the cedar

This cedar (at least I'm pretty sure it is) is just next to the bike path in Amboise.  I think it is such a graceful tree.

the fishing boat

Although I have seen old fishing boats like this on the Loire before, I have not seen one in Amboise until this week. This is typical of boats working on the Loire which have a flat bottom in order to navigate the shallow waters.

kayaks on the Loire

The kayaks are already out on the Loire.  I can only imagine how cold the water must still be so I hope they manage to remain upright.

Friday market

It's Friday market day in Amboise.  Here is a wider view from last year.

the borne identity ?

On my bike ride last week, I was checking out a path new to me when I kept coming across bornes (road markers) like this one.  Here is a close up of another one:

So as soon as I returned home I of course searched the internet to find out what these are all about.  It turns out that part of my bike route followed a pilgrimage route in honor of Saint Martin of Tours (a city to the west of Amboise).  The "D st M" stands for Doyenné Saint Martin which I would roughly translate to mean the area of his Catholic church jurisdiction (district) as bishop of Tours. The bornes are modern creations based on ancient Roman bornes in use at the time of Saint Martin.  This part of the route is a tiny part of an enormous network of walking routes throughout Europe reflecting Martin's journeys.

Martin of Tours is often referred to as the patron saint of beggars.  You can read the story on Wikipedia here.  And here is a link to a web site, alas only in French, that provides participants with maps and guides on this section of the route.

Finally, I couldn't resist borrowing today's title from one of my favorite movies that has absolutely nothing to do with this subject !

forsythia

This forsythia in downtown Amboise is one happy camper.

Château Pintray

The château Pintray dates back to 1612 (although the property itself dates back to the fifteenth century) according to their web site.  It now serves as a B&B (chambres d'Hôtes) in Lussault-sur-Loire, just a few minutes from Amboise (and only a "few" more minutes if you're on a bike as I was).  The vineyards at Pintray have been around at least since the eighteenth century.

Their web site will give you much more history of the property as well as photos of the château inside and out.  You can view my panorama better if you enlarge by clicking on the image.

the willow

The willows being one of the first trees to sprout green really stand out in early spring.  This is right next to the bike path in Amboise.  By contrast, here's how another one looked during a previous year's snow.

chapel in the sky

A recent snap of chapelle Saint-Hubert that looks down on the town's main square, Place Debré.  You can find other ADP angles on the chapel here.

la pagode

Here's another view of the pagoda (at the no longer existent château de Chanteloup) that I managed to find on a recent bike ride.  This was taken from outside the park that now hosts the pagoda (in fact this is a farmer's field).  Here is the view from inside of the park.

three's a crowd

This swan has recently been hanging out along the bank of the Loire nearest the town. It doesn't seem to have a mate so I'm glad to see it has some duck friends.

it's official

It is spring in Amboise... especially in this vineyard.

almost spring

We recently toured a friend's beautiful garden in Amboise which has this glorious clematis.

another angle

Here's another angle on a small tree in a planter on Place Débré (the stone wall is the base of the château).

over the top

These flowering trees seem to be competing for attention over this wonderful stone wall next to my favorite bike route.

it won't be long

With all the warm and sunny weather we've had for the last week, the arrival of the first leaves on the grape vines can't be too far away.  This little building sits in the middle of an enormous vineyard.  I can only guess it provides storage and perhaps a warm respite for the workers in cold weather.

not talking

I don't know what was said before I arrived, but this egret and heron are definitely not talking about it any further.

Husseau

Husseau is a charming little village through which I often take bike rides.  On last week's ride, this flowering tree really stood out in the bright sun among the other trees that have yet to wake up from their winter's nap.

old Orléans

This old home in Orléans is a classic... and in such near perfect condition.

le garage - la grange

This building might qualify as either a garage or a barn (un garage ou une grange en français). In any case, I love its weathered wood.

classic architecture

This house nearby to Amboise is a classic example of brick and tuffeau (limestone) seen throughout the area.  Alas it is not ours.

Limeray

Limeray is a small town (around 1200 inhabitants) about 15 minutes from Amboise by bicycle.  This was rush hour last Wednesday.  OK, I'm kidding of course but there really isn't much car traffic through here and it is a wonderful place to ride a bike as these guys can attest.

they're ba-ack - a March sunset

It seems like such a long time since there was a spectacular sunset here (that I was able to catch), but this one on Friday night was really nice.  After seeing it out the window, I had to run down to the edge of the Loire to get this snap.  Five minutes later, I would have missed it.

Orléans hotel

There is so much going on in this photo, you'll really need to see it as large as possible*.  This is just over the entrance to a very fancy hotel in Orléans (upstream on the Loire from Amboise).  I'll leave it to you find all the "critters" lurking in and around it.


*Maximize your internet browser window and then click on the photo itself.

outside the château

The tree just outside the high walls of the château at Amboise seems to be trying to see what's going on inside.

le tour autour les tours

Yet another bike tour snap.  This time around the electrical towers just on the outskirts of Amboise.  (Too bad it wasn't near Tours !)

salle d'education à Limeray

Another photo from my bike ride last week... this one taken in the nearby village of Limeray.  I had not seen this building before and really enjoyed seeing its art deco look in the bright sunshine.

what are you lookin' at ?

This poor guy on the outskirts of Amboise seemed to be a bit surprised that I would stop and take his picture.  I was out on a little bike ride on yet another warm and sunny day here, and I was taken by his red ears which were back-lit by the sun.

the red shutter

Another study in texture and color of the windows (and shutters) of Amboise.

tracks in the snow

You've probably already guessed by now that this is not a photo from this year.  It would appear the chances of snow this year are nil.  Anyway, this was taken from the pedestrian overpass at the train station in Amboise last January.

March CDP theme day: "people on the street"

Every March, Carnival is celebrated by a parade of kids and grownups around the streets of Amboise.  There are lots of costumes and lots of music.   This photo from last year I thought captured the spirit of the day.  The worldwide bloggers under the banner of "City Daily Photo" interpret the theme days in their own special ways... click here to see this month's interpretations.