Places and things to see in the Chinonais

In the photo on the left above, you see the village and the church at the wine called Ligré. We used to go there often to buy wine, but these days we buy wine closer to home and do a lot less driving around.On the right is the Château du Rivau, which is pretty impressive. I've never been inside. It was built in the 13th century and fortified in the 15th. Rien ne manque à ce château de proportions harmonieuses, qui annonce la Renaissance — so says the Michelin green guidebook.

Below left is a closer view of the Château de Rivau, which has a dry moat, a drawbridge, and formalgardens. Below right is the Dolmen de Ligré, also called Le Carroir Bon Air. It measures 7 by 3.5 meters and was built between the fifth and third millenia BC, according to Wikipédia. That's our dog, the dearly departed Collette, in my photo.