2012 Translayon: open days for domaines in the Layon

Start of the 2011 Translayon in Cléré-sur-Layon 

The Translayon is an annual festival that highlights the attractions of the Layon Valley. The 2012 edition runs from 2nd to 10th June with most of the events happening on the two weekends. It includes a three day walk down the Layon, which CRM and I did last year. We covered around 90 kilometres starting in Clere-sur-Layon and finishing in Challonnes, where the Layon flows into the Loire.  

This year there is a list of producers who will have their portes ouvertes during the festival:

2nd June

Moulin Turquais

2nd/3rd/9th/10th

du Canal de Monsieur

Domaine des Forges-earl Branchereau

Gaudard-Pierre Aguilas

Château d'Aubigné

St Martin

  

2nd/9th:

Château de la Mulonnière

Blouin Laurent

EARL Château du Fresne

Château de la Genaiserie

Domaine Cady

Du Grand Moulin

EARL Vignoble du Beau Soleil

du Petit Clocher

de la Ducquerie

Château Soucherie

Château de la Calonnière

Vignoble Gélineau

2nd/3rd/9th

de la Couchetière-GAEC Brault P&Fils

des Roseraies-Bernard Crasnier

Château Bellevue

2nd/9th/10th

Dhommé

EARL Domaine des Acacias

9th

De Wagram

Michel Blouin

Pierre Chauvin

de la Gabetterie-Vincent Reuiller

Vignoble du Logis des Noëls

9th/10th

Du Pont de Livier

Château de Brossay

Patrick Baudouin

Château de la Genaiserie

des Grandes Brosses-EARL Longépé

Vignoble Rahard

Vignoble Lecointre

  

(More links to be added.) 

Some photos from 1st Day of the 2011 Translayon: 

Corn and vines in the Upper Layon  

 Walkers entering Passavant-sur-Layon 

Château and flowers by lunchtime stop on first day of walk

Lunchstop on the first day

The welcoming band at Tigné: end of the first day

 

Translayon 2012: 8th-10th June – still a few places for walkers left

The start of the 2011 Translayon in Cléré-sur-Layon

There are still a few places left for those who want to take part in the annual three-day walk down the Layon, although all the places for the horse and carriage event are now taken. The dates are Friday 8th June to Sunday 10th and you cover some 85-90 kilometres, so around 30 a day, so you need to be reasonably fit. It is well worth doing, especially the latter part which is more scenic. The 2011 edition started in Cléré-sur-Layon and ended at Chalonnes where the Layon flows into La Loire.  

Details are here.

2011 the finish@Chalonnes

Translayon 2011: some photos from Day One

True grit and ready for the off...

Cléré-sur-Loire: walkers gathering


Horse and traps, too

L'eglise@Cléré

A few words from the Mayor of Cléré before the start

The Layon@Cléré-sur-Layon

Château de Passavant (above and below)

Lake@Passavant

One of the riders

Translayon 2011: the start and finish

Ready for the start in Cléré-sur-Layon (3rd June)

They're off!

Yesterday afternoon we finished the 82 kilometres of so of the Translayon (3rd-5th June) at Chalonnes-sur-Loire, where the Layon joins La Loire. As I suspected there was no possibility of an internet connection while we were on the walk. Even if there was we would hardly have had the time and almost certainly not the energy to post. After the first day, especially, we were completely 'crevette'!

The group finishes@Chalonnes-sur-Loire


CRM's delight@finishing

Posts on the individual days to come.

Translayon: 3rd-5th June – day three

Looking across the Layon from Quarts-de-Chaume

Day 3 takes us from Rablay back to Chalonnes, where the Layon meets La Loire. We will pass by Saint-Lambert and along past the Quarts de Chaume, one of the Loire's most famous sweet wine appellations. Our lunchtime stop will be in the pretty village of Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné.

Château du Breuil@Beaulieu-sur-Layon

Nobly rotted grapes in the Quarts de Chaume late September 2010

Translayon: 3rd-5th June – day two

Day two of our walk will take us from Tigné to Rablay-sur-Layon with a lunchtime stop in Thouarcé in the appellation of Bonnezeaux. We will be staying again in the campsite at Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay.

Translayon: 3rd-5th June – day one

Across the Layon from Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay towards Beaulieu

Today CRM and I start our three day walk down the Layon – 2011 Translayon.

We meet up with the other walkers at Chalonnes-sur-Loire from 6.15 this morning to 6.45 before transport leaves apparently precisely at 7.00 to take us to the start at Cléré-sur-Layon. The first day's walk takes us to Tigné.

We will be staying at the Camping in Saint-Lambert-du Lattay. I'm not sure whether we will be able to get an internet connection so there may be no updates until we return to Touraine on Sunday evening.

List here of 19 caves ouvertes either the weekend of the 4th-5th or 11th-12th or both weekends.