FrenchDuck UK - Latest

I’m not sure I expected to find a couple moving from Australia to make a home in the depths of the southern Loire Valley, but a recent article on the Preuilly-sur-Claise Saffron Festival unearthed an interesting website (blog) called “Days on the Claise” run by Susan and Simon.
As well as more about the Saffron Festival, there is also an interesting exploration of one of the local goats cheeses - Sainte Maure de Touraine:

St Maure de Touraine is an AOC (Appellation d’origine contrôlée) which roughly follows the boundaries of the old Province of Touraine. It has to be made by traditional methods - this just about means that all the cheese is made by hand from fresh ingredients, either on farms or in dairy co-operatives. There is an industrial version made in the same area, but this is called St Maure (without the Touraine bit). Our nearest farm is about 5 km from us on the road from Preuilly and Charnizay, and they won a Golden Goat for farm produced Sainte Maure in 2005.

There is even a recipe from the local hotel for Carp in a Goats Cheese Sauce (Filet de carpe de Brenne au Saint-Maure-de-Touraine).

For a different insight into aspects of living in rural France see Days on the Claise.

A possible base for visiting this area would be the P&V Apartment complex at Loches (37 Indre-et-Loire, Centre) Ideally located on the banks of the Indre and opposite the “Logis Royal”, the Pierre & Vacances resort at Loches occupies an outstanding site: the redeveloped old flour mills, to which small modern buildings respectful of the surrounding heritage have been added. The medieval town of Loches is just a 5-minute walk away. Further afield lie the chateaux de Loire, including Chambord, Tours, and Chenonceau