VOUVRAY, France — Today’s hike through ages-old vineyards comes with a little surprise.
Inside a secret walled garden, are grapes that have been kept for centuries – even beyond the blights that nearly decimated so many of France’s vines in the late 1800s.
But the true surprise comes after our afternoon hike – one of our daily hits of exercise and immersion in nature over our weeklong itinerary – we’re treated to a wine tasting that includes a sip from a vintage made from the hallowed grapes.
I’m on a trip hosted by Exodus Adventure Travels, along with about a dozen travel advisors from both Canada and the U.S.
The trip is a version of the company’s Loire Valley: Walks, Wine & Châteaux, and it takes us through some of the most storied and scenic parts of France.
The Loire Valley hugs the Loire river as well as the Cher river, with surrounding hillsides dotted with stunning castles and stately homes keeping company with vineyards ambling alongside. We start at Tours en route to Vouvray wine country, and on our first morning we begin to get our steps in. The hikes are easy, some through vineyards and farms and others through quaint villages. Our French guide Yannis keeps to the fairly fit pace of the group – and sturdy walking shoes or hiking boots are a good idea for the countryside terrain.
The stunningly beautiful Château de Chenonceau has seen its share of court intrigue
As we pass sun-dappled vineyards, Yannis tells us of the history of the area, and a preview of what’s to come. It sounds like magic: Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, gardens that were the playground of kings and queens, old-vines winemakers and chateaux with scandalous backstories.
The feeling that you get when you first lay eyes on Château de Chenonceau is beyond picture postcard perfect.
This Renaissance wonder, with its river-spanning great hall, has seen its share of court intrigue. From Diane de Poitier, the mistress of Henry II, to Catherine de Medici (Henry’s wife and queen), and later, Louise Dupin, who was a strong voice during the French Revolution, if these walls could talk. I could barely catch my breath, it was all so marvelous.
But it’s our stop at Amboise where I’m completely smitten. It is at Château du Clos Lucé, the final resting place of Leonardo da Vinci, and a 10 minute walk from Amboise castle. The house is filled with replicated examples and drawings of da Vinci’s inventions and art inspiration. He lived here from 1516 – 1519, and his legacy in France is one different than it was in Italy. Here, he built deadly war machines and flying contraptions and shoes that allowed him to walk on water. The gardens are also splendid, with many replicas of his architectural ideas where you can experience them yourself. Walking across the many water features is facilitated by his bridge designs.
Learning just how much one manʻs genius, 500 years later, continues to influence design, art and modern thinking was, well, mind-blowing.
Château de Villandry is famous for its three tiers of terraced gardens
Mind-blowing, too, is the cuisine. Lunch is not a grab-and-go affair. This is an important meal for the French and they’ve perfected it. It is usually two or three courses, with wine, naturally, and whatever the chef is feeling that day, meaning local, fresh and indicative of the area. Fish and cheese often feature, as do terrines, rillettes and slow-cooked pork belly. And we don’t skip dessert. We walk it off with our daily hikes.
Hiking and slowing down rather than riding on a coach also allows for a more immersive experience. “At Exodus Adventure Travels, we love being able to share the active, adventure-filled side of travel with our travel advisor community and their clients, and we’re grateful for the partnerships we’ve built together,” says Wendy Mills, business development manager at Exodus Travels. “We truly value it – it feels like one big family here in Canada. With our focus on sustainability, it’s especially meaningful to collaborate with advisors who share our passion for creating memorable, responsible and enriching experiences.”
To support travel agents better, Mills reports that the company now has a new agent portal designed to make selling Exodus trips even easier and more efficient. “We’ve also expanded our BDM team, giving travel agents even more direct support. And next year, we’ll be hosting a number of FAM trips so more travel agents can experience our adventures firsthand.” The company also offers competitive commissions on its tours, airfare and extensions and extras.
On this adventure, we visit many winemakers and their wine caves, but today it’s a different kind of cave.
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- A walk through French vineyards, for the Exodus FAM group
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- Château de Chenonceau showcases its priceless works of art as beautifully as the paintings themselves
Underneath the troglodyte houses (some from prehistoric times) embedded into the limestone hillsides of the Anjou region, there are mushroom farms. Beyond the button, the most popular variety, there are dozens of fungi growing in the dim confines of these natural caves. Some like coral, some like spiky grasses and some familiar, these were like pieces of spectacular jewellery, crafted by nature.
“We’re genuinely excited for what’s ahead and can’t wait to support travel agents in creating even more incredible journeys for their clients,” says Mills. “Together, we’ll continue opening the world – one meaningful adventure at a time.”
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- The charming university town of Tours, France is the starting point for Exdous Travelsʻ Loire Valley – Walks, Wine & Châteaux tour
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- Château du Clos Lucé has had many famous residents, including Leonardo da Vinci (photo courtesy Vivian Vassos)
TRAVEL ADVISOR TOOLS & RESOURCES
Exodusʻ new agent portal is live and ready to go at https://agents.exodustravels.
Exodus also just announced ʻThe Signature Collection,ʻ an all-new elevated product offering that the company says it designed for a slower, authentic and more immersive experience. There will be 35 new itineraries, “purpose-built for curious travellers seeking genuine cultural exchanges.”
The company will host two exclusive launch webinars for advisor partners in December; click here for details.
Other helpful tools include …
- Agent Resource Site – for webinar trainings and the latest news
- Agent Collective Facebook page & Agent Newsletter – Exclusive agent content – FAMs, contests incentives, webinars
Exodus Adventure Travelsʻ site is ExodusTravels.com/ca.
Lead image caption: Exodus hosted Canadian and U.S. agents on its recent Loire Valley FAM (all photos courtesy Exodus Travels except where noted)