Joan of Arc Day of is celebrated in France the second Sunday in May. Rightly so. Many of our heroes and heroines turn out to have feet of clay but not Joan who gains in stature the more we know about her. The fate of France was decided in the Touraine where Joan’s epic journey started. Chinon, Orléans and Loches played a crucial part in its history.

Beauval Zoo, known simply as Beauval, takes a long time to see. A very long time. You can spend an hour or more at the entrance alone.

The Gare de Tours is quite simply wonderful.
It was built between 1896 and 1898 during what is now known nostalgically as La Belle Époque, a time of peace and prosperity when France was the cultural centre of the world.