Our lodgings that night were in a lovely restored chateau in the town of Saumer, but we arrived late enough in the day that we were too tired to explore it. The house was a beautiful one, with a wooden staircase and stained glass windows.
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| The Chateau where we stayed |
A friendly dog, “Un” for “Number One” trotted up to greet us as our luggage was unloaded. There is gorgeous woodwork all over the inside, and on the whole the house feels almost like a French styled dollhouse with everything in its perfect place. It feels like it is still locked in a civilized place and time.
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| "Un" |
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| Main hall |
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| Parlor |
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| Dining space |
Behind it is a garden that is like a small park, and I
almost felt like a character from the “Secret Garden” walking the overgrown
paths. Dinner that night was a very
special treat at a lovely restaurant called Les Escargots, just up the street
from our hotel. As the name implies, one
of their signature dishes is the French delicacy of snails.
At first we weren’t too keen on the notion, but as Dad
said, “We’re in France, it would be a crime not to try them.” So we did, a selection of the three kinds the
restaurant is famous for. The little
guys were delectable, moist and firm, tasting of basil, garlic and cheese. Following this, I had a lovely meal with
potato gratin, and ice cream for dessert.
The portions were good, the food delicious and the staff very kind and
welcoming. It was very reminiscent of Le
Bonne Excuse, and I would gladly try escargot again anytime.
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| Les Escargots |
That night we slept soundly and comfortably, and while I
dreamed of delicious food and distant castles, I could help but think of
home. I don't have much to say of Saumer except it seemed a nice and quaint little town, very peaceful but with not a lot to see in it.
Samur was the end of our journey through the Loire Valley,
a beautiful and picturesque landscape of farms, villages and castles such as
Chenanceaux. It is very much what we
might describe as a “fairytale kingdom’.
We’d spent three days in this fairy land, and that morning we would
begin our journey into the coast of Normandy and the battlegrounds of World War
II. I knew this would be a turning
point, from fairytales to the grim reality of that conflict, but it was
something I knew we had to do.
