Lake Annecy

2009 INTERNATIONAL GARDEN FESTIVAL

A colourful festival at the Chaumont-sur-Loire regional estate from 29th April, the 18th Garden Festival will be showcasing these gardens. You are invited to stroll around the heart of the Chaumont-sur-Loire regional estate to discover gardens that will awaken your senses, in an array of colours, with a thousand hidden meanings. The range of plants displayed by the artists and landscape gardeners highlights the infinite diversity of colours, the virtues and energy of which have an influence on both the senses and the mind: intense reds, deep blues, blacks and whites, the Chaumont gardens will surprise you with their bold and unusual offerings. New for 2009: the Festival gardens can be visited by night, by the light of electroluminescent diodes!

WINE TASTING AT CHEVERNY

A stone's throw from Château de Cheverny, the Maison des Vins of Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny AOC (designation of origin) wines is offering the chance to discover its vineyards in an innovative manner, unique in France. After tasting the wines of the day, the visitor can extend their tasting experience if they wish, with the "wine discovery" package which allows them the opportunity to sample up to 7 further wines. Visitors are given a glass with an electronic chip positioned underneath, and all they have to do is select the wine they wish to try by placing the glass on the stand of their choice. The glass will be automatically filled with 3centilitres of the selected wine, served at the correct temperature. These tasting taps offer samples of over 100 AOC white, red and rosé wines.

CHARTRES IN LIGHTS

At nightfall each evening from 18th April, twenty-four of the most impressive monuments in Chartres will be enlivened by light and music. World famous for the incomparable splendour of its stained glass windows and listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO, the cathedral of Chartres is revealed in an alternative light. Shapes and images become visible and colours, paintings and writing are successively displayed on the façades of the town. This show of lights unveils the architecture of each monument and forms a natural part of the town's history. The show comes to a close on 19th September, with the Festival of Light!

SAND SCULPTURES AT LE TOUQUET

In 2009, the sea front at Le Touquet will give sand sculptors the chance to show off their talents by creating over 200 amazing sculptures, on an original theme that will present the history of the Kings of France like never seen before. "Touquet Royal" will lead visitors around a portrait gallery of figures with exceptional destinies - from the coronation of Clovis in 481, to 1848, the year of Louis Philippe I's abdication, close to 1400 years of rule will be represented. From 11th April to 31st August, these sand giants will take visitors across France and the secret history of its kings - a tour of an amazing portrait gallery of historical figures. The aire at Le Touquet is a convenient spot to stay & visit this exhibition.

NANTES FLOWER EXHIBITION

The "Floralies" Flower Exhibition of Nantes is celebrating its 10th anniversary. For 10 days, from 8th to 19th May 2009, discover the biggest ornamental flower show in France. This year the theme which has been chosen is "Pouvoir des fleurs" ("the importance of flowers"). Many exhibitors, environmental, horticultural and landscape architects and floral artists who have come from throughout the world will come together to transform the 35 hectares of the exhibition centre's grounds into an immense garden of colours, fragrances and beauty. This great temporary garden is open to the general public as well as to professionals.

MONET'S GARDENS

The Claude Monet estate at Giverny (Normandy) opens its gates to the public once again, from 1st April to 31st October 2009. Come and discover its magnificent gardens, a paradise on earth, which offer the spectacle of nature in perpetual motion and changing with the seasons. Claude Monet created the gardens that evoke his painting, where the light reveals colours in continual change. Falling into neglect after the artist's death, the gardens were restored from 1977 onwards, before being opened to the public on 1 June 1980.

LAND OF 1,000 LAKES

For anyone visiting the Haute-Saone area (70) of the Franche-Comte, the Tourism Department of the Pays de Mille Etangs has produced a guide on its website to the Aires de Services & Stationnement within its area. The guide has a map of all the aires as well as details of facilities available at each aire -- the guide can be downloaded at: http://www.les1000etangs.com.

PAY & DISPLAY

The popular aire at La Balme-de-Sillingy in the Rhone-Alpes, which was previously free to park at, has now decided to charge motorhomes 4€ for a 24 hour stay, and the aire at St Gilles-Croix-de-Vie in the Vendee has also now installed a ticket machine & parking is now payable here as well.

NEW AIRE IN AUVERGNE

The small village of Montoldre (Pop.650) in the Allier department of the Auvergne, about 4kms north of Varennes-sur-Allier has recently opened a new aire de services. The aire has parking for half-a-dozen motorhomes, a Euro-Relais service point with water (2€), grey & black drainage & picnic tables. The aire makes a good alternative to the one at Varennes, which can often be noisy, for full details see the Aires directory.

LAKE ANNECY BY BIKE

The Rhone-Alpes Tourist Board is trying to encourage tourists to make use of its excellent cycle track around Lake Annecy. This cycle track, which follows the left bank of the lake over thirty six kilometres along a former railway line, is a delight - meandering along between lake, mountains and meadows. The track has direct access to the Marquisats free beach & to both beaches at Sevrier, whilst there are various restaurants & campsites along its length.