Anglophones and anglophiles turned out in force for the Loire ConneXion's holiday party, clearly enticed by the venue: les Caves Ambacia and their Oppidum bistrot. History buffs will know that Amboise was called Ambacia under the Gauls, and that oppidum is the Latin word for settlement. The diners sat down…
Young and unemployed? School dropout? No resume? That's the profile of most of the grape-pickers who were recruited this fall for a project developed by an association for the empowerment and autonomy of young people in Bolbec, Normandy. Sixteen of these youths ranging in age from 16 to 25 worked…
"You have to love pumpkins," is the simple explanation of Jean Gadan, the head of a brotherhood of pumpkin eaters. He has a lofty title: the brotherhood's grand master. France has dozens of "confréries" -- societies of lovers of all manner of food and drink -- and pumpkin lovers are…
“The overall tableau should be so harmonious you’ll want to hang it on the wall,” says a mustachioed judge as a horse and buggy trots into view against the backdrop of a lush vineyard in the heart of France's Loire Valley. The team is one of a dozen competing in…
"My great-grandmother went every year," said Thierry Massonnat, a retired electrical engineer in nearby Amboise, where other regulars shared memories of a tradition that has seen generations of Tourangeaux -- natives of the greater Tours area -- shop for garlic and basil in the Place du Grand Marché in the Loire…
A waiters’ race through the cobblestone streets of Amboise on April 15 aimed to attract job-seekers to the hotel and restaurant industry. Around a hundred potential recruits attended a job fair that preceded the race. On your marks, get set, go! One hundred and ten brave souls took to the…
Players at Amboise's boulodrome usher in the spring with their first outdoor competition The regulars at Amboise's boulodrome are more than just boules enthusiasts. They belong to a close-knit community with a long tradition of bonhomie. “It's always lively, even on rainy days, when you'll find folks playing cards in…
If you're a kid visiting the Loire Valley and lucky enough to be in the area for Easter, here are a few great ideas: There are Easter egg hunts at Troglo Dégusto on both Easter Sunday, April 17, and Monday, April 18. It's a wine cellar set in an abandoned…
Five hundred years ago, Amboise was the seat of power and the final stomping grounds of Leonardo da Vinci. Today, the benevolent city on the banks of the Loire seduces history buffs, cyclists and wine lovers alike. Stately plane trees line the Loire River in the middle of Amboise, throwing…
The grapes were just the right height for four-year-old Maxence and Quentin, two years his senior Normally they come from far and wide -- the US, Japan, even Australia -- but this year the punters donning boots and parkas to harvest Loire Valley grapes for the fun of it are…