Valencay walking hols with the Chalais group

Up relatively early and off in the glorious sun heading towards Valencay. A slow preamble through the Loire, stopping initially by the side of the Seine at Pont de l’Arche for lunch. A Great little stop if you had the campervan and didn’t mind rubbing shoulders with thousands of other motor home owners and a multitude of Rumanian travellers. Fortunately, they started arriving as we packed away our ruminants from our tapas platter purchased the day before in Tesco, Dover.

Then back onto the road heading South East eventually passing through the centre of Orleans, across the Loire and into the tranquillity of the forests. Dense large ancient woods, still full of the large red deer previously hunted by the French royalty and privileged gentry. The temperature was increasing dramatically as we ventured further south. By the time we reached the Grand sounding Hotel Restaurant Le Relais Du Moulin it was a steamy 30 degrees. 
The hotel was not grand, but the staff were exceedingly friendly and the bedroom was spotless, although you could tell you were in France. The towels were the size of postage stamps, and they were using the prerequisite 40 – 60 grit grade of sandpaper for toilet paper and the unregulated shower hose that fluctuated from scalding hot to freezing cold only reached to my navel, resulting in me kneeling in the bath to ensure that l was completely dowsed. As per usual the poor insulation in the walls enabled us to hear the cacophony of noises from other parts of the building, especially the closing of bedroom doors prior to lights out, reminiscent one would imagine to the closing down and locking of steel doors in cell block 8 in one of her majesty’s prisons.
Beds were comfortable, and the rooms spacious. The buffet breakfast was just what you want when you are going out walking and the selection of pastries, breads and fruits was impressive. Returning after a mornings ramble we were treated to an interesting fayre, that had been prepared with care and attention. Dinners were also of an excellent quality. The menu showed true imagination, and the final result on the plate was both visually and mouth wateringly pleasurable. Well that’s the bitching and hotel review bit over and done with. Pompousness has now been removed from the diary.

 English translation of the French, not brilliant, but it gives you the gist.

It was the home of the Logis Royal, residence of the kings of France and also the resting place of Agnes Sorel the favourite mistress to the king of France, Charles VII.

The King gave her the Château de Loches (where he had been persuaded by Joan of Arc to be crowned King of France) as her private residence. Supposedly she became the first officially recognized royal mistress. She died on 9 February 1450 at the age of 28 whilst in labour with her fourth child. It was originally thought to be dysentery, scientists have now concluded that Agnès died of mercury poisoning. She was interred in the Church of St. Ours, in Loches. Her heart was buried in the beautiful Benedictine Abbey of Jumièges

Charles' son, the future King Louis XI, had been in open revolt against his father for the previous four years. It has been speculated that he had Agnès was poisoned in order to remove what he may have considered her undue influence over the king. It was also speculated that French financier, noble and minister Jacques Coeur poisoned her, though that theory is widely discredited as having been an attempt to remove Coeur from the French court. Here endeth the history lesson for today.

In the afternoon we did manage to escape the rain and walk up to an old castle that had been demolished as part of an agreement back in the 15c to establish a peace accord between various warring factors.