October at Chateau de Langeais.

Château de Langeais has a particularly atmospheric setting, with the medieval château rising at the end of the street. And this October there is another reason to visit after daylight has gone.

On the weekend of 17th and 18th October, Château de Langeais is taking part in La Nuit des Châteaux for the first time. From 6.30pm to 9pm, visitors can enter the château after dark and discover the legends surrounding Louis XI.

Hope your week ends well and it's followed by a lovely weekend.

Part of the “Bon weekend from the Loire” Series

Each Friday, we share a quiet moment from the Loire — a region that invites you to unwind, a beautiful weekend at a time.

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Reflections at the Plan d’eau, Paulmy.

 The Plan d’eau at Paulmy sits in the centre of the village and is used for walking, picnics and fishing. On a calm day, the pond becomes a natural mirror, reflecting the trees, sky and planting around its edges.

It is also the starting point for Paulmy’s village walking circuit.

“In Touraine, even the silence tells a story.”

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Part of the “Taken in Touraine” Series

Every Thursday, we pause somewhere in Touraine — a village, a vineyard, or a quiet riverside — to capture the spirit of this timeless Loire region.

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Explore the ornate windows and balconies of Château de Chambord in the Loire Valley.

At Chambord you can,like we have, spend a long on the balconies and rooftop terraces trying to count its chimneys. Legend says there are more than 300, but every time the light shifts and the shadows rearranged themselves you can easily track. Standing up there you realise the real magic isn’t just the famous double-helix staircase inside it’s how the entire roofscape feels like a miniature city floating above the forest.

“Through every window,the Loire Valley breathes — calm, patient, and quietly luminous.”

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Part of the “Windows of the Loire” Series

Each Wednesday, we share a glimpse of the Loire Valley through its windows — small frames of everyday beauty and quiet reflection.

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Petite rue à Petit-Pressigny.

Small lane in Le Petit-Pressigny - Chem. des Tuffeaux, take the lamp away and you take the years away.

The name Chemin des Tuffeaux is particularly appropriate here: Le Petit-Pressigny has several former underground tuffeau quarries, including sites at Bel Air, Les Caves and Gaillon.

Part of the “Towns & Villages of the Loire” Series

Exploring the towns and villages of the Loire Valley — their streets, stories, and quiet beauty.

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Château de Loches, a view of another time?

There are views of Loches where the modern town almost disappears, leaving the Royal Lodgings rising above the trees much as it might have appeared centuries ago.

The royal residence became a favourite residence of the Valois kings. Charles VII stayed here regularly, and Joan of Arc met him at Loches in 1429.

From Chemin de la Prairie de la Foire, the view makes it easy to imagine the town without the traffic, signs and modern buildings that usually give away the century and it's the same from the riverside walk by the Indre.

Royal Lodgings at Loches.

Bon lundi.

“Each château tells a story — of kings, of artists and of the dream of France itself.”

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Part of the “Châteaux of the Loire” Series

Every Monday, we explore one of the Loire Valley's legendary châteaux — from royal residences to riverside retreats — each revealing a different chapter of the region's story.

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Mon banc dominical / My Sunday Bench – Hôtel Groslot, Orléans

Here in the garden behind Hôtel Groslot, this wooden bench sits low against a wall of diamond-patterned bricks that seems to go on forever. The red and black of the Renaissance façade rise above it, almost hiding it in the carefully ordered geometry that has stood since the mid-16th century.

This is the rear of the former private mansion of Jacques Groslot, later town hall and still used for weddings. The garden that opens behind it is a 19th-century creation, gravel paths, a few metal sculptures and the perfect spot for the wedding photographs following the ceremony. From this angle the famous patterned brick becomes almost abstract and the simple bench gets lost in the background,

This bench does not try to compete with the architecture, it just waits, slightly out of place, for whoever needs a moment to sit and reflect on their day.

“On Sundays the Loire Valley speaks softly — and you have time to listen.”

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Part of the “My Sunday Bench” Series

Each Sunday, we share a quiet bench somewhere in the Loire — a small reminder that peace is often found where you simply stop to notice it.

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