#loirevelo: more photos from First Day

Paul Truszkowski – "What about trying this Chinon?"

Photos from the visit to La Maison du Vins de la Loire: 

 Hikka Chartier 

 Ingrid Larmoyeur: "my glass is empty!"

Ralf Kaiser: "Looks OK!"

Paul Truszkowski: trying out a Ryan Opaz look! 

 

Thomas Günther takes aim...

 Marja Van Beek

 An expansive Ralf Kaiser showing off his Stones T-shirt to best advantage

#loirevelo without Andrew Barrow – the wine scribbler

 

Andrew Barrow in middle after Richard Ross@EWBC11

Very sorry to hear that Andrew Barrow had a car accident on the way to the airport to join #loirevelo – 'these wine bloggers' trip to the Loire. Apparently there was another car involved and the car in which Andrew was travelling flipped over, landed upside down in the ditch and they had to crawl out. Sounds like they had a lucky escape! After spending most of the day in hospital Andrew has been allowed to go home but is unable to join the trip, which is a great shame. Trust that he is completely OK.

Meanwhile the advance party of 'These wine bloggers'... invaded the Maison des Vins de Loire in Vieux Tours and tasted six wines just to get an initial impression as for some this is their first trip to the Loire. Of the six wines served by Marie-Colombe Haudebert I was impressed by the 2010 Vouvray Sec from Vincent Carême and the 2009 Savennières from Domaine aux Moines.  

Marie-Colombe with the glasses

#loirevelo: Bloggers' trip to the Loire: 1st-3rd June

Sunrise@Saumur

Starting this afternoon I will be on a bloggers' trip to the Loire based tonight and tomorrow in Tours and then on Sunday in Saumur. There will be visits in Vouvray and Saumur/Saumur-Champigny as well as the opportunity to spend Saturday afternoon@Vitiloire. The trip has been organised by Interloire.  

My fellow bloggers ('these wine bloggers'...) are Andrew Barrow (UK), Denise Medrano (UK), Ralf Kaiser (Germany), Thomas Günther (Germany) Paul Truszkowski (Germany), Jelle de Roeck (Belgium), Christof Spinelli (Belgium) Ingrid Larmoyeur (Netherlands) Marja Van Beek (Netherlands) Anne Victoire Monrozier (France). I hope I have got all the links right and still need to find one more!

It will be interesting to see how a blogger's press trip differs from a traditional press trip. Our trip involves one and half days of cycling, so this looks to be a key difference and hopefully the current fine weather will keep up. Some forecasts for Sunday have been for rain but it keeps changing.

Has the cycling been included because:

a) Bloggers are greener than traditional journalists.

b) Bloggers are thought to be fitter than traditional journalists – we will have to see the state of the group by the end of Sunday to verify this.

c) Bloggers don't need to be pampered as much.

d) Bikes are a cheaper option than limos or people carriers....

In an effort to get back on the bike in preparation for the bloggers' cycling, I have been for a couple of bike rides. It is all too evident that being more than a kilo or so overweight takes its toll! Where once hills were a welcome opportunity and an enjoyable challenge, they are now definite obstacles to be avoided if possible.   

 Lunchtime scenes @Vitiloire 2011