Sauvage, conviviale, unique : la Sologne est LA région naturelle forestière de la France. Le pays solognot s’étend sur les trois départements du Cher, du Loiret du Loir-et-Cher. La Loire le contourne comme pour protéger ces territoires où se cultive un art de vivre et où l’écologie se vit au quotidien. La forêt occupe donc près des trois quarts de la Sologne pour le plus grand plaisir des animaux qui y vivent. Le brame du cerf à l’automne fait la fierté de cette région qui compte 250 individus rien que dans le parc de Chambord ! L’agriculture reste cependant une activité secondaire de la Sologne.
Le carnet des bonnes adresses d’Echappées belles en Sologne :
« SOLOGNE NATURE ENVIRONNEMENT » (pour découvrir la faune et la flore de Sologne)
https://www.sologne-nature.org/
« LE MANOIR DE CONTRES » (Hôtel / Restaurant)
Adresse : 23, rue des Combattants en AFN – 41700 – Contres
Web : www.manoirdecontres.com
E-Mail : hotel@manoirdecontres.com
« FERME DE ROMECROT » (meilleur fromage de ferme de Sologne)
Adresse : Route d’Oizon – 18410 – Argent-sur-Sauldre
Tel : 02.48.73.60.40
Web : www.ferme-de-romecrot.fr
« PATE FEUILLETEE FRANCOIS »
Adresse : petite route d’argent – 18410 – Blancafort
Tel : 02.48.58.65.80
Web : www.patefeuilleteefrancois.com (vente en ligne)
« AUX 2 BECASSES » (restaurant-traiteur-bistrot)
Adresse : 6, route d’Argent – 45620 – Cerdon
Tel : 02.38.05.07.45
Web : www.aux2becasses.com
« LA MARGOT’INE’ » (Restaurant)
Adresse : 53, rue lancelot du lac – 41210 – Montrieux-en-Sologne
Tel : 02.54.76.03.1
« CHATEAU DE VILLESAVIN » (A visiter absolument)
Adresse : 41250 – Tour-en-Sologne
Tel : 02.54.46.42.88
Web : www.chateau-de-villesavin.fr
« CONFLUENCE PECHE » (la pêche en Sologne)
Adresse : 13, bis rue du Brenot – 41500 – Avaray
Tel : 06.82.72.40.49
Web : www.confluencepeche.com
Facebook : confluence pêche
« CHATEAU DE CHAMBORD »
Adresse : 41250 – Chambord
Tel : 02.54.50.40.00
Web : www.chambord.org
Facebook : #500ansChambord
« LES RUCHERS DE ST MARC » (pour découvrir le miel de la Sologne)
Adresse : 41600 – Yvoy-le-Marron
Tel : 06.85.01.51.30
Web : www.ruchersdestmarc.fr
Facebook : les ruchers de St Marc
POUR FAIRE UNE BALADE SUR LA LOIRE EN BATEAU TRADITIONNEL
Web : www.marins-port-chambord.fr
« LES BALLONS DE LOIRE » (Vol en Montgolfière au dessus de Chambord
Web : www.ballonsdeloire.com
« PEGASE PRODUCTION » (Spectacles Equestres)
Web : www.pegaseprod.com
Le château de la Ferté Saint Aubin
https://www.chateau-ferte.com
Cocorico Electro
www.cocorico-electro.fr
Association « L’Appel des Forêts »
https://www.lappeldesforets.com
Les Amis des chemins de Sologne
http://www.lesamisdescheminsdesologne.com
Le Rallye des Toques de Sologne
http://www.bedandhistoricmotors.com
L’Aéroclub de Sologne
https://www.ac-sologne.fr
Marie-Joelle Cédat – Peintre animalier
www.mariejoellecedat.fr
Tel : 06 70 06 90 22
Nathalie Cirino – Artiste Sculpteur
www.nathalie-cirino.com
Tél :06 21 96 58 96
Alexandre ROUBALAY – Photographe Animalier
https://www.acadiaudimages.fr
Restaurant Olivier
37 rue du general leclerc
45240 La Ferte Saint Aubain
02 38 47 54 51
06 12 12 20 92
Le Bistrot Fertois
2 Faubourg Guyenne 41220
La Ferte Saint Cyr
02 54 81 70 89
bistrotfertois@gmail.com
Le château de la Ferté Saint Aubin
https://www.chateau-ferte.com
Cocorico Electro
www.cocorico-electro.fr
Association « L’Appel des Forêts »
https://www.lappeldesforets.com
Les Amis des chemins de Sologne
http://www.lesamisdescheminsdesologne.com
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Sophie Jovillard, Tiga, Ismaël Khelifa et Jérôme Pitorin se relayent le samedi à 20h50 sur france5 pour vous faire découvrir des échappées aussi belles que lointaines.
[Music] Hello everyone, I’m delighted to see you here in the central Loire Valley . There’s an absolutely magnificent natural and forested region that’s the ideal place to treat yourself to a little bucolic bose. It’s called Sologne. It’s a region that doesn’t lack charm; with its hundreds of castles and manors, its thousands of ponds, this forest and this preserved nature, we’re not going to be bored. I’m very happy to accompany you for new beautiful Sologne escapes. Come on, in return! [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Between the forest and the banks of the Loire, the beaver needs the river to build its hut, its dams. In Sologne, we see life in glass. It’s truly a little paradise for birds because we have an average of 140 nesting species in the sun. So they’re really here to breed, and we have a sense of sharing. My choice is for the Sogne to be discovered, on horseback or by bike, by all these nature lovers who have very little space to wander around in the city. At least there we breathe fresh air. Sophie Jeevillard intends to take full advantage of it. Replay the fight. I have to make you an ad. Chaignol is one of my favorite cheeses. So, given their small size, we’re going to try to find perch or small pike. So we’re really trying to highlight local products as much as possible. Oh yes, it’s perfect. 1 2 3 t is an astonishing and generous region. Sologne is known for its long, straight roads, but there are also small roads. It’s one of the most beautiful regions in France. A beautiful escape in France in the heart of Sologne. We go to the flea market, but it’s mainly to experience a moment like this. Ah, it’s unique, all the same. Welcome to [Music] Nils. Hello. Hello Sophie. Welcome to the Château de Chamb. I’m very happy, like all the visitors who come here to admire this Renaissance jewel. I’m not the only one to visit Chambur. How many visitors are there here each year? I think there are about a million every year. And it’s really the right time to visit Chambor, which is celebrating an anniversary. Yes. The 500th anniversary of the Renaissance, but also the death of Leonardo da Vinci, who is involved in some way in this château. Yes, because he might have influenced the plans for the Château de Chambor. Leonardo da Vinci, who died not far from here in Amboise. [Music] The famous double spiral staircase, so a double spiral staircase. H h where, if we normally enter on one side, we only meet at the top and never in the middle. We’ll never cross paths. No, let’s try. Let’s go. You come this way. I pass by and we meet up there. OK. Where are you, Nils? I’m here. We meet up above. OK. I’m here. You’re here [Music] Sophie. Ah Sophie, where are you there? Ah, but you’re just above. I’m just above. [Music] Ah, there you are, Nils. And we finally meet up, you see. Ah, this staircase is incredible. So, you know, there’s a theory I like. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we constantly made a gesture, almost at every level when we crossed paths. Yes, we point to the top of the staircase, eh. Exactly. And look at Leonardo da Vinci’s last work, the Saint-Jean-Baptiste. It’s funny, isn’t it? So, do you think he was actually making a nod to that? There’s a spiritual elevation somewhere, obviously, but also the fact that we find ourselves on the floor above. I like it. I like this theory. I like it a lot too. I’m pointing out the hives that are right over there, roughly at the end of that alley over there. They are local black bees that we’re trying to preserve in this conservation apiary. Well, we’ll cross Chambord again before finding them. [Music] To reach your bees, we still have a rare chance to be able to cross Chambord Park like that. We’re privileged there. Well, for me, the land is beautiful, it’s green, it’s full, it’s very full. Good summary. You have to imagine the land there still not very, very long ago grazed by many sheep. So the perspective was much more important than today. Today the trees have taken over but it’s not so bad for our little bees because you see, they manage to go and feed here and there. There’s water thorn in bloom, they love it. [Music] Ah, there’s your apiary. Exactly. So historically, what was it like here before it was an apiary? Ah, well, it was the preferred hunting ground of the kings of France. Okay. So the ones who hunt now, are they ? Well, it’s a little bit them now, the queens of Chambor Park. Yeah. Well, we’re equipped. We can walk on the bee planet. Absolutely. So, we’re going to see a little bit what’s going on in this one. [Music] There, you see the nectar that they just brought in not very long ago. Fresh honey and pollen on the side that will help them feed the young bees that will soon be laying eggs. So, this is honey that you are not going to harvest. We don’t harvest honey at all. These hives are there just for the conservation of this breed. Hm hm. The idea here is really to be able to identify local black bee families and make them reproduce. Today, we are in a situation where unfortunately the bees are dying dramatically. There has been a lot of genetic mixing and we think that this rustic trace can survive in this local ecotic of Sologne. That’s what fascinates me. You will also see it a little with the Sologne breed of sheep, shepherds of bees but also shepherds of sheep. So, it’s about perpetuating these ancient breeds that are adapted to our territory on the ignon. Thank you for your welcome , little bees. Yeah, we’re going to say goodbye to them and then we’re going to go see the one at my place. But first, while we’re in Chambor, I have a little surprise for you. We might take the opportunity to do something a little special. Well, listen, with pleasure. [Music] And there you go, Sophie, this is your surprise. Oh my, we’re going to take a hot air balloon flight. Exactly. [Music] I think you’re going to allow us to experience an absolutely exceptional flight. We’re going to do everything to make it exceptional. [Music] So you see Sci We can see the Loire. Yeah. And on that side, the Château de Chambor. We’re really between the two there. When we fly over this Chambor park, we take in the scale of this place. It’s exceptional to see that. You have to imagine that Chambor, the park, is about the size of Paris, intramuros. So it’s really gigantic. Yeah. Except that there are a few fewer buildings here. That’s it. And then it’s dead calm, we can hear absolutely nothing. Is that the magic of the hot air balloon? Yeah. It’s kind of the only way to grasp the truth that down below everything is flat, there are lots of trees. It’s a bit oppressive sometimes, whereas here you gain height and it’s fantastic. [Music] It’s often said that Chambor is the largest, the most beautiful, the most majestic of the Loire Valley châteaux. But here, when you have it before your eyes and under your feet, it’s true. And here we have the perfect attitude to discover the newly renovated gardens of Chambor, the French garden. And you can say that the gardeners of Chambor are working hard there, it’s superb. [Music] With its 500,000 hectares of forest, Sologne is one of the most wooded regions in France. An ocean of greenery dotted with châteaux, summer private properties often dedicated to hunting. It’s not always easy to find your way there. So, an association has set itself the mission of tracing forest trails and marking them out. Oh yes, if it works, that’s good. Oh well, it’s very important for Sologne because otherwise, there are already a lot of paths that have disappeared and if the association didn’t exist, there would be a lot less of them. There are a lot of paths that would disappear, for example. Well, I didn’t know that path, so there I’m going to discover it, I’m going to mark it with Rmon. So we’re here to find all these local paths that we’d somewhat neglected. To rediscover these paths and maintain them. For these volunteers, the Sologne forest is a heritage to be shared. Thanks to them, more than 700 km of hiking trails have already been marked. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Passionate about horse riding, it’s on horseback that Raymond, the founder of the association, likes to explore the forest to check that the markings are in place. Sologne is one of the most beautiful forests. For me, it’s the most beautiful since it’s mine. It’s my Sologne. It’s true that it’s a beautiful region with its ponds, it’s moorland. It’s so beautiful in spring like right now. But today, fences are becoming more and more common. People come from the city, buy land, and think that a territory belongs there because they paid for it, of course. Well, we shouldn’t close everything like that. Nature must remain free. My wish is that the Sogne is discovered, on horseback or by bike, by all these nature lovers who have very little space to walk around in the city. At least there, we breathe the fresh air. [Music] Nathalie takes care of children in difficulty, and the forest is one of her favorite places to work with them. This art therapist works in several institutions in the region. According to her, her children find pleasure and serenity in contact with the natural elements. It’s magnificent there. Did you see the glass with the sun, how well it stands out? Children have behavioral and conduct problems. And, uh, this setting, I think, also helps to calm them down a little. The effect of being in nature with, well, the silence or just the sounds of nature, it feels good. Ah yes, this afternoon. Yes, it’s like someone who loves the woods. I love nature and what’s more, trees, they’re alive, they’re like us. It’s great, actually. In fact, nature is life, in fact. It’s life. If we don’t have nature, well, we die. [Music] You can fill areas there, you see, with pieces of wood, with apples of bread. The Cercet Castle Institute is ideally located in the heart of Sologne for the activities it develops around art and nature. [Music] helps promote self-esteem, to express things outside of words. [Applause] Hear the tweet there? Tweet is pinching. Reconnecting with nature is also Philippe’s ambition, and his association lives up to its name. L’appel des forêts offers various activities in the middle of the woods. Sylvotherapy, tree climbing, or gentle survival training. Ah, well, look, here’s an interesting mushroom for us. So there you have it, a super important mushroom for survival because inside we’ll find a part that’s easily combustible and that will help us start a fire. [Applause] I spend time in the forest, it’s really my passion. So, and suddenly, nature isn’t just green, it becomes an incredible thing where there are thousands of things to know, to learn. It’s every outing. There you go, you discover 10 new things. This is really something I want to share with others because it’s endless all that we can learn in a forest, all that we can discover there. There are many models that come to us from the tree that can serve us as human beings. So, we’ve arrived at our biwaak area. We’re going to go through there. So I’m going to take some branches. The branches will protect us. So the shelter should have the opening facing south. So now we all get to work. We’ll have to find poles about 2 m long. 2.20 is better. Recognize edible wild plants, make a fire or build a shelter. These principles of survival in the forest are ultimately just a pretext to get back to simple things and break away from everyday life. We spend all day in offices in front of a PC. So yes, it’s interesting. It’s also good to get back to more basic things, let’s say simple things. To recharge our batteries or rediscover a childlike soul. Only 2 hours from Paris, Sologne attracts more and more visitors eager to get back to nature. [Music] And here we are, arrived at your place. Yeah. Bienven. There you go, a pretty farm. Oh là là. So it’s really a traditional farm that we find here in Sologne where at the time there was almost a brickyard or a tile factory per village in Sologne. We are on sand and clay and so there was everything needed to make bricks and tiles. We redid everything. We’re still doing it. We’re still working on it all the time. Obviously, like any self-respecting beekeeper, there are hives around your home. Yeah, I had to live among the bees. There, I’m kind of in their playground. The whole environment belongs to them, and I’m kind of there to watch what they’re doing. I don’t really intervene that much. In the morning when I get up, I come and see them, I check if they’re already out, if there’s any activity. There’s not too much activity there because it’s quite cool. And we see it, bringing back pollen of different colors. They go looking to sprinkle it on the leaves. It’s quite nice. And then it gives us an indicator of the weather, the blooms that are going on, and so on. Oh yeah, depending on the activity, you can tell what the weather will be like for the day. It’s a bit like my weather station. It’s my Eveline Delia. That’s good. [Music] Welcome to the honey house. Thank you. It’s very pretty, I must say. This is where we extract the honey, and then we let it mature a little in its ripening tanks. Well, maybe you’ll try them? Yeah. You can try this one. The spark of the undergrowth, we call it since it’s a polyfloral. Oh yeah, it’s very good. That spark crackles. I see that you really produce organic honey. How can you produce 100% organic honey ? It’s not easy because we don’t know exactly where the bees go. No, we never exactly control where the bees will forage. Our hives must be protected. That is to say, within 3 km of our hives, there must be no conventional farming. Which is the case in Sogne because, ultimately, there is very, very little agriculture in Sologre. So, we produce much less honey than many other beekeepers who are in full swing and who have more favorable honey conditions than ours. We hope to make a slightly different honey and have surprises every year, to make honeys that surprise us. Okay. So, this one for example, surprise. So, this one, it will surprise you. So that’s a little different. It’s an acacia honey infused with saffron. It can be used, for example, in cooking to finish meat or fish. It’s also a very, very good natural energizer. There are people who take a small spoonful. That’s me every morning on an empty stomach before breakfast. It’s a great natural boost. I’ll take 10 jars, eh? Yes. So no problem. On the other hand, it also has virtues and saffron is also a well-known aphrodisiac for women only. But you can still take B. I’m still going to take 10 pots. And if you want a little souvenir, you can put one in a pot and then take it with you. Ah, that’s nice. So, I’ll go ahead. So, I’ll do it like this. That’s it, exactly. OK, I’ll put it underneath. Too far. Perfect. And it will flow normally. Oh my, it’s sublime. How long can I keep a pot like that? So, you can keep it, I want to tell you, as long as you want. But if you haven’t finished this polo shirt within 3 years, You’re coming back to see me. [Music] Stop. Slowly. That’s good. Go around. Go around. Come on, go around. And that’s how to gather the flock. EOS. That’s good. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Hi. Hi! Hi! Hello! [Music] Oh yeah, the job of a flock keeper is really tiring. Oh, it’s hard and complicated. And there, so there are tiny lambs, some of them were born until yesterday. Do you see the one getting up there? He’s a day old. How beautiful he is! Oh, they’re magnificent. Hi there. Hi. Oh but they’re adorable! That’s typical of the Sologne lamb, so they’re born brown with just a brown hair and then gradually they start to have a little wool. The wool will grow and then will become beige like that of the mothers, the sheep that you go behind you. So this Sologne sheep is a rustic breed that is really well established here in the region. In fact, it had almost disappeared from Sologne and even from France. There were barely 1,000 sheep left throughout France, and thanks to enthusiasts who managed to save it, we are lucky to have some. And it’s a breed that is quite extraordinary precisely because it adapts to this poor environment that it arrives in, oh stays with us. It manages to live outside all year round in difficult conditions of drought or great humility. On the contrary, that’s what makes it strong. It’s really a very endearing animal. I have the impression because I didn’t expect at all to pet a lamb like that. The expression “gentle as a lamb” comes from there. Yeah. Afterwards, it’s true that they also have this wild character sometimes. You shouldn’t leave a door open because otherwise it creates escapes, beautiful escapes. So, that’s it. [Music] Do you imagine that you’re not the only breeder in the region who wants to showcase this beautiful Sologne breed? No. And more and more young people are settling in with this breed, and we’ve created a group to create a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) in Sologna lamb. In fact, I’m going to introduce you to one of them. He’s a very good friend, Achil. And we’re going to his farm if you like. Okay. With pleasure. [Music] [Applause]
Hello. Hello Sophie. Nice to meet you. Hello Achil. I thought we were arriving at a sheepfold . Here I say we’re going to Achil’s farm. This is Achil’s farm. Not a bad farm, welcome to Ville Sain. It’s a large sheepfold. Oh, or a very, very beautiful sheepfold. So, you see, we started this trip together at Chambord, and I think this castle has a bit of a Chambor feel to it. Am I wrong or not? Not at all. Yeah. Since Ville Savain was built by Jean-Leton. Okay. Secretary of Finance for François I. So, it was bought by my great-grandfather for his daughter’s 10th birthday. For his daughter’s 10th birthday. It was a bit of a poisoned chalice since it was after 40 years of abandonment. But my grandparents worked in Paris and came back with one goal: to restore the monument. They threw themselves into tours and farming. So instead of lawns, there were fields. I set up several farms around the castle that also help with the upkeep of the surroundings . Hm hm. Including the Sologne breed, the Sologne sheep that we’re going to see that are ready to be shorn. Oh yeah, so it’s shearing day today, how convenient. [Music] Ah, the castle is magnificent from that side too, eh. We’re coming to the south facade. Yeah. So there you go, we can see, uh, Alexandrine, who is spinning the wool. Hello. Hello. [Music] Ah, it’s time to take off her pajamas. Oh yes, it’s really tight, very ratty, eh. Yes, as tight as possible. You don’t want to hurt her, you don’t want to damage the wool, I imagine. The fleece has to stay in one piece. Okay. Nice wool there. The Sologne sheep is a sheep that has shed very little. Practically all French breeds have been crossed with the Minos to improve the wool, whereas the Sologne sheep, She’s never been crossed. She’s remained very pure. Yeah. And I’m taking her alone so she doesn’t run away. She doesn’t seem too upset for her first tent. Hop. She might be a little cold. But there you go, what really touches me is seeing you together and seeing two generations of shepherds. So do you both feel it as an important responsibility, eh, to maintain this breed and take care of it? A little bit. Yeah. We want to do it now that it’s saved, we want to keep it alive, to export it somewhere. Uh, there are a lot of chefs today who are interested in it, whereas there was a time precisely because it’s a walker, it’s tall on legs, it was decried a little bit as a butcher breed. Legs of lamb aren’t in ovens and so on. Today, there are Michelin-starred chefs who are interested in it. So it’s really, really great for us. Yeah. Yeah. It’s good, isn’t it, to see this youth. Anyway, they’d better keep going because otherwise we’re here to push them. It’s the only animal that bears our region’s name . So if the Solognas aren’t taking care of the solotte, who will? On the banks of the Cosson River stands the majestic Château de la Pride Saint-Aubin, built in the 17th century. Its young owner, Lancel Guuyillot, is not a lord like the others. A landlord, but heir to a family tradition of saving castles in danger. His father, his uncle, his sister, all bought castles in poor condition to bring them back to life. For 40 years, the Guuyot family has dedicated itself to the abandoned treasures of our heritage. We consider ourselves smugglers. Well, really, well, we have nothing to do with the history of the place. We are very, well, I think, humble about that. The idea is to make them discover the history of the place to visitors. So actually, yeah, we don’t even consider ourselves restorers, we really consider ourselves curators. I think that’s the word, to make sure that it doesn’t deteriorate, but everything we can preserve, we preserve. People are used to visiting castles that are all restored, all clean, polished, and so on. I don’t get emotional when I visit a castle where everything is spotless. I get emotional when the facade is marked with broken stones, and so on. For me, these stones tell a story, and that’s what gives me emotion, and that’s what I like to share with people. This family saga of savior of the castle, Lancelot perpetuates it today, still with the same economic model. A gradual renovation financed by opening to the public. The Château de la Ferté Saint-Aubin now welcomes 60,000 visitors per year. This income covers operating and maintenance costs and allows for the next steps in renovations, as there’s always something to renovate in a château. So Lancelot doesn’t consider himself a chaplain but rather a business leader working for heritage. In any case, there’s a very special relationship with the property. Finally, it’s a word, “château châtelin,” which is heavy with meaning and history. And on the other hand, when you ask any Ferté-Saint-Aubin resident, they’ll say, “It’s our château.” And there’s this very ambivalent side, there it is, there it is, this feeling of collective ownership, but there are these two facets, which are intertwined in a very surprising way. Sologne has more than 400 ancient castles and manors. And many of them are abandoned, exposed to the ravages of time or even looting. Fortunately, sometimes fate puts them in the path of lovers of old buildings ready to devote their money and energy to them. Xavier and Sandrine Almandou acquired the Château de la Mourinière in 2016. Both fell in love with this 16th-century building and committed in a long renovation process. We still have a lot of work to do, darling. The work that remains to be done is immense, but Xavier and Sandrine have chosen to do it their way. To restore and even expand the Château de la Mourinière, they opted for a training project for unemployed young people. We weren’t intended to be lords of the castle. Our goal, we love old stones, but the goal was really to do a project that was close to our hearts and to do it with a dimension that was perhaps less economic and more human. It was very important for us because the goal is for them all to have a job when they leave here. Of course, we could have hired private companies, but this is the way we want to contribute. This is our contribution to society, eh. It’s a nice project for all of us. The renovation of La Morinière has become a human and social adventure. For 1 year. Young people without qualifications work at the castle supervised by Compagnons du Devoir. The training is paid and at the end of their stay, all will obtain a diploma in masonry in old buildings or carpentry. It’s bold and on the part of the owners because there has to be time for training too . It’s not just work on site and having a training site is really very special and it’s this initiative that I liked and that’s why I came to work here. [Music] Take you’re not going to be able to look very 5 cents. But it’s still about training people and making them succeed in life and I think that if they continue like that, they will succeed. And yes, that’s a huge source of pride. It’s a huge source of pride. When you learn well right away, you remember it all your life. When you learn the right methods the first time, well that allows you to progress faster and go further. Since the beginning of the project, everyone who went through the Mourinière integration project has found a job. Julien, who finished his training here last year, was finally hired full-time by Xavier and Sandrine. Well, yeah, I was given a chance to work here and, uh, for me, it’s really a pleasure. I don’t come to work reluctantly or out of discontent. I’m really happy to come here. It’s a castle. It’s marvelous, it’s magical. It’s the castle of La Maignère. That’s how it is. Thanks to Xavier, Sandrine, and all those who will succeed one another on the site, the history of La Morinière, the castle of Sologne, will continue to be written. Yellow belly, where it’s [Music] not good then. So here we arrive at Blancfort. Blancfort. So we’re going to get some puff pastry . OK. Why are we going to get some puff pastry? It’s no secret that the famous international dessert tartatin Oui. was born in Sologne in Creveron, about twenty kilometers from here. Okay. And so obviously for the tatin, you need puff pastry. We’re going to Claude François’s. Yeah. Claude François is an extraordinary woman. Ah, Claude François is a woman because if you were telling me that Claude François wasn’t dead, it would have shocked me. Claude, she’s very much alive and so we’re going to go see her. So here we are, as you can see, there’s a small monument because we’re in the center of the Eurozone, but for the past fifteen years, I think we’re no longer there because other countries have been added. So it’s no longer the center of the Eurozone. It’s still the center of the world. But yes, the Solne remains the center of the world. You’re right. Okay, come on, Madame François’ puff pastry. [Music] Hello Madame François. Hello Sophie. How are you, Claude? Yes, hello Hélène. Very well. Yes. So, you’re the queen of puff pastry, apparently. Yes, I hope so anyway. Ah, but there are two different ones. Yes, I’m actually doing some tests. We’re doing some baking tests. So, this one It’s the reverse. Or there there. So, wait, we’re talking technical stuff. A classic puff pastry is a sheet of butter that is puffed with a dough called détrempe. The inversé, we call it inverse because in fact it’s the opposite. Instead of puffing the butter into the dough, we puff the dough with butter. That’s because you need more butter, so it’s 43% butter. There you go. Yeah, that’s it. That’s the secret. Yeah. That’s the butter, that’s the butter. It’s always the secret. The butter that here is a family affair. Was it your dad who started all this? Yes, he’s my dad. Yes, that was his original job. My dad was originally a pork butcher, a butcher, a delicatessen owner, and then he completely changed his mind. But he always remembered a recipe for pure butter puff pastry that he made in Paris when he was an apprentice. He advised us to start this business and make this beautiful puff pastry because he knew there was a market for it. There you go, it’s very beautiful and it smells very good. We export quite a bit to the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Denmark, Spain. Outside of Europe, there’s Switzerland and Japan. The best pastry in France comes from here. It’s from Cogne. Can you give me 3 kg? Of course, [Music] here we are in the Croton de Chavignol appellation area which then extends to Senserrois. And there, we arrive at the Romecro farm at the Couette family’s, a great producer of Petit Crotin. Ah, I love this cheese. They’ll let you taste several varieties. What a pretty farm! Oh my, it’s so beautiful! Magnificent! Come on! How pretty it is here! Oh my! There it is! Hello! Hello! How old is this farm? It’s over a hundred years old. Oh, okay. Do you live here with your family? Yes, with the whole family, the in-laws. Listen, I have to make a confession. Chavignol is one of my favorite cheeses. So here, we have the whole range from the first day to 2 months of ripening. Once the cheese has ripened for 10 days, it has the right to its letters of nobility and it becomes a Chavignol. Before, it was just crottin and after 10 days, it is Chavignol. OK. Okay. Which is a PDO? A PDO. So at the beginning, it is one day old, we have a very milky taste. So here, we are over a month of ripening, it is the blue cheese. And there, we arrive at something very very dry. So there you have it, you have to be a fan of very dry, brittle cheese. So here, this one, you can see that the rind is a little more orange there. Here, inside, very dried. There are people who already stop eating it at this stage too. It depends on the palate. There you go. Ah yes, it’s perfect. This cheese is excellent . Well, I ate it all if we continue. Thank you tasting. Thank you once. Goodbye. [Music] And the restaurant, right there. So welcome to the two woodcocks. Thank you. Ah well, here’s the second woodcock. Here’s the one, nice to meet you. And welcome to the restaurant. It’s a pleasure. Are you coming? So here’s the pastry, so for the tatin and the tatin, it’s Sandrine. Very good chef. So I’m following you. Are you following me, Sophie? You ‘re going to help me over here. I can’t wait for you to give me your recipe for the tarte tatin. So the pastry, that’s it, I got it. Thanks to Claude. First of all, there aren’t many ingredients. So, we have slightly tart apples, sugar, and a lot of butter. But tell me, do we still hunt woodcock today or not? So yes, it’s truly a mythical animal. Hunters hunt woodcock today, but on the other hand, we ‘re not allowed to sell it. We can’t sell it in the restaurant. It’s protected. It was more of a nod to this mythical bird. And then, uh, and then woodcocks because we often say woodcocks to make fun of girls. To make fun of girls. And since we’re two girls, that’s good. Hélène told me in the car that the tarte tatin originated in Cologne. What’s its story exactly? Absolutely. So it originated in a small village not far from here, about twenty kilometers, the Beevron style. Yeah. So, there was an inn run by two sisters and one busy day at noon, there were a lot of people. They used to make apple pies. As luck would have it, she put her apples in the oven but she forgot to add the pastry. She said, “Well, it doesn’t matter, I’ll put the pastry on top and at the last moment, and that’s the fruit, the fruit of a coincidence.” It smells good. So, it’s important to remember that we’re going to turn it over afterward. So, the apples, you have to put them with the crowded side at the bottom. Is this already a pie that you used to bake when you were younger? H no, I really discovered it here in the region. Okay. Okay. 1 2 3 T So, in any case, it smells very, very good. Our apples have caramelized well. [Music] Hélène, here you are. Here’s our pretty tart. Look. Ah, it’s magnificent. Ah! We really worked hard. Yeah. Listen, thanks to the François family’s pastry and our expertise, both of us. Thank you in any case for giving me some secrets of this tarte tat recipe because, ultimately, it’s a dessert that everyone knows. To make it a success, you still have to have the knack. And there you have it, we find all the quality of this inverted pastry which is a little salty. It’s excellent and really balances the sugar. Yeah, it’s very good. Thank you very much, girls. Finally, thank you to the woodcocks, eh. There, we can say it. We can say it. The most astonishing birds in Sologne are probably those that nest here at the Romorentin aerlub. Among them, the gliders are a species apart. They benefit from very favorable aerological conditions here, making this small flying club one of the best places in France to practice gliding. Hi, how are you? How are you? Hello. Léa, one of the youngest students at the flying club, dreams of one day becoming a female pilot. She is only at the very beginning of her training. I have been passionate about aviation, or rather aeronautics, since my first year of high school. I told my parents, uh, that I wanted to be a pilot, and my father said to me, “Ah, that’s true, well listen, I’m going to tell you that I was a glider pilot and your grandfather too, and I never knew that before. So, it was, it was quite extraordinary. Ah! Ah! It’s a bit heavy. It weighs 7 kg. Sologne is a region that offers quite good flying opportunities. The only problem we could have is that Sologne is somewhere where there is a lot of wood, a lot of ethan. But if we are careful enough and if the instructors do their job well, we should have the right field if we need it. In terms of vision and piloting, she has to know that she will be piloting from the start in the two or three volts that follow. She will be the one who will have the controls. I won’t touch anything. Or there, it will be Les Takeoffs are carried out here using a winch. A one-kilometer cable is taut. Like a slingshot, it will propel the glider to an altitude of 500 meters in just a few seconds. A discovery for Léa, who isn’t entirely confident. OK, it works. We’re ready to go. We give a little thumbs-up. Look at this. The kilometer winch. Victor, you can tighten it for a twin, two people on board. Nope. Oh my god, it’s tightening. As soon as we start to move, I’d say tightened. Tight. Here we go. Oh dear. Don’t move. Don’t pull on the cable, it’s moving away. [Music] Ah, it’s not fast. For now, we’re climbing slowly. We’re already at 600 meters. [Music] So, let’s do some geography. The terrain is just below us, okay? With the village of Prunier right in front of you there. Okay. Okay. I’ll keep spinning. Is there a castle down there? No. Oh, castles. If you look, they’re all over the place. Yeah, but that’s a little hat. [Music] Come on, you’re in control. You push the stick, pull the stick. Go ahead, Start again. Push the stick. Pull the stick. Okay. OK. Right, left. Okay. Okay. You’re the boss, I mean. There you go, the glider, it does what you tell it to do. [Music] With this first flight, the young student finally achieves her dream. [Music] Just across the street from the flying club, on the other side of the runways, other young pilots are also in training. The Roman Rentin airfield has a special feature. It’s also an Air Force airbase where future pilots are trained. Before perhaps one day finding themselves at the controls of a Rafale, everyone must go through glider training. Then afterward, you’ll advance it a little. Well, we looked a little at what was being done in other air forces, the Americans, the Germans, the Belgians train their pilots by gliding and we realized that it’s a very, very good school to learn precisely to feel the movements of de Masler, to feel the piloting and there you go, it’s the aerological conditions in Sologne are really are really known to be favorable to gliding. So it’s true that it’s very interesting for learning for the beginning training. At altitude, we have a potential gap that is being evacuated over the north of Italy which is being evacuated. Several classes of student pilots follow one another each year in Sologne and for many of these young people, it’s the opportunity to discover the region. We have Brillard, so we’re going to pass by the Château de Chenonceau. Yesterday, we passed by Chambord and Cheverni, above Chevernie. And uh, there’s the Sogne, all of Sologne, which has a lot of small estates and small estate castles in Sologne. So it’s a really pretty place to see. Some students already have their civilian certification. Others are discovering aeronautics for the very first time, but they all have the same ambition. I’d like to go hunting. After that, it’s just wishes, and wishes also depend on the Air Force’s needs. The idea would be, if possible, to fly a fighter jet. So, we have to continue the training and hope to go all the way to hit a Rafale or a Mirage. [Music] It’s true that it’s a magnificent region, and what’s more, the weather has been superb these last few days. It allows us to fly in the best conditions. [Music]
[Music] The skies of Sologne will continue to fuel the dreams of those who have one day decided to become pilots, whether military or civilian. [Music] [Applause] There are spiders. There are some that have Don’t open the box. I’m scared. Over there, over there, over there, over there. There you go. And the goal is to look at what’s in my friends’ box. Obviously. Hello. We’ll see if I can trust you. Hello. Hello. Go over there and bring back my red box. What do you have in your box? There’s a cricket, there’s a beetle, a butterfly whose wings are a leaf from the tree. So as soon as a predator arrives, it thinks it’s a leaf. So, it says well, there’s no one there. Do you know where Gwendoline is exactly? Oh yes, she’s over there. Very well. Well, I’ll leave you. Thanks for the information, girls. Come over here when you’ve released your animals. So the little creatures, for example, are there to eat the dead leaves. You saw this new blue beetle that we found earlier called the dung beetle. It’s there to eat all the poop in the forest. It’s there to clean the forest. That’s exactly it. All insects play a role in the forest. That’s exactly it. And the last role, perhaps the most important, do you know any pollinating insects? The butterfly. The butterfly. Bees . Yes, B, that’s what I meant. The abbelles, not the dragonfly. The bumblebee. The bumblebee is one of the most well-known little creatures. Yes, we found, well, the girls, especially found a pretty butterfly that is really an expert in camouflage. Yes. So, It’s one of the little creatures’ strategies. If it stopped flapping its wings, we’d see that it’s shaped like a tree leaf. We release it. Oh yes, you say goodbye. Ah well, goodbye. [Music] Have a good trip, butterfly. [Music] These gondola workshops that you do with the children at my work are so nice, they’re about educating about nature, about making people aware of nature and the environment. And for me, nature is a passion, and making people discover it is a double passion too. Well, I really want to do environmental education with you. But with pleasure, if you’re also interested, we can go to the banks of the Cher, try to discover the beaver. Oh well, that would be a great pleasure. We’ll do that. Let’s go. [Music] We’re going to talk about beavers. Are there any signs around us that prove the presence of beavers? Yes. So first of all, when we look around us visually, there’s one thing that’s very striking: all the trees, especially the willows and poplars in front of us, are pruned into bush shapes. Which means that there’s definitely someone preventing them from becoming trees. There you go. And all the branches around us have potentially been nibbled by beavers. They come to the riverbank both to feed and to collect branches to build their lodge. That’s it. That’s it. And there’s even a third reason. Hm hm. So it ‘s going to be as a precaution against winter, they’re going to collect young stems from their trees that they’re going to return to plant their feet in the water not far from the lodge. That way, the trees will grow again, and when winter comes, they ‘ll have much less effort to come and look for their food. He will have made his little reserve much closer to the hut. It’s extraordinary that he’s so aware of the importance of replanting a few stems. We also very often call him the river lumberjack because he prunes a lot of trees, but we also owe him a lot from time to time, like there, for the ones so that everything starts again so that the vegetation can take back its rights. [Music] Ev. We’ll stop there. From now on, we’ll lower the tone a little because the hut is just behind on the left over there, you see? Like a big pile of branches. That’s what a beaver hut is. Well, in any case, here, we have a front row seat. What explains why he settles down like that on the riverbank? The beaver needs the river to live. First of all, to find its food, it feeds on the bark of soft trees. He can bend, work, and so on. And then, he needs the river to make his hut, see his dams. And don’t forget, he has webbed hind legs, so he’s really suited to river life. Honestly, I’m very happy to have seen this little beaver there. Well, listen, with pleasure Sophie, you see the association, it’s what we do, it’s what we like to show. It’s Sologne, the nature that surrounds us. So it was with great pleasure. Thank you for this gift in any case Gandoline. You’re welcome. [Music] So we have a black-shot grab. 2 3 4 A chestnut-faced grab in the bottom. We have a tubercle sign. Ah, we have a few diving ducks. So I’m going to wait for it to come back up to the surface and we should be able to tell what it is. With 3,000 beings scattered throughout these forests, Sologne is a paradise for birds and for all those who want to observe them. The activity is particularly intense at dawn. This is the best time for Angélique to carry out her mission. This young ornitologist counts the different species of Sologne every year. Sologne is truly a little paradise for birds because we have a great diversity of areas. There are a little more than 200 different species of birds in Sologne and we have an average of 140 species nesting in the sun. So, they are really there to reproduce here. The goal is to see a little how the numbers there vary depending on the year, depending on the seasons. This allows us to draw up a statistical table of the distribution of species and then their evolution over time. So the emblematic species in Sologne, there are several different ones. The Sandre Heron is one of them since it’s the most common, the one we end up seeing the most. And I really appreciate the black-faced shore. Ah, I’m always amazed. There’s always a beautiful observation to be made. We’re always learning. That’s what’s interesting. Around the ponds, it’s not only ornitologists who observe birds. Marie-Joël is a wildlife painter. She comes to seek inspiration that will allow her to create her paintings. Photography allows me to keep in mind these particular lightings, especially in the morning and particularly. I’m trying to take a picture of a heron, the Sendré heron that we see a lot in Sologne because I would like to put it on the fresco that I’m currently creating for the municipality of Mode Beverron. Yes, I’m hesitating between this one and that one, but I think I’ll put this one. I like this attitude with the pasta. So here, it’s a sketch, of what I’m going to represent on this strawberry and I had to represent on these 32 m the landscape of Sologne, the beings, the forest and all the animals that we can see in our Sologne. Marie-oël is working on a monumental format in the Beverron style under a railway. Her mission is to give this wall a Sologne feel and here we are on a strawberry that is 32 m long by 4.80 m, so 150 m². This for me is a first, it’s a challenge. It was nerve-wracking and at the same time very, very exciting. The biggest ones I took were 10 m² strawberries. Not bad there. Is it a bit big? It’s a bit big, isn’t it? So you always have to be careful to see everything as if you were from afar while remaining close. And that’s not easy, especially on the large formats. [Music] I’m going to have to take a step back a little, but it looks like it’s starting to resemble an aeroplane. Yeah, I think it’s nice there. [Music] Cautiously, Alexandre approaches the pond he’s chosen for his photo shoot. A place he knows well. This is where this young wildlife photographer has taken some of his most beautiful bird photos. What’s interesting with the fu is that you can move around, you can get quite close, and the goal isn’t to get a close-up of the beak or the head. The goal is to make a beautiful image to best transcribe the animal in a behavior, in an attitude, in a moment of its life. The goal of taking photos is to be able to show, uh, the beauty of nature, to make people want to be interested in it. Well, today, what interests me is more to have parades, to have almost portraits of birds too, finally to be closer to the birds. So I took I took the long focal length. I took the 500 mm there this morning. [Music] I spotted a moorhen’s nest a little further away, a little further to the right. The big advantage we have with the floating fu is that we can we can vary our viewing angles. a little depending on the direction we’re going to take, being able to choose one light more than another [Music] and then I can stay like that on my knees in the water for hours. To lovers of nature, fauna or flora, Sologne often offers rare, sometimes magical moments. It’s up to everyone to come and seize them. [Music] Hello Hélène. Hello Sophie. This is a beautiful place for a meeting here in Saint-Dier sur Loire. Absolutely. Welcome. Thank you very much. I wanted to come here for a bit to the banks of the Loire. This river which has a rather special power of attraction. Can we say that it forms a natural border here in Cogne? Absolutely. So we can talk about a border natural knowing that the land border is actually only a few kilometers away. So, eh, we all have our geography lessons coming back, eh. The Loire, the longest in France, which has its source at Montgerbier Déjon. That’s it. Montgerbier Déjons and uh the estaire is in Saint-Nazer. So the river is 102 km long. Yeah. So I see some very beautiful boats. Now, you know these boats well? Absolutely, since they are the boats of our association, the sailors of the port of Chambor. But we’ll talk about that later since we have a little surprise for you. Okay. But what also catches my attention is that you’re talking about the port of Chambor. Why did Saindier become the port of Chambard? So, in fact, the port of Saindier sur Loir was the historic port of the Château de Chambor, since it was here that all the construction materials for this famous and fabulous Château de Chambor arrived. So, I’m also very curious to discover this church, which is very impressive. We don’t usually find a church like that in a village. So, absolutely, since in fact Saint-Dier sur Loir was very populated at the time since all the castle workers were housed right next door. It’s for one of these reasons that we have a church, but also for its Saint-Eoda. He is the founder of the village. He was a hermit who came to isolate himself here in the village and who therefore also gave his name to the village, Saint-Dier. Okay. And so his sarcophagus is inside lilies. So I’ll take you to see it right away. [Music] Ah, well, here is the tomb, or rather the sarcophagus you were telling me about earlier. Absolutely. The sarcophagus of Saint-Déodade, so his tomb dates from the 6th century. But it’s an incredible journey through time when you walk through this church. So it was really the workers of Chambor who participated in the construction of this church. So on the part of the tower that dates from the 16th century and which was actually built at the same time as the Château de Chambor. Legend tells us that this tower is not finished because the tower’s construction manager abandoned us for the construction of the Château de Chambard. Look Sophie, I’m going to take you to Rue Saint-Saauveur which is one of the most beautiful little streets in the village. It gives off a very romantic atmosphere. First of all, I really like the wisteria. The wisteria, the flowers and then you see the house that you can see. So it’s called the Maison du Pebble and it was the rendezvous of Marshal de Saxe. Yes, when you say rendezvous, it’s a polite way of explaining what was going on in this house. That’s right, Sophie, I suggest we leave Sindier and head out on the river with Vincent. Oh! In a beautiful boat, I must say. Exactly. So it’s a very traditional one. Well, hello. This is Sophie. Pleased to meet you. Pleased to meet you. Are you going to take us? Hi. For a little tour. Are you the captain? No, I’m not the captain, I’m the skipper. Oh, sorry. So skipper, are you taking us? Well, yes, in a beautiful, typically Nigerian boat. Absolutely. Oh, it’s sublime, in any case, eh. A very beautiful wooden boat. We’re off. Come on. [Music] Tell me a little about this association. So, Hélène, the sailors of the port of Chambor. Al, it’s an association that was created in 2012. Its goal is to perpetuate the tradition of the Loire navy and to introduce the river to both locals and tourists. Do you have a special connection with this river? So, my first memories with the river date back to my childhood, eh, since every weekend, rather than going to the sea, we went to the banks of the Loire with my brothers and sisters to make sandcastles in the sand of the Loire, I understand that one can fall under the spell of the Loire because there it really is very beautiful. It’s a very pretty landscape that passes behind us eh. That’s it. Thanks to the skipper. You’re going to tell me about this boat, by the way Vincent, tell me about it. So originally, traditionally it’s used to What’s a toue? Well, it’s used for several things. We used these boats to cross the river, to transport goods. It was a boat that did everything, in fact. That’s perhaps why its name came from. Oh yeah, that’s it, its whole name. A boat that did everything. That’s perhaps why it’s called that. Maybe. Maybe. We’re not entirely sure. Maybe. No, we’re not sure of anything, actually. And there, is navigation easy there on the Loire or not? Well, it’s not easy because there’s That’s why I see you at the zaget there. Yes, there’s a lot of sand, gravel, and also a lot of stones today. The goal is obviously to avoid it. We might go right there. Well, it’s up to you, right. You know, right. [Music] Well, in any case, I really get the impression that you ‘re having fun there, almost at the helm of your boat there. Well, yes, that’s it. In fact, I’m paid to have fun. You have the good life. There you go. Al, the sailing conditions are never the same depending on the winds, depending on the light. So, sailing is rarely a pain. You have to stay very vigilant. I’m not distracting you. I see that he’s prepared a little picnic. That’s really nice. Hélène, what’s wrong with you? Oh thank you. Your health. Thank you, Hélène. Boss, health. Well, yours. So, some little terrines of lo. That’s catfish, it’s a fish that we find in the river. We could fish for it there. So not with me. I’ll introduce you to my husband later and that way he’ll take you fishing. OK. There you go. [Music] Hi Vincent. Hi. See you soon. [Music] Sophie, this is my darling Maxime. Hello Maxime. Nice to meet you, Sophie, I didn’t catch any catfish there in the Loire, and yet I could have. There are some, there are some more and more beautiful, bigger and bigger. Yeah. Well, we haven’t seen them anyway. No, not seen a single one. So Sophie wants to go pike fishing in the middle of Sologne, so I’ll leave Sophie with you. Well, listen, with great pleasure, I have a little time left. I’ll go with you. In any case, thank you, Hélène, I was yours to be with. It was a very, very beautiful walk. Thank you for everything. I’ll change your princess. Yes, I’m entrusting Sophie to you, I’m imprinting your darling, I’m giving him back to you. Hi Hélène. [Music] [Applause] Every spring, the fine weather brings out the classic cars on the roads of Sologne, the ones we call elegant here. Alexandre sets off to enjoy the fine weather at the wheel of his MGB, his favorite car. It’s quite small, and you feel confined inside. It’s really nice. There ‘s a special atmosphere in a classic car. It breathes. You can feel it vibrating within you. Driving a classic car is also an art of living. To share their passion and help people discover their beloved region, Alexandre and his partner Laurence regularly organize gatherings on their properties. Push the clouds. Collectors are aesthetes; they like to be welcomed in a beautiful setting. So today, we’re expecting 30 cars. The oldest will be from 1950. It’s quite rare, and it goes all the way back to 1990. [Music] Hello, I’m Alexandre. Hello. It’s okay, good, did you have a good trip? You found it easy when we authorized we say ah well we don’t have authorization for the asshole the small roads of Sologne I I I know them well I love them because it’s a bit intimate but hey it’s really a pleasure especially in spring the first scrambles in May-June it’s it’s really really happiness that’s faithful friends that’s fine it’s okay and you clean now we did the national 7 together we did the last tops of last sogne There you go. And then you always start your car with the crank? No, I changed the life of love. Hello. Hello. How are you? It vulture. [Music] a little while. In fact, the contact is made very very quickly. We speak informally right away when We come to meet. We are part of a large family of car lovers . Obviously, the means allow some to have beautiful cars, but in fact a collector, whether he has a prestigious car or a popular one, remains a collector. It’s a Porsche 356 which is from 1957. One of the first generations, it’s an AT1. So it’s going to be the oldest. Yes. A priori of the set. It’s a family car which has been in the family for now oh about thirty years. So yeah it’s the it’s the jewel of the family. Before setting off to crisscross the Solognottes roads, all the guests gather around a large table. [Music] For Alexandre and Laurence, these gatherings are also an opportunity to share some regional specialties. We really try as much as possible to highlight local products. [Music] When you leave the property, there’s game on the road. So be careful, there are pheasants, there are roe deer, there are some we’ve seen, we’ve seen rabbits, well, there are lots of little things, eh. You’re here to drive quietly, to enjoy the scenery. Take your time to leave, there’s no departure, we leave when we want. [Music] Yes yes yes. not [Music]
[Music] Sogne is known for having long straight lines and in fact it’s false it ‘s not entirely true . It’s true, there are some. It allows you to air out the engines, to stretch them a little, but there are also small roads. We enter forest tunnels and there is an exceptional heritage in Cologogne. It’s one of the most beautiful French regions. A 150 km loop now awaits the participants of the Sologne Rally of the Tocs, a route between forests, countryside and characterful villages for the greatest pleasure of these vintage car drivers and the solnaux. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh, it’s so pretty here, Maxime, you see, it’s my little secret garden. Oh my, it’s a superb place for fishing, huh? The Vallas stretch is a body of water that is completely forbidden to fishing except for us today. Really? OK. We’re not about to imprint the Loire on me. And a few privileged people too who can enjoy this place which is quite magical. And then we’re going to fish using a rather special method. Hey, I’ll show you your fishing equipment. It’s easy fishing. Oh there you go. You’ll see. We’re going to move around with fins. Yeah. It’s a super eco-friendly method. Okay. We’re going to be like the ducks. We’re going to. Exactly. That’s it. Al, we’ll equip ourselves with this. I’ll leave you the pair of boots. We’re not immune to having a good time, eh. Well, listen, I hope so in any case. [Music] I’m going to put your fins on. Well, I’ll let you do it. Yeah, that’s it. I’m acting like a Cinderella, I’m going to carry you. What’s going on ? What’s happening to us, B? So watch out, we can’t miss the seat. OK, very good. You’re nice and deep down. OK. There you go. [Music] You see, in terms of safety, if you want to be a little comfortable, just realize. Oh no, but I’m very, very comfortable. It’s the ducks who are going to make fun of me, eh. The fish too, I think. There you go. Well, I’ll only turn in one direction. Can you turn this one? As long as you turn in one direction, it’s fine. Yeah. There you go. Perfect. We’re going to take several rods, but it’s mainly in relation to the type of the hour. You’re going to put this one on the side like I put mine with the butt well forward. Here’s the reel in the middle and you push them in well. [Music] What a good idea! What a good idea! Fishing like that is great because you can go where you want. Did you see there? We’re going to start getting into things a little more technical. OK. At the beginning, we’re in open water. So we’re going to try to imitate fish, eh. So on your small rod, the thinnest one is this one. This one, you’ll see at the end, in fact, if you take it, at the end, You have a swivel. That’s what allows us to hook all the fish we want. So, that’s something else. We’ll have to cross paths often when we talk. You even cross a leg with me. That way, we’re sure to stay together. There you go. You like that, you don’t leave me anymore. So, small their small size. We’re going to try to look for perch or small pike for small fish. So, at the beginning, we might as well give it our best shot. Then you understand the things light rods and we have a small weight on the end that will actually allow you to let it sink anyway. The idea is to respect what we’re going to catch our playmates because we’d like to put them back in the water, you see. So that’s still important. So especially not the injured ones, especially not the injured ones. And that’s why auur fishing is so-called clean fishing because we’re going to hook them on the edge of the mouth. So now, it’s become a real sport, that is to say, we practice for the knowledge of the environment, the knowledge of the species and then also the pleasure of being able to catch what we imagine. The imaginary side of fishing, we mustn’t forget it. This childish side, what we don’t see. [Music] There. Perfect. And then, as soon as it falls into the water, you close and you reel. Quickly! And when you stop, you stop. You stop. There. Stop, stop. It’s all a question of rhythm. Yeah. What do you like most about fishing, Maxime? What I like most about fishing is of course being in the middle of nature, being able to be a little far from all this crazy civilization these days. Are you a bit of a bear? A little bit, a little bit, but well, a bit of a bear, but receiving quite a few people anyway, so we remain open. And what’s more, here for fishing it’s really an exceptional environment, eh? Exactly. We’re still in a special place . I often feel like we’re in a little Canada when we’re here, you know. [Music] Watch out. Look. Give it a little jerk. It’s going away. Well there you go. Oh, you catch it for me. There’s some. Ah, well, of course. But then you don’t lift it out of the water. What do you think that is there? Well, there’s a pike. A small pike? Yeah. A few centimeters and there you go. My pike’s not bad. Bravo. Hey there. You see 700 teeth in the Ah, that’s impressive there. Don’t let your finger go. All sharp and pointed like a razor. One hand down, one hand above, right at mouth level. There you go. Don’t let your fingers go there. No. That’s superb. Fishing for women, as we call it. Superb. You put it back in the water. You hold it under its belly. As long as it doesn’t go away, you don’t let go. The biggest pike you’ve caught was how big? 1 m1 here. But no. Here we go again. Thanks, little fish. Hi pike. You have a fish. He’s beautiful, I say. Fish. Oh well, I’m happy, that’s great. Well, listen, look. Oh, he’s very beautiful too. It’s already nice of you to come see us. I’m going to put him back in the water right away. And there you go. Well, happy with your day. Oh yeah, I loved it. Honestly, it was very nice. Well, we didn’t get many fish, but it doesn’t matter. It’s the time we shared together that was good. That’s true, that’s what I can offer you to stay with the fish. Hm hm. I have a friend who breeds sturgeon. OK. So who makes their caviar, Sologne caviar? I’m interested. [Music] Hello. Hi Vincent. Hello. Hello. How are you? Hello. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. Ah, I’m impressed by getting to know the Ouis. So, it’s true that the existence of caviar in Cologne has piqued my curiosity. How long have we been producing caviar here? So, we’ve been producing caviar for exactly 11 years in Sologne. On the other hand, we’ve had sturgeons since the early 90s. That’s about thirty years. Yes, Because caviar is sturgeon eggs. Well, sturgeon eggs. That’s the traditional term for sturgeon eggs. We call that caviar. So, these are full, right, this one. These are full. This is a species whose origins go back more than 200 million years. These are fish that are cartilaginous and bony. What you see in front of the eyes there is called a rostrum. It’s very hard. It allows it to attack the bottom a little. It’s a fish that tries to catch prey, small mollusks, small insects. You can see its shower underneath there. And then it has barbels in front there that allow it to detect all these fish, which work a lot with smell, and uh, so that’s the final stage. And before that, there are a whole bunch of life stages. I invite you to discover them with me. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] So here is the living environment of the sturgeons. You really wanted to recreate the natural ecosystem of the fish. We are really in natural ponds. We were constrained anyway. Otherwise, it doesn’t go well. Of course, it starts with birth, eh. So, birth takes place in the small laboratories at the fish farming center. It quickly goes from 1 g to 10 g, 50, 100 g. In a one-year cycle, we manage to have fish that weigh between 500 g and 1 kg and that time are free from predation. So then, we can distribute them in these large ponds. We have to wait 3 years to be able to establish with certainty using an ultrasound whether we are dealing with a male or a female. And then from the age of 7, every September, we look for the one that’s starting to mature. But man, what patience for you, asturgon breeder. You have to wait 7 years, 8 years or even more for your fish to reach maturity. Yes. So it’s a gamble you’re actually taking. Yes. Yes. It’s true that it’s longer than all the other species we’ve raised. In fact, the main question we had was to know what quality of caviar we’d get from this type of breeding. I ‘ll suggest something to you, we’ll give you our opinion on the quality of the caviar if you like. Okay. Pleasure then. Ah, there are worse things to try. What do you think? You ‘re going to take a risk. [Music] Oh my, it’s still an exceptional product that I’m serving. A luxury product. A product that remains quite expensive but whose price has dropped a little in recent years. For example, you have to count how much there. We have a 50g box. You can find a box of this quality between 80 and 120 € per box. So there you can take a small sip of vodka there like that. Luckily I don’t drive. It’s not snap. It’s done slowly though. There, you let it disappear in your mouth. Yeah. And then you slide the caviar on your tongue. On the tongue and crush it gently. Roll it on the palate. In fact, there you have all the flavors, if you want, of the cavalier starting to express themselves. So there you have quite buttery notes, quite nourishing, a little woody. Well done, you did well to get into caviar. It’s a very, very good idea, this caviar from Sologne is excellent. And then, on top of that, a 100% solo French caviar. 100% Sologna. And Sologne is in the heart of France, and here we are in the heart of Sologne. Exactly. [Music] Hello. V justification please. All right, you go straight ahead. You follow over there. Go ahead, go ahead. Every May 1st for the past 24 years, there’s a place in Sologne that wakes up in a great excitement. [Music] It’s barely 5 a.m. and there’s already a traffic jam in front of the prestigious Château de Chambor. One of the biggest flea markets in France is taking place here today. Between 5 and 6 a.m., it’s really busy, and everyone arrives at the same time. They’re ready to unpack, they’re going to start hunting for little lights in each other’s cars, and so it’s a bit heated. Out of over 1,000 exhibitor requests, only 500 lucky ones were chosen. Places are reserved 6 months in advance. The Chambor flea market is not to be missed. It’s already a privilege to be able to unpack in front of the castle, and what’s more, for me, having been a professional for over 30 years, it’s the most beautiful fair in the central region, the most beautiful fair in the central region of the year, eh. The sellers haven’t finished unpacking their goods, but the first buyers are already there. The first deals, and often the best ones, are made in this flashlight sweep before dawn. Hello. Hello. How much is the plate? 40 30, that’s fine. 35 35 35 sold. That’s where we make the best deals. That’s it, I’m a dealer, so now is the time to get to work, not in 5 hours. In 5 hours, it’s dead. Most of the exhibitors arrived the night before to enjoy this large improvised campsite in front of the Château de Chambor. Unforgettable moments. It’s magnificent. It’s a dream here. It’s bliss. Yesterday, I sent messages around me saying that we were happy as can be. We’re doing the flea market, but it’s mainly to experience a moment like this, eh? It’s unique all the same. And then there are Belgians arriving. So it’s going to be a bit festive. That’s it. It must be friendly. [Music] [Applause] 11 a.m. visitors are crowding the château’s aisles. There will be 30,000 of them today. Franck is one of the organizers. He’s also starting a little marathon. We have to check all the stands. There you have it, you have a stand from here to there. This is the gentleman who has the paper, uh, from there to here, up to the line. Okay. Has it been mastered? Yes, they’ll put it this morning. OK, okay. He has 15, I heard. There you go. Well, listen, have a good day. Thank you too. Good luck. We’ll go around all the stands. We’ll check that the footage corresponds, that the objects on display correspond to what was planned and what we want at the flea market. We want quality objects. We want objects that really correspond to a rather high-level flea market. We really want old things. [Music] The reputation of the Chambor flea market comes largely from the quality of the objects on display. A pleasure for the eyes for enthusiasts, temptation is everywhere. [Music] It’s beautiful to see. I like to touch. There you go, it’s pleasant. It’s a good time. It’s a good time, you know. Yes. There you go, these old leathers that we can… There you go, that’s how it’s done. There you go, it’s all emotion. Sometimes, there are even chills because it’s, uh, it’s memories that come back, there you go, grandparents, family, friends. uh, an object that someone we loved very much had and obviously it’s emotion that and it’s good emotion. [Applause] These are old posters about plants, so from the 50s and 60s. So we’re happy, we found what we were looking for. As for the refreshment stands, it’s also a very long day. In total, around a hundred volunteers participate in the event. Between two refreshment stands, we’ll pass out only one and a half servings of fries. There are people coming from everywhere and there you go. So yes, yes, it’s a success and there you go, for 24 years, it’s a success. So we hope it will continue for a few more years. Tonight, Chineur and Brocanteur will leave and the Château de Chambor will regain all its serenity until next year. [Music] Hello pretty princess and pretty horse. This horse is magnificent. Hello. Can I pet him? Of course. How beautiful you are! So sorry, I say pretty princess but you might be a Queen Margaret of Austria. Okay. And in civilian life, the carosel Christelle, that’s not a horse used to the show because I feel that something is brewing here in Chambor. Well, yes, it won’t be long before show time. Yeah. So we’re warming up the horses, we’re going to warm up after. Yeah. We’re getting ready. And the show begins. There you go. Well, things are a bit full circle for me because, imagine, I started my trip here in Sologne at Chambor and I’m ending it with this magnificent setting. Plus, I’m going to be able to attend a show, so everything is perfect. I can follow you straight away. I ‘m going to take you to Fredo and that way you’ll be able to find out more about the show. Very good. [Music] Come on, let’s try to move a little faster. We’re off. I’ll get behind. We ‘ll eat. Come on, a little bit on the supports. Take your time. Inhale. Exhale. We’re off again. I lock the position and I come back very slowly. And I exhale. I go up. OK. Come back locked. Bust always straight. Perfect. Let’s relax a little. Let’s recover for a few seconds. Who’s doing the fall from a height today? You, hollow. Yes. Think you’re in the game and last time you turned way too late. Way too late. Who’s doing the cooking today? Thomas. You, Thomas. Hello. Hello. I’m not bothering you. Hello. Well yes, it’s a pretty spooner who sent me. Fredo, is that you? Fredo, it’s me. Hello Fredo. Hello everyone. Hello everyone. A pretty spooner who sent you. It must be Christelle, I think. Oh yes, with an absolutely magnificent horse with a very beautiful mane. We try to have beautiful horses with a very beautiful visual. Yeah. used to the show because that’s what it’s really about today, the Chambor show, of course, François 1st is honored there in the show, of course, and we’re very lucky to work in this setting, obviously, and the specifications for us were to put on a show that was very historically correct, and at the same time, we were doing a live visual show with rapasque horses, we incorporated comedy, we wanted it to be a show that was also action-packed, but not just that. Yeah. And we’re the biggest European school of physical and equestrian stunts. So all our training courses come to Chambord to learn their trade a little with the pros, and that’s it. It’s prestigious, isn’t it, to perform here at Chambor. Move your hollow body back. In fact, all of that, Fredo, is actually a choreography. Oh, but completely, it’s really very choreographed, very studied. There you go. It’s fine. But he’s not. Oh really? The thing if you want when you hit with the flat of your foot, the blow is predictable. That is to say that he has he has hardened he has he has sheathed his abs. Well there he is going to vomit. Come come see come see with me you. Come see. You tell me that eh you tell me. Oh yeah say so it works. Well played the fight. I have the right to return the diapers. We don’t hit girls. Of course. We don’t hit girls. You see exactly. [Music] [Applause]
[Music] Ah! [Music] [Applause] It’s the return of the battle of Pavis where we try to put some rather spectacular things in it and you see, there is a horse that will arrive with a dead one on it, it will fall and you will see, there is there is a flight of vultures. That’s enough that’s it that pleases people in any case. [Music] Chambord had the pleasure of presenting François 1er, le roi chevalier, a show by Fréabra. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! How are you? Are you okay? You can calm down. You ‘ve really let off steam now. It’s good, we’ve let it all out now. We’ve calmed down. Very beautiful show , eh? Thank you. Everything went well too. Very good. Oh yeah, it was really perfect. We can tell you’re having a lot of fun with all of this. It’s essential to this job. Thank you in any case for allowing me to experience this backstage with you. Honestly, I’m ending this trip in style with this very beautiful show to see at Chambor. Thank you, Sophie, pleasure. Okay. [Music]
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