Stanley Rubenstein

Drinking Along the Loire Valley

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Who says drinking and “riding” don’t go together? They certainly do!  We just came back from a week’s bike ride through part of the Loire Valley, drinking and riding. We had six days of easy riding, covering about 20 – 25 miles each day. Landing at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, we took the train to Tours, in the heart of the Loire Valley.  After settling in at our modest but comfortable hotel, we went out to explore the “old town” looking for a place to eat and to start tasting the famous Loire Valley wines.  

The next day we rented bikes and got underway.  The first stop was the small town of Vouvray, where we tasted a selection of white wines, the best being the Sancerre.  Testing our legs we rode out to Amboise, tasted the local beer and rode back in the direction of Tours, checking into our first hotel on the road, in the small town of Rochecorbon. This area of France is a very popular tourist area, and for bikers there are bike paths and small low traffic roads all along the river and to the main towns and attractions.  Dinner is a thing in France, if you don’t reserve in advance you don’t eat.  The few restaurants in Rochcorbon were “complet” that night and we had to take a taxi back to Tours, after the receptionist at our hotel was able to reserve a place for us.

Moving on the next day we pedaled west along the Loire River and then south on quiet country roads through the farmland to Azay le Ridleau, where we stayed at Hotel Val de Loire.  The owner/manager recommended a one star Michelin restaurant.  We asked the Maitre’d for a Sancerre, but on tasting it we were not very enthusiastic, but the next bottle he brought was very nice.  A cool refreshing full bodied white wine from one of the nearby wineries.

The next day we continued through the French countryside to the medieval city of Chinon.  After riding down a long hill we walked our bikes along the cobblestone streets to Au Relais St. Maurice, a collection of buildings, dating back to the 13th century, now converted into a fabulous bed and breakfast place.  The proprietor Maurice, acquired the property in 2016, spent two years on renovations, making everything “just so.” The next morning, he prepared for us a full course breakfast consisting of just about everything; a selection of local cheeses,  crepes,  an omelet from fresh eggs, plus orange juice, coffee, hot chocolate, “the works.”

Getting not such an early start after that breakfast, we continued west in the direction Saumur, passing through the quant town of Candice St. Martin, where the Vienne River flows into the Loire. We stopped here to enjoy the view and have a bite to eat consisting of some delicacies from a local traiteur.  So fortified, we headed up hill to the Rocheville Winery for a pre-arranged tour and tasting.  We tasted six of their wines, each bottle better than the one before, whites, reds and sparkling. We ended the day in Saumur, a non-descript town of 30,000, mostly built around providing services to the vineyards which surround the town.  

Turning east in the morning we pedaled to our last B&B in the area, which turned out to be an unexpected experience.  Up a hill to the plateau above the Loire we arrived at an estate known as Le Manoir la Rumilette, where we greeted by Adolf and Linda, his congenial wife, a Belgian couple who acquired the place five years ago as a retirement retreat. After showing us around the Manoir, we inquired about a place to eat dinner.  They told us the nearest restaurant was about 10 miles away in the town of Langeais. Seeing that all we had were our bicycles, they offered to drive us down and pick us up after dinner.  Not wanting to inconvenience them, we invited them to have dinner with us.  Taking us to one of their favorite hangouts, we enjoyed some very local concoctions, wine, and moules.  The highlight wasn’t the wine or the moules but hearing their story.  Adolf was a Belgian entrepreneur who had ventured out to Vietnam in the late 1980’s to establish a factory, which he managed for twenty five years, while his wife, a registered nurse, worked and raised the children back in Belgium.  In the end, Adolf sold his factory to his customers acquiring Le Manoir la Rumilette, to enjoy in his retirement.

Again, we enjoyed a hearty French breakfast, got on our bikes, rode down the hill back to Tours, handed in our bikes and got back on the train to Charles de Gaulle Airport for the flight back home.  Touring in the Loire Valley was a rare treat.  We certainly enjoyed the wine and the easy riding along the village roads through the French countryside.  This is one of the premiere tourist areas in France and anyone thinking about visiting there should not hesitate to contact me for further information.

David Sartwell

Montana Brown Trout Magic

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Mary Gayle Sartwell and fishing guide Dave Curry with the one that didn’t get away. Dave Sartwell photo

My wife and I also love Montana in the summer, returning year after year to fish for the huge brown trout, rainbows, and cutthroats that fill the streams. This past July was no exception.

We spent two weeks fly fishing many of the wonderful rivers that flow down out of the mountains, almost all filled with snowmelt and exceptional fish. One such adventure was on the Clearwater River, located about 90 minutes southeast of the Whitefish Mountain Resort.

It is a beautiful small stream that flows out of the Swan Mountains and runs along Route 83.

We floated the ten-mile section between Seely Lake and Salmon Lake, with our friend and guide of many years, Dylan Curry. It can be a tough run because we have to portage around some log jams and downed trees, but the fishing is so superb that it is worth the effort.

About a half mile downstream, Dylan pulled on the oar and slid the fishing raft sideways so we faced the left bank of the tiny creek. We had just dropped through some very shallow water in this beautiful freestone creek and were approaching a long deep pool where the current had undercut the bank.

The short willow bushes leaned out over the edge, making their branches diving boards for stoneflies.

“Adore the shore,” I muttered to myself as I sent the #6 golden stonefly with the #10 Pat’s Rubber leg dropper in tight to the overhang. With a big left mend to keep the line upstream of the flies, the combination floated easily down into the head of the pool.

The floating stonefly bobbed ever so slightly and I set the hook, knowing these fish slurped in nymphs rather than slashed at them. Feeling the weight shift of a big fish driving toward the bottom, I let the line slide through my fingertips along the cork of the rod, keeping the tip up to absorb the shock.

His golden sides flashed in the sunlight as he shot out from his hiding place and raced across the pool right in front of the raft.

It was a huge brown trout that did not want to come to us. This is what Mary Gayle and I came to Montana to see. I heard the Nikon clicking away as my wife put down her rod, and picked up the camera.

The rod-tip bounced as it absorbed the full weight of this powerful fish. Slowly his runs started to shorten. He was beginning to run out of steam. I wanted to get him to the boat as quickly as possible so he would have enough energy left to recover after his release.

He was about 22 inches long – a really fat, healthy fish. We hopped out of the boat, removed the hook, and set him free. He sat at our feet for a brief minute, finning quietly, his gills pumping oxygen back into his body, before we lowered him gently back into the water.

Then, with a quick thrust of his tail, he shot back upstream toward dark water under the overhanging bank in his home pool.  The photos prove this is not a “fish story”.

For more information about fishing the beautiful rivers of central and western Montana, contact the Missoula River Lodge, 2515 Huson Rd., Huson, Montana, 59846, or phone 877-327-7878.

Another great option is to fish for the wondrous cutthroat trout on the south fork of the Flathead River in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area.  Rich’s Montana Guest Ranch, located in Seely Lake, offers horseback wilderness trips of various durations that take you deep into the park for up to ten days. The fishing there is spectacular. Contact them at 406-677-2317.