Anything to see in the Loire?

It’s going to be an interesting visit, thanks again to all.

To confirm what several others have said about Saumur its well worth the visit, used to camp down the river at nearby Les Rosiers(14K) on numerous visits over the years, the tank museum used to be in the centre of the town near the river but on our last visit about 5 years ago it had moved to a new location on the road to Chinon(another interesting place to visit). If your into wine don’t forget to visit some of the ‘caves’ for a tasting session.

Hello Pete

Having seen this statue about 15 years ago I don’t think the shiny condition was because of people sitting on his private parts !! 🙂 The Leonardo da Vinci museum in the town is also well worth a visit, having models of some of his designs, and I agree about the Tank Museum as well.

When I was in Saumur despatch riders were training for a sort of Royal Tournament event (pity I missed the tank display year!!)

cheers

Allan

I think that you will find that it was, my young son took great delight in doing this and telling his friends about it for weeks afterwards. I have a very embarressing video taken in a restaurant in Amboise, where I asked everyone what their favourite bit of the day was and my son replied ‘ Sitting on Leonardo’s willy ‘.When he comes back from Uni next week I shall show the video to his girlfriend tee hee.
It was 15 years ago when I was at that tournament and the despatch riders tried to do their stuff but kept falling off, to the hilarity of the crowd, most of whom were their families and fellow soldiers. One ridiculous act was a race around the arena between a dispatch rider and an officer on a horse, the horse was absolutely terrified.
Sorry, no mention of aircraft, will this get moved?

you will notice by it’s shiney condition that the tourists like to sit on the statues prominent private parts.

Hello Pete

Having seen this statue about 15 years ago I don’t think the shiny condition was because of people sitting on his private parts !! 🙂 The Leonardo da Vinci museum in the town is also well worth a visit, having models of some of his designs, and I agree about the Tank Museum as well.

When I was in Saumur despatch riders were training for a sort of Royal Tournament event (pity I missed the tank display year!!)

cheers

Allan

Thank you very much everybody, especially Pete, for going to so much trouble. Yes of course I know about La Ferte Alais and have been there many times, but the Saumur stuff especially sounds very interesting.

Saumur is the home of the French cavalry, now of course armoured divisions.
During 1940 I gather that they gave some of the fiercest resistance to the advancing Germans in the area, mainly young trainee officers under the command of WW1 veterans, I’m sure that there is a military museum but we didn’t have time to find it. Incidentally, the tank museum is surprisingly positioned within the town, everything is crammed in a small space but well viewable, I have some really good home video footage of the actual tournament and museum if you are desperate for a copy.
Unlike most British people that I know, I really like the French, particularly in that area, it helps to struggle along with the language when you can, they really respect you for that.

Thank you very much everybody, especially Pete, for going to so much trouble. Yes of course I know about La Ferte Alais and have been there many times, but the Saumur stuff especially sounds very interesting.

If you are interested in collecting French Solido military toy vehicles, then the stuff on sale in the tank museum is quite amazing, don’t forget the local Saumur wines either.
Another place is Amboise, very pleasant town and where Leonardo Da Vinci ended up and inserted his famous helical staircases into the local Chateux.
There is a very large recumbant statue of him on the banks of the river at Amboise, you will notice by it’s shiney condition that the tourists like to sit on the statues prominent private parts.
You must also try and get to the beaches on the coast ie St John de Montes, or preferably further south, they are quite stunning.

Thank you very much everybody, especially Pete, for going to so much trouble. Yes of course I know about La Ferte Alais and have been there many times, but the Saumur stuff especially sounds very interesting.

There is a museum at Angers

Steve, you will probably find that everywhere you visit, the locals will tell you about all sorts of treasures. I have been to France a number of times over the years, the most recent trip bringing an Italian registered aircraft back to the UK via the Nice entry point. During all my visits, I have always found the French aviation community to be the most welcoming, helpful and enthuastic. It doesn’t seem to matter where you stop. The beaurocratic aspects can be tiresome, but are more than balanced by the hospitality. Enjoy.

It’s possibly a bit too far South, certainly needing a couple or three hours driving each way from Tours, but you could consider the Conservatoire de l’Air et de l’Espace d’Aquitaine, at Merignac, just outside Bordeaux.

See http://caea.free.fr/indexen.html

I am holidaying in the Loire this summer, quite close to Tours. Can anyone suggest suitable places to visit within a couple of hours drive in any direction please? By “suitable” I obviously mean vintage aeroplanes!

I used to go there every year, I don’t recall much vintage stuff but the low flying by the French Airforce was pretty exciting, mainly Fougamasters and Alphajets. Bastille day morning, we were having breakfast outside when a massive, loose formation of Alpha jets nearly took the roof off.
I would recommend the tank museum at Saumur which is the French equivalent of Bovington. We were very lucky to be in the right place at the right time once. It was the summer after the first Gulf War and the local Army unit, The Daguerre Division, had erected a stadium in the centre of the town near the museum and were practising their equivalent of the Royal Tournament, they had absolutely no objection to us coming in and watching with them, some of the officers were still bandaged up from their wounds.
At one point a top general appeared with a mysterious briefcase handcuffed to his wrist, surrounded by heavily armed troops who sat round us and messed around with my young son, who loved it, though I was a bit wary of the fact that the weapons were obviously loaded.
Eventually they did a tableaux of tanks through the ages, starting with WW1, and finishing up at the Gulf. Everyone was in perfect running order including what was then the worlds only working King Tiger.
It finished off with tanks from the Gulf doing a perfect synchronised routine and them loosing off an extrememly loud volley of blanks.
At one point I walked into the tank park where I had left the car and one of the MX tanks fired a blank as I was walking under the barell which left a perfect smoke ring, the French troops were laughing so much at my reaction that some of them fell off the tank.
Also at Saumur you can see the famous tunnel that was one of the first targets to recieve the attention of 617 with their Tallboys.
Next item, St Nazaire, visit the magnificent U-boat pens and the dock that was destroyed by the Campletown commando raid, there was a sub displayed in the armoured entrance lock.
Next, go to Chinon and see the castle that was home to Henry 11 and have a trip on the steam train from there to Richlieau, no crisps and mouldy sandwiches in their dining car, local wines and cheeses of your choice.
Then to Fontevraud L’Abbaye the tombs of Henry 11, Elanore and Richard the Lionheart are in the Abbey. Napoleon did not like the Abbey’s relationship to Britain and had it converted into a prison, they only began to restore it several years ago and it may be completed now.
Don’t forget the Chateux, particularly Chenonceux straddling the river and Chombard which is so unbelievably massive.
Is that enough to be going on with.

Then you have to visit La Ferte Alais / Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis

it’s situated South of Paris – not directl ‘around the corner’ from Tours, but well worth a visit !

http://www.ajbs.com/Anglais/masterbrit.htm

Regards
Martin