by Helen Kain | May 20, 2017 | Entertablement Abroad, France, Gardens and Flowers
The Loire Valley is utterly gorgeous in the spring – abundant lilacs, colourful bulbs and tumbling wisteria. I’ve done a quick recap of some of my favourite spots from our trip a couple of years ago. In putting together the collage, I noticed I chose...
by Helen Kain | Apr 22, 2015 | Entertablement Abroad, France
The final leg of our journey took us down to Aix en Provence, where we rented a very comfortable two bedroom apartment, within easy walking distance of all the sights. We had been fortunate with unseasonably warm weather in the Loire Valley, and looked forward to...
by Helen Kain | Apr 18, 2015 | Entertablement Abroad, France
We had been awash in elegant chateaux in the Loire valley, and were interested to see that the ones in the Dordogne region were much more austere. Built in the middle ages, their purpose was defence, not entertainment and refined living. Chateau de Beynac...
by Helen Kain | Apr 16, 2015 | Entertablement Abroad, France, Gardens and Flowers
The following day we set out for Sarlat, in the Dordogne. Loading the luggage into the car, we bid farewell to the wonderful staff at Hotel de Minimes and settled in for the drive. The town of Sarlat has been around since Roman times, its fortunes waxing and waning...
by Helen Kain | Apr 15, 2015 | Entertablement Abroad, France, Gardens and Flowers
It was our last day in Amboise, and we had time to see one more Chateau. Anxious to see the “rest of the story” between Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici I voted for Chateau de Chaumont. I was dying to see the...
by Helen Kain | Apr 14, 2015 | Entertablement Abroad, France, Gardens and Flowers
Another day, another Chateau… Chateau de Villandry is rightly famous for its magnificent gardens, very much in the French parterre style. I’m more of an English Country perennial garden gal, myself, but these were something to behold. We...
