It is every girl's dream to go Paris. That's why when my older prince finished his PSLE last year, I told my hubby that I would follow him to London, at long last! and extended our trip to Paris as well. And yes, Paris is truly romantic and London is great for shopping and musicals. We spent 12 days in these 2 lovely cities and I was free as a bird and happy as a lark. I also slept like a baby and ate like a pig.
It reminded us of the Switzerland trip we took 3 years back as we spent quality time with each other with no cares in the world. Although I hate flying, and for 13 dreaded hours, I am happy I went.
However, I wished I had done more research and planned our route better. We landed in London Heathrow at 6am, took a 2-hour Eurostar train to Paris, then hired a car and drove 2.5 hours to Amboise, Loire Valley. So by the time we reached our B&B, it was 6pm. As we were so tired, we couldn't go out for a proper dinner. But Loire Valley is a place near Paris that is worth going. I can't imagine spending 7 days in Paris centre. I need my countryside. I need my space.
Le Vieux Manoir, Amboise, Loire Valley
Our B&B, Le Vieux Manoir in Amboise, Loire Valley is a quiet little town with very little action. As it was not yet tourist season, we were the only guests in the B&B and the host, Gloria, told us she would spoil us and she did. Gloria and Bob are Americans who moved to Paris some 13 years ago to set up a B&B here. The entire manoir is very private and surrounded by lots of greenery and flora - perfect!
The living room and fireplace.
Views from our 3rd floor bedroom. (Bottom)
The creaking little hallway that led into our room. (Bottom) Very warm and inviting.
The next morning, we took a stroll along the little streets in the neighbourhood before breakfast and breathed in the fresh morning air. It was drizzling a little but it was freaking cold. I was wearing a wool sweater and a wind-breaker plus leather gloves and I could still feel the chill.
A pleasant surprise find - almond and chocolate croissant in a little boulangerie that opens at 730am. Many bakeries in Paris open this early but they close in the afternoon about 3pm.
The Amboise bridge and river.
The Amboise chateau is on the right.
The Breakfast
Breakfast at the Le Vieux Manoir was an event in itself . Our first meal of the day was at the greenhouse facing the garden, so we were shielded from the cold but still enjoyed the outdoors. The breakfast spread was the usual European fare but very chic: hot chocolate or tea or coffee, selection of breads, jams, cheese, yoghurt, fruits and fruit juice.
The breads are so nice - soft on the inside and crusty on the outside. The cheese and jams were sheer delight. (Bottom)
This is the best yoghurt I have ever tasted in my entire life. It's vanilla flavour and sold in glass bottles. We took the bottles home as souvenirs and to remind ourselves that there is such a thing as yummy yoghurt in this world.
After breakfast, I explored the garden and surrounds and took pictures of the little things that made me smile.
We had a rabbit leg and a sausage in this stall where roasted potatoes were cooked in the meat fats dripping from above and sold by the trays.
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