Congratulations to Colin Browning for his first-placed photo « Red Sky in the morning », Janet Browning for the second place « Last Stroll Before Bedtime » and the third place for Colin Morison with his View on the Loire River during the February 2026 photo competition.
Member Arlene Elliott has most kindly organised an interesting day at St. Florent-le-Vieil, starting with a visit to the “Chocolaterie Cosme”, followed by lunch, after which she will lead us around the town and introduce us to its heritage.
Listed as a Petite Cité de Caractère, St. Florent-le-Vieil offers a maze of small streets leading to its summit, Mont-Glonne, where the Abbey and the Duchess of Angouleme Column sit overlooking the town and the River Loire.
TO REGISTER
Before the deadline of Wednesday 30 September, please email Dorothy Morison if you wish to attend. Please give your name(s) along with those of any guests, with a contact telephone number and your menu choices and indicate your intended payment method. If you have special dietary requirements and can offer or would like a lift to the venue, please tell Dorothy: coldors@hotmail.co.uk
If paying by Bank Transfer please ensure you add the appropriate code to your bank payment, e.g. ESUSmithOctober2M2G – John Smith pays for the event October 2026 for himself and partner + 2 non-members.
Given the distance some may have to travel, in preference to the visit, lunch and tour, you may like to attend the visit + lunch or alternatively, lunch + the afternoon tour. Please inform Dorothy if this is the case.
Please note that wine, coffee and tea are not included in the price. If purchased separately, please remember to pay before leaving the restaurant.
Cost: 33,50 Euros per head for members and 37,50 Euros for non-members.
MENU
Entrée
Farandole de petits champignons et rillauds autour de l’oeuf mollet
or
Ravioles ouvertes de fruits de mer aux herbes, crème acidulée
Plat
Filet de perche à la cardamome verte et agrumes
or
Cuisse de canard braisée aux épices thaï et à l’orange
Dessert
Meringue comme une Pavlova, marmelade de mangue au miel
or
Moelleux tiède au chocolat, sur crème anglaise
Thanks to member Tony Oakley, the Autumn Walk has become an established and well supported event in the ESU Loire Valley calendar. Once again, this year Tony has kindly organised a walk on Wednesday 21 October starting promptly at 10am at the Base de Loisirs de Monteaux.
The date Tony has chosen this year falls within the school holidays. All members, non-members, family, and friends are welcome to join him. Although dogs are also welcome, their owners are urged to respect the country code and to ensure they are kept on leads when necessary.
Tony recommends walkers wear good shoes and sensible clothing and carry waterproofs in case of rain. He also suggests walkers bring binoculars as the nature reserve has hides through which many different species of bird can be observed.
Some may like to picnic following the walk, depending on the weather. Others, and non-walkers, may prefer to join a group at the Relais de La Ronde. Please indicate when you contact Tony if you wish to take this second option. Remember that it is advisable to bring a change of shoes to avoid dirty or muddy boots in the restaurant.
Please let Tony know if you plan to attend
Email: brian.antony.oakley@free.fr Phone: 02 41 44 12 09 / 07 83 96 57 25
With the following information:
Name(s)………………………………………………………………………………………………
Email………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Mobile phone……………………………………………………………………………………….
Number attending walk ……………………
Number attending lunch at Le Relais de La Ronde ……….
Saturday 14 November: Lunch with speaker. Venue to be determined.
Saturday 12 December: Christmas lunch with entertainment. Venue to be determined.
(These venues and dates are subject to unexpected changes.)
A reminder to all that once you have subscribed to the ESU you can pay members’ rates to attend events organised by any branch in France or elsewhere in the world.
A full list of member countries can be found on the main website: simply click the continent you are looking for under ‘Show Me’ at the top of the page:
https://www.esu.org/international-network/
Don’t forget to check out the other sites on our Links page.
A free presentation, open to members and non-members, by Catherine Gaudin, Ph.D., Fulbright Laureate, former chairman of ESU France, on the internationally renowned painter:
David Hockney
5 November at 6 p.m.
Maison des Associations
4 rue Amélie, Paris 75007
David Hockney died in London in June 2026 after having travelled in the United States and staying in Normandy in France. He was internationally renowned as a painter, printmaker, and photographer. He continually experimented with new styles and media throughout his life.
Refreshments will be served. RSVP to book: esu.paris2@gmail.com
Awaiting update