If you visit La Flèche don't ignore the rest of the Loir valley. It doesn't get the same amount of recognition as its bigger sister but you could spend an entire summer there and not exhaust its delights. Get out of the car and explore on foot or bike if at all possible. Cycle hire is widely available and there are hundreds of kilometres of tracks that are also wheelchair friendly. Visit Le Lude which has the finest Chateau you will see in many a mile.

There are numerous lake and riverside beaches with safe bathing, sailing, surfing or you can just sit back and watch the girls change colour. Try Mansigne. They do horse riding lessons too.

Go to Chateau du Loir, which no longer has a chateau nor is actually on the Loir but has nearby the National Forest of Bercé 3000 hectares of oaks with paths for walkers, bikes and horses. Then there's the Astronomy Observatory at Beaumont Pied de Boeuf.

Working upstream we get to La Chartre Sur Le Loir a place full of craft workshops, art galleries and antique shops. Nearby Marcon has an annual classic car show in August, its own lake with all the water sports plus archery and golf.

Midway between the two is Montoire Sur Loir a sleepy town which somehow has missed out on being famous or possibly infamous. The railway station at Montoire was on 22th & 24th October 1940 the meeting place between French Premier, Henri-Philippe Pétain and Hitler to negotiate an armistice between France and Germany.

Montoire was chosen as it was far into France relatively safe from air attack but had a tunnel into which the train used as the meeting place could shelter, just in case.

The station is now The Encounters Museum. The most excitement it gets is the Sunday tourist train from Thoré La Rochette.

A few miles further and my personal favourite places Troo, Lavarin and Les Roches l'Eveque.

All three villages have troglodyte dwellings. Many still lived in, you can even rent a cave for your holiday.

Lavarin describes itself as the most French of French villages. A mixture of mellow brick, limestone and half timbered houses and cave dwellings still in use. Lavarin has way marked walks and fantastic views. There's also the ruined chateau, open to the public and resident goats!

A few miles further along the Loir is Thoré La Rochette with its Wine Museum, beach by the river complete with café entertainment late into the evenings. Local produce is sold at the preserved railway station from where you can catch the tourist train back along the valley to Troo.