prep alone smelled phenomenal.
On Sunday, we headed out to the first day opening at Chateau De Montsoreau. This Flamboyant gothic-style castle was first started in the sixth century and is built into the bedrock of the Loire River. Rather than being filled with period pieces and tapestries, it doubles as a Museum of Contemporary Art. It was delightful to climb the circular stone turret stairs lined with a thick rope banister, to reach giant rooms with two enormous fireplaces and modern art. We reached the top of the chateau and were rewarded with a gorgeous view of the Loire and her surrounding valley.
Afterwards, we took a leisurely walk to admire the village homes constructed directly into the hillside. We met a French bulldog named Marlon Brando walked by a jolly elderly Frenchman. (In case you wondered, in France, French Bulldogs are called “bulldogs.”) We also realized that everything was closed. No boulangeries, marchés, or restaurants were open on a Sunday afternoon. However, all of the caves à vin we passed on our drive back to Saumur were happily open and serving guests.
