In the bright summer sun the pretty town of
Saumur
on the banks of the
Loire
river,
gives off a
yellow glow as
its buildings of white tufa
stone reflect the
light. Whatever way you choose to enter
the town it is the graceful chateau you will appreciate
first because of its dominant position overlooking the
Loire.
You
cannot fail to be impressed when walking along the riverside
with the chateau overlooking you on one side and the river
on the other.
The town itself
is one that immediately gives you a welcoming feeling and a
desire to stop and rest a while! There are a number of restored older town
houses and around Place St-Pierre you will find several
inexpensive restaurants with menus to suit most pockets.
Saumur has a long history with horses as it was home to the
French Calvary Academy, and is home to the Cadre Noir
horsemen, based at the French National Riding School, whose
performances of riding tricks and skills only helps confirm
their status as some of the best horsemen in the world. The
annual Carousel (an equestrian show that takes place in
July) draws thousands of visitors.
Website :
https://www.cadrenoir.co.uk/
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Saumur
is also
home to the
Armoured
Academy
(which replaced the
Calvary)
and there is a
tank museum- Musee
des Blindes- with the largest
display in
Europe
and perhaps the world. The collection offers an opportunity
to have an uninterrupted technical and historical overview
of the tank since its first appearance on the battlefield.
This
is a fine town rich in history which delights in
celebrating it, every year
its 'Vintage Velo' weekend in June proves very
popular.
Photo courtesy: https://www.anjou-velo-vintage.com/
Within
the Anjou region 28 different wine labels happily live
together with two grape varieties
dominating the scene: Chenin for white wines like Saumur,
Saumur-Champigny as well as
rosés: Cabernet d'Anjou, Rosé de
Loire and Rosé d'Anjou. The
Saumur wines never fail to please with their sparkling
variety being just what you need, well chilled, on a hot
summer’s day to get that light feeling that allows you to
slip into ‘French mode’ easily. About 7km from Saumur at Parnay,
you can taste and buy red and sparkling Saumur-Champigny
wines from the troglodyte caves of the Château
du
Marconnay.
Also, for two nights only, under the banner
of
'The Grande Tablée of
Saumur Champigny'
at the
end of July the biggest restaurant in the world is formed
using two kilometres of tables. 3 tonnes of galia melons and red
fruits, 2.5 tonnes of cold meats and 3000 bottles of Saumur-Champigny
are served. Numerous musical presentations help make
this evening one to remember.
