French tomato festival at Chateau la Bordaisiere

This is a chateau in the Loire that has a 'thing' about tomatoes, cultivating 650 varieties and building up to an annual tomato festival, this year being held on 13-14th September.
http://www.labourdaisiere.com/en/actualite-chateau-et-jardins/29-festival-de-la-tomate

I've booked a cheap hotel to attend it and thought it'd be a fitting birthday pressie and celebration of my first year seriously growing tomatoes. Now getting to grips with the Ryanair flights to nearby Tours.

Has anyone been to this or is going this year?

 

Brilliant idea! I love tomatoes! Wonder if they'll let you sample them?

Probably shan't be going but I hope you report back with loads of photos.

 

They are offering 'degustation', which is tasting. Fortunately the only bits of schoolkid French I remember are all the culinary terms. So if I manage to navigate my way there, all will be OK. I'll be seeing how many seeds I can slip into my pockets: left side will be bush, right side will be vine varieties!

 

While you're there you may want to take in the international garden festival at Chaumont-sur-Loire
http://www.domaine-chaumont.fr/en_festival_festival

I've visited several times and have always found it interesting. The chateau is easy to find if you have a car but there's a train station close by too (I've never used the train to get there so don't know how the timetable fits).
Unlike most British festivals which I've been to in recent years (I've given up now), which seem to have turned into garden markets or a festival of "what can we sell to gardeners", this festival really is about the gardens. A half day will give you enough time for a pleasant walk around the show gardens, a day will give you time for photos and note taking.

Plus, it's almost certain to be sunny in the summer although not so sure about September.

Bon voyage

 

Yes, that looks like a fine way to spend a day. I'm only there for two full days, so stuff the castles and vineyards, and I'll go to this festival one day and the tomato festival the other.

Thank you.