May in France is packed with public holidays, although since they're on fixed dates they tend to cycle through the days of the week. For the last two years we've unfortunately had them all land on weekend days, and unless you've a really kind employer, the only benefits you get is closed shops!

Finally they're all back on weekdays, and we've had all our jours fériés when they're most needed - work days! By the way, the difference between a Fêtes and Fériés is that the Fériés are religous days off like easter, while Fétes are national days like the féte Nationale (14th of July, or Bastille day as everyone except the french call it).

So, this monday was a holiday, and as a long weekend break we stayed at a friends place in the Loire region, and did all the usual stuff of taste wine and gawp at chateaux. They have a beautiful house in Chouzé sur Loire, which is right on the banks of the river. Everywhere you look are dates carved into the stonework marking the levels of various floods. Some of the dates go back more than a hundred years. All the property in this region is absolutely gorgeous, although if you want to move here you'll have to be quick as the English are already snapping everything up .

Of course, as any good weekend break should, it rained a fair bit. Somehow we were lucky and were happily installed in a cafe or bar during each downpour, and even managed a decent bike ride in blistering sunshine one morning. However, it did get bad at parts, and our first view of the Ussé chateaux was confined to the car!

We did get back there the next day, and it's worth the visit, just as all the chateaux are. The Loire is absolutely packed with them! Although we didn't see it on this visit, our favourite is Château d'Azay-le-Rideau, which is incredibly grand, although the Ussé below is the one that inspired Charles Perrault to write 'Sleeping Beauty'.