Last night we walked to the edge of the Loire (about 800m from our accommodation) and had dinner at a restaurant called Le Ship. We could see people on the beaches of the Loire enjoying the last of the sunshine on the opposite bank to where the restaurant was located. The current was running swiftly, but this pair (in the photo on the right) was happy to wave to me for this photo. I think they were in for a long walk back to their starting spot. Although the river is very low at the moment, it is not uncommon for there to be exposed sections which offer great spots for swimmers and canoeists to take a rest. But these exposed river beds add a degree of difficulty for any boats wanting to navigate the river. We think the Loire Canal is more often used by the boats than the river itself, as the depth in the canal is more reliable.

We met an interesting couple from the UK during dinner and we swapped lots of travel stories and tips. The animated conversation meant that dinner passed by very quickly, and it was soon time for Mick and I to head home. We decided to walk to our hotel a different way that took us closer to the Loire Canal. There were lots of boats moored on the edges with people enjoying their dinner.

Some of these boats had been hired, and we assumed the tourists travelled for part of the day up or down the canal. Although I have read that not all canals are open at the moment because of the lack of water. So, perhaps they just stayed on the boats and walked around the place like Mick and me.

When we were safely home, Mick opened the window and spotted these hot air balloons gently floating above us. This area experiences great thermals that help these balloons stay afloat. Mick and I decided we were just happy to look from the safety of our hotel!

This morning we headed off to Sancerre for breakfast and a walking tour of the old city . We had been told that a minimum of 5 people was needed for the tour, and if there was not enough I would receive a text. Well, we turned up for the walk and found out there were not enough people – another indication the season is very quiet here at the moment.

And, there was no mention of the missing text message advising us of the cancellation. Never mind…

We had already done some exploring of our own.

… Not to be upset by a change to our plans, we decided to visit some wineries along La Route des Vignobles du Cœur de France.

There are hundreds of winegrowers in this part of France, and only a few minutes drive out of Sancerre we were spoilt for choice. I was keen to go to a quite famous vineyard in the area as a starting point, and we had to keep in mind we had to get to these places quickly as they all would close for lunch at midday.

We made it with plenty of time to Domaine de la Perrière – a famous winery as I said, but not so much because of its wines, but because it operates out of a naturally carved grotto or cave.

Naturally carved 200 million years ago, the grotto is very impressive. As soon as we walked in we felt the temperature drop significantly, making it an ideal location to make and store wine.

We tried several different wines and walked out with a single bottle of the traditional sauvignon blanc, and in a similar way as to the wines we tasted yesterday, using grapes from different soil types to increase the complexity.

I think these photos help you understand the scale of this cave.

We still had time to visit one more winery before the clock struck twelve, and then we headed to a small village called Ménétréol-sous-Sancerre situated only a few kilometers from our hotel, alongside the Loire Canal. We spotted a very busy restaurant called Le Floroine, and decided to investigate.

We were happy we did, as it was filled with locals lapping up the home-made cuisine at a very cheap price. All meal deals included (table) wine. Mick and I chose to have one course only from the buffet for €10 each, as we are going out for dinner tonight before we go to a concert in the Notre Dame Church in Sancerre at 8.30pm.

Mick is not really that thrilled about it, but I am very excited we are lucky enough to be here on the one night this group is to perform.  The group is called Mykrokosmos and it consists of lots (not sure yet how many) of great singers who perform as part of a choir.

There is loads to do here. Our days are very full.