Treves and Cunault from the Loire River

Sue takes to the helm.

There is no better way to appreciate the villages along the banks of the Loire River than by boat. So this weekend (our last weekend off before La Grande Maison re-opens for the season on the 23rd March) we headed off to our little cottage in Treves and waited for Pascal to deliver the latest addition to our fleet "Little Tern". We couldn't wait to get her out on the water and sailed straight away down to the tabac in Cunault for lunch.

Approach by water to Cunault

Elise our friendly neigbour in Treves has just taken over as the chef at La Cale. So if you want a spot of reasonable lunch then 11 euros gets you, for example, a salad of rillauds as a starter, salmon in a beurre blanc with vegetables and a plate of cheeses or a dessert . Washed down with a small pichet of local rose for 4 euros we sailed home very content.

Micaela tackles the tricky navigation over the shallows!!

Home in sight as we pass the Treves Tower

Where have they gone? I wanted to take the bigger boat!

The following day we were a little more daring and sailed around the island of Treves and out into the main river where the current was much stronger. If the river seems large from the banks then try sitting in the middle of it! However it is so beautiful and serene and there are plenty of herons, egrets and other birdlife to spot. We celebrate our 'maiden voyage' proper by mooring up on a beach and watching the sunset over Saumur Chateau in the distance with a bottle of Cremant. The end to a perfect day and the most beautiful spring weekend in the Loire Valley.

Chilled Wine on the Beach!