Auberge de la Croix Blanche

We arrived in Paris off a flight from Singapore and my better half valiantly drove to our super hotel in the Loire Valley – I don't know how he manages to drive on the wrong side so well especially after a long flight – I couldn't do it.  Despite being very tired/jet lagged we accepted the recommendation of the hotelier to have dinner at a restaurant a short drive from the hotel -  the Auberge de la Croix Blanche at Veuves (on the D952 between Amboise and Chaumont ).  It took about 7 minutes to get there.

It was a fine summer evening so all the diners were eating in the garden behind the restaurant rather than in the restaurant itself – which was an ancient posting inn.

The food was very good – this was not a fancy pants restaurant but it was good French cooking.  We had the set menu of 25€ each.  This came with 4 courses!

The first course was a roulade of oxtail with a beetroot salad, sorbet and coulis with a divine tulle biscuit.  Bliss! 

My better half's first course was a delicate salmon dish in a delicious sauce.

The second course was  fish, John Dory (Dorade) with a tomato based sauce and a 3 rice mix with broad beans and the other one was a rather hearty pork dish.

Then a small cheese course.  There are so many great French cheeses that I usually ask the waiter to make the selection for us – and they are usually very pleased to be asked. He chose 3 white cheeses with a bluey sort of rind -very delicate and similar in flavour but of different degrees of softness. And also a soft blue veined one.

Despite being stuffed to the gills and almost out on our feet we did have the dessert - a lovely crème caramel with whole cherries in it n and a chocolate slice thing w vanilla ice cream. 

I'd go back to this restaurant in a heartbeat.

2 Avenue Loire

41150 Veuves

33 2 54 70 23 80

Chateau Cheverny – Loire Valley, France

We finally found Chateau Cheverny  after the Gps took us to every entrance but the correct one. This is a large and well organised chateau. Definitely worth a visit. Entry cost for chateau and gardens E9.50 each. 

You find Chateau Cherveny quite near Blois. It was one of the first stately homes to open to the public in 1922. The estate has been in the same family for more than 6 centuries except for a couple of occasions - the King's mistress Diane de Poitiers bought it to live in while supervising renovations to her chateau at Chaumont sur Loire. Finally the family bought it back.  The family still live in the chateau.

One of the distinguishing features of this chateau is the quantity of original furniture in the chateau. Some very impressive pieces.

The dining room.  Neo-renaissance style monumental fireplace gilded in fine gold and topped by a bust of King Henri IV.

Nursery with the first rocking horses from the time of Napoleon III. Very rare cradle empire style in Mahogany.Very bold wallpaper and curtains.

Bridal chamber with 1994 wedding dress of the Marquise. You can see the back of the dress in the mirror. Beautiful Louis XVI dressing table.

Petit salon - full size portrait 2 Empire cherry wood sofas and a Louis XV wing chair.

The grand Salon - 18th century harp by Erard - still in working condition. On either side of mirror a Titian and a Raphael painting.

The library - First Empire furniture - 2000 books

We had a late lunch in the Salon de The in the Orangerie - very large room - fake gilt chairs a bit twee. We had 2 baguettine - one pizza and one chicken - actually quite nice plus I had a beer (Heineken) and the better half had an orange juice. Total cost E19.50. The orangery was used to keep the orange trees under shelter in winter. Some of the French art collection,  including the Mona Lisa, was stored here during WWII

I hope you enjoyed this instalment from our trip to France last year.  I certainly enjoy recalling it!

Bridge to Nowhere on the banks of the Loire River

Today's travel post is about one of those unexpected delights that can occur when travelling.  We were driving along the banks of the Loire River when suddenly we saw a large structure which came to a dead end just before the river.  My better half said the structure was so heavy it might have been a railway bridge. 

I wasn't able to find out anything about it.  It is not far from Vineuil.

The top pic is a screenshot off Google Maps.  The other pictures were taken by me.

Domaine des Hauts Loire – a dinner to remember

Le Petit Pois et L'Oignon Nouveau

I have already posted about this beautiful hotel in the Loire Valley in France – here. Being a Relais & Chateau hotel the restaurant was Michelin starred so we decided to have dinner there as a special treat.

The meal was spectacular. We had the 99 Euro degustation menu – this was a real splurge

The dishes we had were just fab – for a change I picked the right things from a menu.

Le Petit Pois et L'Oignon Nouveau – onion flan in a pea coulis with pan fried langoustine – the presentation was spectacular and the pastry on top with the blobs on was divine.

John Dory with avocados.  Tartare sauce perfumed with coriander and spider crab cream.

Organic chicken cooked with sweet Vouvray and with mushroom ravioli (morels)

Then a choice of salad or a cheese plate – we went with the cheese option

Chocolate dessert with a passionfruit sorbet

Dessert was a choice of Candied peach with apricot sorbet or a Chocolate dessert with a passionfruit sorbet – I did the chocolate one which had the most amazing tuile on top.  My better half had the peach which was topped with an incredible crisp sort of brandy snap.

Candied peach with apricot sorbet

In addition to the menu items there were several sorts of amuse bouches at different times: a little square of avocado and salmon, a little boat with a mousse in it, gazpacho in a cute little cup - a bit spicy. Bread rolls with choice of salted or unsalted butter.

All the food was superb – the service was fab too

We didn't finish dinner until about 10ish (having started at 7.30) – but the meal didn't actually feel drawn out at all.

My apologies that I didn't take many photos of the food. I was too busy enjoying it.