The Loire...
Without the slightest chauvinism, of course, I would easily say that the Loire is the most beautiful river of France, of Europe without doubt, of the world probably, lazily slipping lazily between its blond strikes staked with white herons... well... you are not forced to believe me... but I can say nevertheless, and this is proven, that it is, and remains, the last wild river of Europe. Ah!
The bargemen...
Of course, such a beautiful river has for a very long time allowed a bargemen activity, for travel, fishing, transport ... and many villages, throughout the length, have therefore provided "ports", those usually consisting of a simple hold down to the Loire, and the possibility of docking along the bank. These sites gave their name to the villages that had developed them, Port Boulet, Port Guyot, etc..
Today, swept away by huge, noisy, steaming trucks and wobbly wagons, the peaceful sliding of the Loire River has stopped, except in the summer, for a few amateur fishermen, or to help tourists discover the fauna and flora...
The disappeared professions...
With the disappearance of the Loire navy, a lot of jobs disappeared like fog on the water... the logger, the buoy tender, the toutier, the tailpiece maker, the water valet... who still knows, today, what these men did...
To keep memory, to maintain the chain between yesterday and tomorrow, to keep our roots alive, that's all the interest of these small unusual museums that can still be found in the villages, and which present wonders...
The bargemen's museum
Oh it is not the Louvre or the Musée d'Orsay... it is a small museum but so big by its warmth, its memories, and the joyful tenderness of its friends!
You will find a permanent exhibition that evokes the harsh life of the bargemen.
Go and visit it, as one would visit a relative, and you will be rewarded, moreover, by the peaceful vision you will have on the quay, one of the most beautiful in the department.
A little more courageous, you will be able to do the bargemen's hike, a 6 km long path registered on the UNESCO world heritage list, along which you will not leave the banks of the Loire river .
At Pentecost, you can take part in the "festival of the quays" with a visit of the museum, of course, walks on the Loire, exhibitions...
Musée des Mariniers
4, rue de la Pompe
37140 Chouzé sur Loire
Tél. : 02 47 95 18 47
https://marinierschouzesurloire.fr/
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator
(free version)
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