Sunday, 1 January 2012

A guid new year to ane an' a'


 
An' mony may ye see, 
An' during a' the years to come, 
O happy may ye be. 
An' may ye ne'er hae cause to mourn, 
To sigh or shed a tear; 
To ane an'a baith great an' sma' 
A hearty guid New year.

P. Livingstone / Alexander Hume


A good new year to one and all,
And many may you see
And during all the years to come,
Happy may you be.
And may you never have cause to mourn,
To sigh or shed a tear.
To one and all both great and small
A hearty,good New Year.

Here's one from me:

Have a good new year,one and all
Spend its every moment living
We only get this one small chance
One shot is all we're given.

Don't look back at all the might-have-beens
Don't look too far ahead
Live each year as if it's your last
You cannot when you're dead!


Jim Craig

Sunday, 25 December 2011


Merry Christmas...



Click below to see Jim & Pauline ...
sendables.jibjab.com
Rockin' around the Christmas tree is even more fun when you rock with a friend! You know what they say, the more the merrier!

Check out the Scottish Production of 'The Snowman'


Tuesday, 13 December 2011

Villages of the Loire Valley - Montresor


The Loire Valley is blessed with many beautiful villages . One of the favourites of many vixitors the village of Montresor which has the added attraction of a 'lived in' chateau to visit. 




Monday, 28 November 2011

Which chateau with the kids?


The Loire Valley isn't only for adults, the region tries hard to 'sell' its cultural treasures as family attractions and to a great extent succeeds. Where chateaux might, from a child's prospective, be considered boring and stuffy they have endeavoured, in many examples, to include them in their itineraries. If your budget permits because its not cheap, you could visit the Mini Chateaux Parc just outside Amboise. Here you will find models of the most beautiful castles of the Loire valley. On two acres of landscaped grounds, over 40 reproductions in miniature of the most prestigious chateaux of the Loire .


 A walk in around the park will help you discover in a few hours, all of the architectural treasures of the region: Chambord, Chenonceau, Amboise, Villandry and many more ... in a matter of hours! It will allow you to confirm your potential favourites plus, with 1.5 km of paths to explore, keep the kids amused for a short time. They are also given the option of dressing up in medieval costume to add to their excitement.


If you do go and are interested in in also visiting the aquarium - buy a joint ticket and save money.

Will give you more ideas later!



Saturday, 29 October 2011

If you love gardens...

If you are green fingered or just love looking at gardens, then the Loire Valley  might just be your paradise! Blessed with not only the gardens of its famous Chateaux, here we also have its beautiful city gardens, formal public gardens and natural parks. Of the chateaux gardens Villandry towers over its rivals and is a joy to behold.


More info.here...Villandry

Something different can be viewed annually at the garden festival in the grounds of  Chateau Chaumont-sur- Loire.From over 300 proposals 20 to 30 gardens are selected for inclusion in the festival. Including contributions from the UK, Japan, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy.

More info. here...garden festival
In all the major towns and cities you will find parks and gardens that will delight you. Visit our website for more details and ideas.






Wednesday, 12 October 2011

If you could only visit one chateau?


Probably the most popular chateau within the Loire Valley is Chateau de Chenonceau  which straddles the river Cher - its Renaissance style makes it easy on the eye and a must for photographers. Its situation 32 km east of Tours makes it very accessible by car or by organized tour coach. It is also on the train line so you have plenty of options for getting there. You should try and get there early, especially in high season as it can get very busy. More details on this and the other chateaux of the Loire Valley can be found on our website...here