Raman Kaminski is a Belarusian artist who was forced to leave his home country during the protests after the elections in 2020. He sought refuge in Kyiv, Ukraine where he had gone to art school. However, he was soon forced to leave again as a result of the Russian invasion, leaving behind his artwork and materials, and relocating to Georgia with just a suitcase in tow.Meanwhile, a former B&amp;R guide who had worked in Belarus and met Raman had commissioned a painting from him. She had returned to the States and was working on an Artist in Residence program at the Chapelle Ste. Catherine in Fontevraud l’Abbaye, Loire Valley, France. Through connections, Raman was found in Georgia and he was offered to be the first “Artist in Residence”. B&amp;R’s Slow Fund is proud to have sponsored the materials needed for Raman to set up his residency. And he began painting!

After a three-month residency, Raman now calls Paris home where his talent as an artist continues to flourish. He even had the opportunity to connect with B&amp;R travellers during a Bespoke trip to the Loire Valley this summer.&nbsp;Raman's determination and talent as an artist are a true inspiration, and he continues to pursue his dreams despite the obstacles in his path. Recently, Raman had a solo show in Paris, and his most recent work can be viewed on his Instagram page <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ramankaminski/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@ramankaminski</a>.&nbsp;

The Slow Fund: Finding Freedom in Creativity

Media Mentions

Travel + Leisure

France

With Vineyards, Beaches, and Quaint Villages, Île de Ré Is France's Best-kept Secret

The Slow Road

<h2></h2>
<h2>Stately Châteaux in the ‘Valley of the Kings’</h2>
A seat of power and a countryside retreat for the kings and queens of France, including Henry II and his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine and their son Richard Lionheart, the Loire Valley is where you’ll find some of the most famous châteaux in the world. A UNESCO World Heritage site, some of the most famous castles include Chambord, Chenonceau, Riveau, Chinon, Villandry, Blois&#8230;the list goes on. With over 300 castles and homes constructed magnificently in various styles ranging from renaissance to classical and Gothic, built out of the region’s typical limestone tuffeau, often adorned with spectacularly groomed gardens or forested former hunting grounds, château-chasing never gets old.  
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-51865 size-large" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Loire-800x600.jpeg" alt="" width="800" height="600" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Loire-800x600.jpeg 800w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Loire-400x300.jpeg 400w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Loire-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Loire.jpeg 1302w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />
<h2>French History: Joan of Arc</h2>
An important region where much of French history was written, the Loire Valley marked the border between the English and French as they clashed throughout the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453). It is here where the young peasant turned warrior-saint, Joan of Arc, received a series of holy visions from the Archangel Michael, Saint Margaret, and Saint Catherine to support the Dauphin Charles VII in the ultimate goal of reclaiming France from the clutches of the English during the Siege of Orleans in 1429. Indeed, this late morale booster worked: the tide turned against the English, Charles VII was crowned the king of France.
Joan paid for her loyalty with her life. She was captured in 1429 by Burgundians, who were allied with the English. Transferred to English custody, a biased Bishop of Beauvais declared her guilty of various charges and she was burned at the stake in 1430, at the age of nineteen. In 1456, Pope Callixtus examined the charges, posthumously pronouncing Joan innocent and a martyr. The iconography of Joan continued, with the Catholic League using her as a symbol in the 16thC, and Napoleon Bonaparte declaring her a national symbol of France in 1803. Finally, in 1909, she was beatified and then canonized in 1920. Saint Joan of Arc is one of France’s nine patron saints, remaining a popular cultural figure to this day.

5 Reasons to Love The Loire Valley

Loire Valley

Wine

Loire Valley Resident and Travel Expert

<h2>Living life in the Loire</h2>
<img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-34933 size-full alignright" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/jerome-350c.png" alt="" width="350" height="279" />
When I&#8217;m asked what this special expression actually means, it’s a tough question to answer straight away, as douceur de vivre can mean so many things! There are multiple aspects of the Loire that speak to this. To the locals, the Touraine, where I live, is particularly known as a region with &#8220;douceur de vivre.&#8221; A few clues as to why&#8230;the climate is temperate: never too cold, and never too hot, which makes for a pleasant and comfortable region to live in.
Everything moves slower around here, as it’s a rural area with lots of farming, agriculture, and winemaking. Here, people seem to take the time to enjoy their land and life—away from the madness of big cities, and living in the Loire is a little bit like the best of the &#8220;old&#8221; French way of life.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-34916 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/lavender732c.png" alt="" width="732" height="549" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/lavender732c.png 732w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/lavender732c-400x300.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 732px) 100vw, 732px" />
What they say about the gentle pace of life is a hundred percent true. The people of the Loire are very proud of their region with its beautiful architecture and the calming quality of living life along the river. The luminosity of the area with its cream-coloured tuffeau (local limestone) buildings, lends a softness to everything you see. You’ll see vegetables growing, and even flowers, with big patches of colour in fields throughout the season. Even in Angers, one of the Loire&#8217;s biggest cities, you never feel pressured to be in a rush. People take their time here to stop for lunch. People say hello; they’re kind and welcoming.”
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-34942 size-large" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/loire-slate-960c-869x600.png" alt="" width="869" height="600" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/loire-slate-960c-869x600.png 869w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/loire-slate-960c-434x300.png 434w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/loire-slate-960c-768x530.png 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/loire-slate-960c.png 960w" sizes="(max-width: 869px) 100vw, 869px" />
<h2>A wine for every palate</h2>
Lest we forget (how could we?), the <a href="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/2013/04/25/vines-101-loire-valley-wine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wines of the Loire</a>! The Loire Valley is France&#8217;s third-largest vine-growing region. Vineyards stretch from the coast at Nantes to the interior at Sancerre and the Loire Valley has the longest wine route in France with some 800 km (nearly 500 mi) of trails and tracks for oenophiles to follow.
There’s something here for every single palate. Whether it’s dry whites, light or medium-bodied reds (oaked or unoaked), dessert wines, or even rosé and sparkling wines (the Loire is the second-biggest producer of rosé after Provence). In addition, compared to other regions in France, you’ll find that the quality and pricing are unbeatable. A top producer’s best bottle will often go for 25-30 Euros…all with incredible quality behind it.
Sip your way through the region&#8217;s unparalleled wines on our <a href="https://butterfield.com/trip/scheduled/loire-chateaux-biking" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Loire Chateaux Biking</a> trip, where we take you to Chateau de Fontenay, the most romantic château in the Loire Valley, for a lovely wine tasting and history chat with our local friend.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-51347 size-large" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/LORBS_20180826_20180909_TBU_018-800x600.jpeg" alt="" width="800" height="600" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/LORBS_20180826_20180909_TBU_018-800x600.jpeg 800w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/LORBS_20180826_20180909_TBU_018-400x300.jpeg 400w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/LORBS_20180826_20180909_TBU_018-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/LORBS_20180826_20180909_TBU_018-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/LORBS_20180826_20180909_TBU_018.jpeg 1670w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />
All of this just confirms that you should pack your bags and experience the sweetness of life here in the Loire! &#8220;Douceur de vivre&#8221; is the culmination of all those small, even mundane, moments that bring you simple contentment and appreciation for life.
Typical to us French, this can only happen when you take the time to stop and truly savour them. (And here at B&amp;R, we won’t argue with the merit of all things slow.) There is a rhythm here that inspires the enjoyment of the simplest things—walking through a market, enjoying a simple meal with a winemaker or lingering over a glass of wine while watching the sunset over the river. (Editor&#8217;s Note: We couldn’t agree more.)
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-41798 size-large" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/loire-river-960-1-800x600.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="600" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/loire-river-960-1-800x600.jpg 800w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/loire-river-960-1-400x300.jpg 400w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/loire-river-960-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/loire-river-960-1.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />

Secrets of the Loire Lifestyle

Accolades

family

The Aspen Times

Great Wine Regions for Family Travel

Essentials &amp; Advice

Need to Know

History

Spotlight

<h5>Joan of Arc</h5>
<figure id="attachment_9968" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-9968" style="width: 133px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-9968 " title="Joan of Arc" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Joan-of-Arc-164x320.jpg" alt="Loire Valley history" width="133" height="259" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Joan-of-Arc-164x320.jpg 164w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Joan-of-Arc.jpg 205w" sizes="(max-width: 133px) 100vw, 133px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-9968" class="wp-caption-text">Joan of Arc</figcaption></figure>
In 1428, the English laid siege to Orléans, a strategic city that controlled a large part of France&#8217;s north-south traffic. Joan of Arc (from a small village in Champagne) travelled to Chinon to persuade the Dauphin to support her with an army. The nationalist sentiment espoused by Joan of Arc was a novel idea at the time, and was instrumental in uniting the French. Joan was able to drive the English out of France and thanks to her, Charles VII was crowned in Reims.
Thanks to the “unification” of the French under Joan of Arc, France was governed under Charles VII in a more centralized way, calming the infighting between members of the aristocracy. As a result, the fortified manors of the Middle Ages became unnecessary.
<hr />
<h5>From Fortress to Château</h5>
After the unification of France, subsequent French kings—Charles VIII, Louis XII and Francis I—admired the aesthetic they saw in Italy during various military campaigns, and they imported Italian gardeners, architects and artisans to construct beautiful palaces in the Loire. Through them, the Italian Renaissance arrived in France.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-28823" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Chenonceau.jpg" alt="Chenonceau" width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Chenonceau.jpg 1200w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Chenonceau-450x300.jpg 450w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Chenonceau-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Chenonceau-900x600.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />
The kings often paid for the loyalty of their noble subjects by offering them the expertise of the best Italian craftsmen in the building of their own palaces. The bourgeoisie grew richer by loaning money to the king, and they too poured money into Renaissance-style residences.
Under Henry II of France, however, the seat of power gradually shifted to Paris. As royal favour and money moved away from the Loire, there existed insufficient funds to destroy and rebuild the Renaissance châteaux in the “new” styles of the 17th or 18th centuries. Gems like Chenonceau and Azay-le-Rideau have been immaculately preserved as a result.

loire-valley

Blog posts for 'loire-valley'