Hello from France...
Published: Mon, 06/25/18
In last month's email, I told you that I was training for my walking trip to the Loire Valley of France. I then wrote about my training in detail here.
I am now in France on my self-guided walking tour organized by Exodus Travels. I walked over 18km yesterday, my first day. But walking took less time than the exploring I did.
I visited La Cave des Roches in Bourre where they once quarried the stone for the magnificent chateaux in the area and now grow mushrooms in the remaining caves that have a climate that is constantly cool and always humid. I went to La Magnanerie which shows off a cave house that is built into the cliffside and the nature of silk production which was done in the 15th century. An hour or so after lunch in Montrichard, I went off the path somewhat to Château De Chissay, where the French Prime Minister stayed during the occupation of France in WWII. Before the end of my walking day in Chenonceaux, I also had time for an hour-long boat ride up the Cher River and under the bridge structure of Chateau de Chenonceaux, which I will visit properly today.
The Loire Valley is beautiful and fascinating. Walking it gently guides you to unplug and settle in to relax as one should on holidays. When I return home I will write about this trip extensively.
Where We're Traveling Next
We are currently doing a series on Ontario Summer Getaways. Bettine, one of our occasional writers, just completed a glamping weekend with yoga and kayaking. You'll be able to read about her experience on Solo Traveler today. Next month, Tracey goes to Killarney Lodge, a luxury escape where there are restrictions on the use of technology. Grace is going white water rafting on the Ottawa River. I'm going on a weekend cycling trip north-east of Toronto. We will, of course, write about all our experiences individually but, once we've all completed our getaways, we'll pull together all the information into one post as a guide to getaways in Ontario.
It's Your Turn
Nominations for the 2nd annual Solo Travel Awards are now closed and the World Nomads Solo Travelers Choice Award is open for voting until September 15th. For you, it presents two opportunities. You can:
- Vote for and support a company that you think serves solo travelers well.
- Discover and research companies that want to serve solo travelers.
That's it for this month. Happy travels,
Janice
P.S. If you're traveling soon, don't forget...
- Going Alone? Travel Insurance is a Must - why I never travel without insurance, how I've used it to recover losses, and how to buy it.
- VPN for Travel: What, Why and an Easy Setup Guide - how to protect your identity as you travel.
- Bare Minimum Packing: Here’s Your Packing List - our ultimate packing check list which I continue to use for every trip.
- Free 30-day trials perfect for a trip: Audible, includes 1 audiobooks. Amazon Music Unlimited. Videos from Prime or HBO. Remember to cancel your subscription if you don't want to pay monthly.
- Readers chose Booking.com as their favorite travel brand in our 2017 reader survey. You can support Solo Traveler by booking your hotel, hostel, B&B or inn through Booking.com here or anywhere on Solo Traveler. You won't pay any more. We'll get a small commission.