Now back in the Loire for a few days staying at the Hotel attached to the Abbaye de Fontevraud for the first edition of Loire Millésime. The hotel has been extensively and finely renovated since I last stayed here.
I was back on the Eurostar early this morning and then had to make a fast change from the Gare du Nord and Montparnasse as I had only 45 minutes between trains. Fortunately my Eurostar was right on time and my carriage was close to the barrier. I always take Metro line 4, which is quite quick despite having a lot of stops. However, this was complicated because Line 4 platforms at Montparnasse are currently closed as the line is being updated.
This meant getting off at Saint-Placide, the stop before, and walking the half mile or so to Montparnasse. Of course there were signs to show you which way to go. Luckily Le Tour de Montparnasse is a tall and distinctive landmark. I made it with around 15 minutes to spare.
As the photos show it is a magnificently bright sunny afternoon. Unfortunately the forecast is for the temperature to drop overnight with a low in some places down to -3˚ which could be very bad news for some Loire producers. Last night the low temperatures hovered around zero. Marielle Henrion used a helicopter early this morning to stir up the cold air to raise its temperature a little. On our drive from St Pierre des Corps to Fontrevaud we passed by Aulée and saw the helicopter parked there ready to be used overnight.
For the moment it is quite windy but the wind may well drop overnight. Fortunately the ground is very dry so this may help. Fingers etc. crossed but this is definitely squeaky bum time.
The Loire cannot afford another bad frost like last year.
Part of the interior
"Could you pass the salt dear?"
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