I was also in the Loire Valley region this mumser , but only for a few days. I was staying in a vllage called St. Catherine de Fierbois. It has a lovely street statue of St Jean d'Arc as she is supposed to have come there to the church and gotten a sword before she went to battle. I also visited the Chateau at Chinon and was really impressed with the exhibitions on show there. It was great to see the vast fields of tourne-soleil' and the harvest being collected from the countryside. I would really love to return for a longer stay