Chinon is a charming place

may be renting a place near there in january. any suggestions? thanks in advance.

I stayed around Chinon for 4 days this summer, and agree, it's a lovely little spot to stay. We stayed in a gite just outside of town, next to vines - lovely and quiet, and only 10 minutes to town. It was in between Savennieres and Vouvray, and close to a couple nice castles, so it made a nice, central spot to stay.

The best meal we had there was at 30 Annees; 3 or 4 course menu with lovely flavours for a very nice price (around 28 Euros, I think, for the basic menu?). Nice room too, and a reasonable regional wine list. It's right on the ancient, main street. There was supposedly a good restaurant right on the main (newer) road in town, whose name I can't remember now, that was supposed to be the best place in town (on the west side of town). On Sunday, when almost everything else is closed, the pizza place just down the road from 30 Annees (towards the town centre) made a surprisingly good pizza!

Thanks, Randy!

It's very nice to be touring Europe vicariously this week thanks to you and Paulo.

[James Roscoe]

I'll dig these pictures up when I'm into the 17th century. Who knew Rabelais lived in the Loire? I assumed he was a Parisian.

[James Roscoe]

I'll dig these pictures up when I'm into the 17th century. Who knew Rabelais lived in the Loire? I assumed he was a Parisian.

Erm.....

Although the place (or date) of his birth are not reliably documented, it is probable that François Rabelais was born in 1494 near Chinon, Indre-et-Loire,

From the wikipedia.

All right the 16th Century! I thought he was a century lateer. He was always ahead of his time.

Thanks, Randy!

It's very nice to be touring Europe vicariously this week thanks to you and Paulo.

Paulo's photos are a lot better than mine, but my preserves were better I'll bet

Forgot to mention that in spite of the advice I give above about warm clothes, it was a very nice temperature down there today and Paris was nearly 16° and sunny when we returned.

Lovely pictures, Randy! They are almost as beautiful as mine!!!

Lovely pictures, Randy! They are almost as beautiful as mine!!!

No, yours are better! Really. Si, si.
But, since we're talking about wine travel in the wine travel section of the WineLoversPage.com forums, you should give us a call on Tuesday at 1PM Paulo and sing to us about your recent trip!

I certainly certainly will, Randy - I have added it to my calendar; luckily I have that hour free. Count me in!