Villages and Towns
During our stay we had lots of opportunities to explore the area's towns and villages. When the chateau was rented for a wedding we could go explore for the whole weekend, grab an air bnb and come back on Monday after the crowds had left. With so many nearby options, however, we never had to go far. Often we could simply take off for a morning or afternoon, and be back in the comfort of our cottage later that day.
Nearby Chauvigny was the perfect example of a hilltop, medieval village. Its history predates medieval Europe, but the primary structures of the town date between 1000 and 1500 AD.
Not far away is Angles-sur-L'Anglin, one of France's "most beautiful villages." We enjoyed poking around the picturesque center, and topped it off with a nice meal at a local restaurant.
Even the larger towns like Chinon and Loches were fun to explore. Usually we would just wander aimlessly, leaving only after our feet grew weary on the cobblestone streets.
Markets
Of course, the markets were a major attraction--nothing says "France" like a French village market. With a huge array of vendors, we could find everything from local sausages to fresh fruit and vegetables.
Sometimes we would stumble into a "local products" market where the vendors provided the ingredients for a self-served picnic lunch. These markets usually had barbecue setups where we could cook our own meat as the foundation for a meal.
People Watching
Markets are always a good place for street photography. With all the hustle and bustle, it's easy to go unnoticed amidst the crowds.
A visual tableau
For a photographer like me, whether it was the markets stalls or their shoppers, the hilltop vistas or the medieval cores, there was always something interesting for me to capture.
