Saumur, Loire Valley

We had read in the guide books that Saumur was an interesting place to visit so we headed there, staying at another aire on a island in the middle of the Loire river.

With the sun shining, we jumped on the bike and headed a few kilometres away to visit a mushroom museum and farm located in troglodyte caves. We learnt a lot about mushrooms from all over the world and how they are produced.

Distillery Combier, which started in 1834, is the birthplace of the original Triple Sec. We learnt about the process of distilling this delicious drink using Haitian orange skins and how Gustav Eiffel was responsible for designing the distillery interior. They have recently had the law changed and are now legally making absinthe again. After our tour, we sampled a range of their products and came away with a bottle of their famous Triple Sec which we were told to keep in the freezer.Read more