Driving to Loire Valley, Chateaux, and Camelot

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Thursday, July 30-Fougeres, and the Forest of Paimpont (Brocliande)
Today is our last day in St Jacques. When Dean returns from the pool, we pack a lunch and drive to Fougeres, another walled city, but this one with the chateau/castle restored. From the tourist info center, we walk past the points of interest to the church of St Leonard. Behind the church are amazing public gardens that cover the entire hill leading down into the old city to the chateau. One stairway is made of stone carved to look like logs, and the gardens are more wild/natural than manicured. It is beautiful, but I am glad we are walking down the hill, not up.
The chateau itself is very well restored, but the English audio guide tour is a bit cheesy. It is interesting going through the different towers and walking the battlements. It is easy to imagine soldiers defending the town by dropping oil or rocks on attackers through the holes in the floors, and spotting the enemy from a distance from the high towers. We spend more time than we thought we would, so we decide to skip Vitre, a similar site, and head instead for the Forest of Paimpont/Brocliande, where there are sites linked to Arthurian legend.
We get a map from the tourist office in Paimpont, and our first stop is the Valley of No Return. The chapel there has stained glass windows with grail-quest themes, but it is closed when we arrive. The walk in the valley is not a disappointment, though. Jeff suggests we take the first route, which climbs to the crest of the hill overlooking the valley, then descends to the Fairy’s Mirror Lake. This was a good choice because I would not have been able to face scaling the rocks that we edged our way down. So I would have missed the view from the ridge. Next to the lake was the golden tree. It was named after the Golden Stag. The branches are shaped like a stag’s rack, and it was spray-painted metallic gold- a bit overdone. We stroll through the valley meadows back to the car to find our way to Merlin’s Tomb and the Fountain of Youth.
Unfortunately, Merlin’s Tomb, which had been a long passage tomb, had been destroyed by the landowner while searching for the gold treasure supposedly hidden within it, so it is now a few large rocks piles together in a clearing. Visitors have written petitions to Merlin on little rolled-up paper scrolls and stuck them in crevices between the rocks. We almost get lost on our way to the fountain, but Jeff interprets the map correctly and we find a spring-fed pool surrounded by rocks. No one else is game, but I cup some of the water in my hand and dab some on my “I want” lines… only afterwards does Jeff tell me that it only works if you bathe in the pool at dawn 7 days in a row. I guess should have insisted we visit earlier in the week!
Around the bend from the fountain is an eerie clearing with what seem to be hundreds of small (2-3 feet high) rock pile formations. Jeff suspected that this was a sacred site for those who practice Wicca, and that it might have something to do with that. The sun is close to setting now, so we return to Fabienne’s to finish packing and cleaning up. I go out into the yard and pick as many apricots as I can to leave for Fabienne. She told me it’s the first year it has borne fruit- what a shame she was not here- so many were on the ground when we arrived- the insects and birds have enjoyed them, though. As I told you a few days ago, Jackie had picked a few, and they were very good. I stand on a chair to reach what I can, and leave them in the fridge.

Friday, July 31- Chateau Usse, and La Roseraire
We are ready to leave at 10, and close the gate for what we think is the last time at St. Jacques. (Unfortunately, after we unpack in the hotel, I realize that I had left one tote bag with a few things- it was Jackie’s favorite, and it had some meds in it Dean needs sometimes- I’m not sure what we will do.) The drive is uneventful, but we have 10 euros in tolls- too bad that Duchess Anne did not make that deal of “no tolls” for all of France! On the way, we see Chateau Usse, which inspired Sleeping Beauty’s castle. We only look from outside, because the guidebook said that was the better part, and the inside wasn’t worth the admission.
We buy drinks at a café across the street, and sit eating our bread, cheese and fruit in view of the castle. There are many people bicycling from chateau to chateau. That might be okay when it’s good weather and flat, but I’d have trouble with cars on the narrow roads and with the hills. We notice that the area has fewer fields of wheat/flax and more vineyards and sunflowers fields than Brittany. With all the vineyards, we pick up a few bottles of local wine to try while we are in Chenonceau.
Our hotel, La Roseraire, is small but lovely. A very friendly young couple, Laurent and Sophie, runs it. His parents rescued it from disrepair in the 1990s- in earlier times; its rooms had housed many famous individuals like the Rockefellers and Roosevelts. We chose this hotel because Rick Steves recommended it, and it has a heated outdoor pool, which is great for Dean. Our 2 rooms are next to each other- both have French windows with flowerboxes overlooking the main street. Laurent shows Dean and I to the “smallest room in the hotel”; but it is bright and airy. Its walls are covered with flowered padded cloth. The bathroom is half the size of the room itself, and very pretty. Since it is only 4:30, Dean, Jeff and Jackie go to the pool (Jeff to read, not swim), and I settle in.
We have dinner reservations at the hotel at 7, and Laurent is very good with adjusting the menu for Jackie. Jackie and I both have lamb with spinach. Jeff has steak and Dean has salmon. We have a plate of various pates (I know it needs an accent, I don’t know how to add it), and mousse or crème caramel for dessert. The music playing in the dining room is all classical strings, and Laurent challenges Jackie and Jeff to “Name That Tune” Then Jackie relaxes while Dean, Jeff and I stroll down to the chateau and around the town before we turn in.

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