As a young woman, my aunt Lillemor spent significant time in the Loire Valley and I remember her often reminiscing about all the good food and wine she enjoyed during her visits. While not top-tier, experiencing the region has nevertheless been on my list for a long time.

The image of the castle above, Douves du Château des Ducs à Nantes, was captured early yesterday morning. After a petit déjeuner, Charlotte and I took the midday train to the charming and millennia-old city of Tours.

While the administrative capital of the Loire Valley – a World Heritage Site – is Orléans (New Orleans in Louisiana originally got its name from the French nobleman, the Duke of Orléans), Tours is the region’s largest city and its financial hub.

Today, we’ll be biking around the valley to photograph and film for a forthcoming guide about how to best enjoy the Loire Valley.