Now this is what I’m taking about; it’s the middle of the week, in the middle of the afternoon, the sun is out and there is barely a car passing in the centre of the village. We’re outside the café l’Ardoise (slate), our local café, supping a cup of chocolat natural, having suppressed the urge to have a cheeky glass of something more ‘local’ (there’s plenty of time later on for that!). What could be better than this? Well, not only does Nicolas, the owner, serve great coffee he also serves artisan meals, has a fantastic wine and cognac selection a great selection of delicatessen products and has a record player…and you can choose the music!

Brissac or Brissac-Quincé to give it it’s full name is a typical prettyFrench village where no one seems to live. If people-watching is your thing, then you might be disappointed in the passing trade. We could probably have counted the local inhabitants on one hand but there are, it seems, enough to support a fantastic boulangerie, a very amiable butcher who is providing Tilly with raw meat and bones, an artisan chocolate boutique, a vet, a few bars and all the normal schools, doctors, florists etc, etc. To top it all, Brissac is home to the tallest (7 stories!) chateau in France. All within striding distance of the café but on a warm, sunny day why bother? It’s probably time for that little glass of something local!

https://www.lardoise-brissac.fr/