Vacations Destinations

The story of Diane de Poitiers should serve as a motivation to all of us who feel not-as-young-as-we-used-to-be. Diane was born in 1499, the daughter of Jean de Poitiers and thus a member of a very ancient line. A beauty from a very young age, at 13 she married into another distinguished line when she became the spouse of Louis de Breze who was 39 years older than Diane and a grandson of Charles VII.

When she came with Louis de Breze to the court of Francois I, she found herself immersed in the wonderful Renaissance atmosphere that she loved. This was a time when France was discovering the new wonders of architecture and art brought back to France by Francois I from his travels in Italy, where, of course, the Renaissance was in full swing.

Her elderley husband died in 1531, but Diane remained at court. Whilst there she not surprisingly managed to catch the eye of young Henri who later became Henri II. Although she was in her 30s by then, and surrounded at court by many women who were much younger, she was considered to be one of the dazzling court beauties. Before Henri’s arranged […] Continue Reading…

The valley is full of not only royal castles and renaissance palaces, national museum and large magnificent chateaux, but also medieval castles and fortresses, small fairy tale manors, private chateaux, medieval cities, churches, abbeys, and cathedrals. Many castles and stately homes are open to the public: some are state owned, such as Chambord and Blois; others are private, and still lived in. A huge percentage of them run son-et-lumiere shows during the high season. Chateau de Chenonceau and Chateau de Chambord are definitely worth a visit and are close to Blois.

The Loire Valley is a splendid region awarded world heritage listing because of its amazing castles. We operate a luxury rental castle near Blois, for up to 15 people ideal for a castle wedding. It is a perfect romantic wedding castle.

The royalty of France, seduced by the mild climate and the game-filled oak forests built their sumptuous homes here in the Loire Valley. They surrounded themselves with the greatest artists and architects of this era. This is the country of a thousand castles.

Chateau Blois
Chateau Blois is almost like four separate chateaux rolled into one - so diverse are the architectural styles at play here. […] Continue Reading…

French motorways or autoroutes are a delight to drive on, as they are all relatively new and incredibly well maintained. French roads are always very well maintained and the road network includes 4960 miles of motorways constructed in the last 20 years (many with tolls) which link the main provincial towns and cities with Paris. France has one of the densest road networks in Europe. All of the motorways throughout France are a fast efficient way to travel and once you are on them they are easy to navigate.

They are not cheap and the locals prefer to avoid them where possible and stick to the national routes (the RN and D roads).

The minimum driving age in France is 18 years old. All drivers in France need a valid driver’s licence. Proof of insurance coverage is necessary. The gendarmes may request to see your license, insurance certificate, and vehicle registration at any time. You should also carry a National Identity Card or passport.

Beware because on the spot fines are imposed for not carrying the proper documentation. All drivers should carry a red warning triangle in their boot, together with spare […] Continue Reading…

The Chateau Villandry gardens are an absolute delight. They are enthusiastically and lovingly tended by Henri Carvallo, curator of the chateau and great-grandson of Dr Joachim Carvallo who purchased the chateau in 1906.

At that time Villandry when Dr Carvallo purchased the property it was on the point of being demolished. It had been disfigured by the walling up of the arches, fake windows and additions and the moat had been filled in. Joachim Carvallo envisaged the original designs and the harmonious renaissance architecture. He devoted himself to the restoration of the chateau and its gardens giving up an impressive career in science under the tutelage of a professor who later went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Dr Carvallo went on to found the Association de la Demeure Historique with the objective of saving historic buildings throughout France. He sure saved Villandry which is now one of the most visited Loire Valley chateaux.

Carvallo’s best work was the restoration of the gardens, which still make the reputation of Villandry today. Gardens existed as early as the 16th century and these were recreated under Carvallo’s instructions following evidence of […] Continue Reading…

Overexposure to the sun is the most important risk factor for skin cancer. Here are ten ways to protect yourself.

1. If you can stay indoors during peak sun hours, you should. Try to schedule outdoor activities for the early morning or late afternoon, and try to stay in the shade as much as possible if you must be out in the sun in the middle of the day.

2. If you must go out into the midday sun, wear clothing that protects you from the sun. This means a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and a broad-brimmed hat that protects your head and ears and shades your face. Not all clothing provides equal degrees of protection. Dark-colored, heavyweight, tightly woven fabrics provide better protection from the sun than light-colored, lightweight, loosely woven fabrics do. If you must spend a lot of time out in the sun, you may want to buy special sun-protective clothing with a high UPF rating. The UPF rating (the letters stand for Ultraviolet Protection Factor) indicates how much ultraviolet light can penetrate the clothing. For example, if a piece of clothing has a UPF rating of 20, that means that only one-twentieth of the sun’s ultraviolet rays […] Continue Reading…