Pays de la Loire

I came to Cholet for a square of red cloth. Not a château. Not a Loire viewpoint. A mouchoir rouge, white cross on red field, still woven inside an old bleach works on the edge of town. The Musée du Textile et de la Mode sits in the former Blanchisserie de la Rivière Sauvageau, built … Read more

I keep ending up on the wrong side of the river on purpose. Most people who stop in Angers head straight for the château — those black-and-white striped walls you can already see from the train. I get there eventually too. The day works better if I cross the Maine first and let La Doutre … Read more

The first time the bascule bridge rose in front of me, I was halfway across with a baguette under one arm. Horn near the lock. A few people stopped without much fuss. Then the roadway tilted up so a workboat could slip through the basin. In Saint-Nazaire this is not a show. It is Tuesday. … Read more