Wanderers : France 🇫🇷 - Vendome, Chinon, & Cognac

The town of Vendôme is a charming riverside town and a quick three hour drive from Paris.

What did we do?

Château de Vendôme is an ancient fortified castle, now in ruins, built on a mighty hill which the Loir river touches on the left bank.

Look I found a cave

The Old Collegiate Church

Saint George

'Desparate Hope'
Forge Master by
A Durenne

Trinity Abbey Vendome was a Benedictine monastery founded in 1035 in Vendôme by Geoffrey Martel and his first wife, Agnes of Burgundy. It was consecrated on 31 May 1040.

Around Vendome

Saint Martin Bell
Tower - Nighttime

Saint Martin Bell
Tower - daytime

Porte Saint Georges built
between the 14th & 16th centuries.

Loir River

Le Loir

Waffles

Église Sainte-Marie-Madeleine
de Vendôme

Statue de Pierre de Ronsard
Médiathèque Et Bibliothèque De
Vendôme (Library)

The best part about Vendome was there were no tourists. Very refreshing after being in Paris.

The next town we visited was Chinon. On our way to Chinon, we stopped at Château de l'Aulée for a wine 🍷 tour and tasting 😋. We were unable to do a tour but we did do a tasting.

Chinon is a gem in the Loire Valley, rich in medieval history, wine culture, and scenic charm.

Château de Chinon the fortress where Joan of Arc met Charles VII.

Moulin Tower
This tower is the oldest of the
Fortress and is a perfect example
of a stone watchtower,

Chapelle Sainte-Radegonde a chapel carved into the cliffside with centuries of history. For more information please click here. It was a nice walk to find the church ⛪️. The only part of the church we could see was the entrance as it was closed.

Chapelle Sainte-Radegonde

Caves Plouzeau🍷 located under the fortress of Chinon. We stopped in for a tasting.

Around Chinon

Fontaine place mirabeau

The Fountain of the
Three Graces

Vienne River

Phone booth converted to
a book exchange


Parish Church of Saint Maurice

We finally had a nice day and
didn't need a jacket

We really enjoyed strolling around Chinon, a very walkable town.

Cognac a charming riverside town which might also be known for something called brandy.

Church of Saint-Léger: A Romanesque gem with Gothic additions, perfect for history lovers.

Hennessy we just missed the tour but we were able to walk around the Boutique and learn about cognac.

Richard Hennessy X Berluti
Only 40,000 euros 💶

"Born in 1724 in Killavullen, Richard Hennessy was the youngest son of a Catholic family of Irish nobility. In an Ireland under English rule and with no inheritance prospects, he followed the path of many young exiles known as the "Wild Geese" and he enrolled the French rmu in the Clare Regiment. After five years of service, Richard joined relatives in the port city of Ostend, where he learned the basics of international trade. In 1765, he chose to settle in Cognac, on the banks of the Charente, a strategic crossroads for trade in eaux-de-vie. Richard Hennessy combined a sense of networking with a quest for excellence and a vision firmly directed overseas. He selected the finest eaux-de-vie and established lasting commercial ties in Europe and in the Americas. His heritage, his free spirit and his audacity continue to guide the Maison in the choices it makes every day."

Jardin Public

Mairie de Cognac (City Hall)

Around Cognac

House of the Lieutenancy owes
its name to its first occupant, the
Lieutenant-General of Cognac,
Pierre de Lacombe, who resided
there from 1603 to 1624

Porte Saint-Jacques

We only spent one night in Cognac, as neither one of us are brandy drinkers. It was a nice area to walk around and we probably could have spent at least one more night.

Where did we eat?

Vendome

The first thing we discovered in France is that restaurants open for lunch from noon to 2 or 2:30. Then they close and do not reopen until 7 or 7:30. That took a little getting used to.

Our first restaurant in Vendome, Rob had actually planned ahead and chose Le Bistroludik for our dinner. The place is highly rated on Google. When we arrived we realized it wasn't really a restaurant. They served coffee, drinks and snacks and games to play. Only reason I put this in the blog is because Rob doesn't like to play games, so it was pretty funny. We had a drink and left.

We got lucky and found La Cappadoce which we did not need a reservation, a Mediterranean restaurant. The two women working there were great.

Tzatziki

Kofte

Chicken

We found a lot of restaurants are closed on Sundays, Chez Wu was not, an Asian restaurant.

Spicy Chicken Stirfry

When we visited Asia our
food never came out at the
same time, so we weren't
surprised 😮 when Rob's
food came out first

Chicken fried rice

On our last day we had a short drive to our next town so we decided we would take a nice stroll and then have an early brunch around 11ish. We noticed La Comédie had several customers so we thought this was a good sign and we should be able to order food. When we walked in we were asked, "For food?" "Oui" We were seated and eventually our table set. We were offered something to drink but no food menu. We ordered cappucinos. They arrived promptly. And we waited... At exactly noon, a board was brought to our table with a menu written on it.

Thank goodness we ordered
Cappuccinos

Lunch Board came out at Noon

Croque Monsieur

Caesar 🥗 with Crispy Chicken

Chinon

Bistrot de la Place this place was not rated very high on Google, but they were open and serving food. The service was great and the food was good.

Pasta Carbonara with
egg yolk on the side

Sauerkraut with sausages and potato 🥔

Bistrot Fauve located right in the square where our hotel is. Food was really good.

Duck Breast with Foie Gras

Crispy Salmon Sushi

Bistrot les tanins the service was great and the food was delicious 😋.

Salmon Tartare

Duck

L’Ardoise the food and service was amazing. This was a Gault & Millau rated restaurant and the owner definitely knew her wine. 🍷

Smoked Fish 🐟 Plate with a herb
cream and homemade blinis

Cod loin wrapped in zucchini served
with an aioli sauce

Filet of beef with house made butter 🧈,
veal jus, seasonal vegetables and fries

Nemrod

Smoked egg yolk confit, ham,
parmesan, piquillo pepper siphon

Porcini mushroom cappuccino
Foie gras royale with a
chickpea cracker

Panama seared red mullet

Veal sweetbread wrapped in cured pork
belly

Watermelon sorbet drizzled with
brandy the red dots are tomato puree

Cognac

Atelier des quais

Onion Soup - Cantal Gratin
Not really a soup, but good

Burger You Boss
Shredded pork, coleslaw, crispy onions,
salad & fries

Snacked Octupus & Squid 🐙
Creamy polenta, chorizo crumbles, &
chorizo sauce

Where did we stay?

Hôtel Vendôme BW Signature Collection Housed in a historic building just steps from the town center, the hotel offered a warm welcome and a sense of calm that made it feel like a true retreat.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road
Our steps in our hotel

Lobby / Bar

Cutest room cleaning sign
If you are Jean Dujardin,
George Clooney, Daenerys
Du Typhon from Targarian's
House or a Victoria's Secret
Model: Join Me
Everybody else Keep Out

Best Western Hôtel de France, Chinon