The summer holidays are here and I promised my children that I would spend time with each of them. At the beginning of July, I am taking Hugo, my history-loving teenager, in the footsteps of Richard the Lionheart to Saint-Remy-sur-Creuse. During the Hundred Years' War, this unusual village served as a fortress for the heir to the English throne against French incursions.
Classic hiking or visiting point on the program, but a connected treasure hunt signed Terra Aventura. A morning full of surprises awaits us with The Troglodyte Witch.
WHAT IS TERRA AVENTURA?
It is a 100% free smartphone application which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Boxes/bottles, called “caches”, are hidden on the territory. The goal ? Discover their locations and the treasures they contain.
In the caches live the Poï'z, small characters with strong character, present in the form of collectible badges. To flush them out, it’s simple. Choose a route, let yourself be guided, answer the riddles and that’s it!
No time constraints. Everyone experiences the adventure at their own pace. Some even picnic on the trails or stop at a café terrace, in a museum…
Notice to muggles (those who do not yet know Tèrra Aventura): this 2.0 treasure hunt appeals to all generations and is very good for families. A clever idea for getting the youngest ones to walk and getting some fresh air for the teenagers.
More than 350 teams have already registered and more than 000 caches discovered!
DIRECTION SAINT-REMY-SUR-CREUSE…
If you are a loyal follower of this blog, you know the importance Hugo attaches to visiting the Tourist Offices! We therefore begin our trip with a stop at the Dangé-Saint-Romain antenna, 10 kilometers from Saint-Rémy-sur-Creuse. Aurélie welcomes us there, well surrounded by a beautiful selection of local products. A pleasant break in the cozy rattan garden furniture allows us to consult the documentation.
Then we join the village of 400 inhabitants founded by Richard Cœur de Lion, at the gates of Indre et Loire. Before immersing ourselves in the world of Poï'z, we decide to follow Aurélie's advice: push to the exit of the town in order to enjoy the best panorama of the tufa cliff pierced with troglos: guaranteed photo spot! The stage is set.
THE WITCH OF THE TROGLO’ COURSE
A first glance at the application tells us that we have to park in the parking lot located right in front of Paille en Queue, the restaurant where I have reservations for lunch. Equipped with our smartphone, a water bottle and good sneakers, we set off for two kilometers of micro-adventure!
Hugo proclaims himself Tèrr’adventurer in chief: “ I'm the one guiding mom! ". Captivated by the dialogues between Zarthus, Zeïdon and Zéroïk (oh yes, I forgot to specify: all the Poï'z surnames start with Z), he reads me the directions on his phone and follows the GPS track. A good workout for his sense of direction! As the questions and clues come up, Hugo validates the answers, six in total. Adding the correct answers will allow you to obtain the GPS coordinates of the cache... and save the spinner's baby, kidnapped by the evil witch!
Don't worry, I won't spoil it. However, I can tell you that this route is an opportunity to take an interest in the heritage: charming wash house, small Romanesque church perched on top, defensive tower built by the son of Eleanor of Aquitaine...
This original and fun walk also immerses us for a good time in the woods where the paths are sometimes steep but never dangerous. A magnificent view of the Creuse valley concludes this treasure hunt. “ The river below served as the border between France and England in the Middle Ages, do you realize? », comments my budding historian.
But the highlight of the show is of course this troglodyte village, born in the Magdalenian era and still partly inhabited today. As we learn from the Poï'z, these cellars were notably occupied by weavers from the 17e the 19e century. Troglodyte artisans exploited hemp there.
After an hour, thanks to our six correct answers out of six, the GPS guides us to the treasure. In turmoil, Hugo cautiously searches everywhere, is about to give up when, suddenly... A QR Code jumps out at him! Just behind hides the famous bottle filled with badges bearing the image of Zarthus. Hugo reaches in to retrieve the grail and begin his collection of Poï'z. Joy, satisfaction and even pride can be seen on his face.
What I preferred : the exciting anecdotes, the shaded walk in the adorable undergrowth, the banana trees of the troglodytes, the small cave of Notre-Dame de Lourdes and sharing a bonding moment with my son.
The opinion of Hugo, 16 years old : " We quickly get into the game. I loved visiting while following the treasure hunt because I was an actor, not just a spectator. This little village has quite a history and the houses in the cliff are so beautiful! »
- Name of the course: The Witch of the Troglodytes
- Department: Vienne (86)
- Cache theme: Viewpoints and nature
- Riddle difficulty: 3/5
- Difficulty of the terrain: 3/5
- Duration: 1 hour
- Distance: 2 km
- Poi'z to find: Zarthus
After the effort, the comfort...
We have been going to Le Paille en Queue, the village's bar, tobacconist and restaurant for 10 years. Originally from the neighboring department, the smiling Angélique welcomes us while her husband Frédéric takes customers on a journey thanks to his cuisine with Creole accents. The Reunion menu is served on weekends or by reservation.
After hesitating with the room with the colorful fresco for the island atmosphere, we opted for the terrace surrounded by aviaries. Canaries, cockatiels, kakarikis and turquoise parakeets provide the soundtrack.
We will taste accras and shrimp curry back home (a big hit with the whole family) because I ordered takeaway.
For now, it's time for the more traditional menu of the day at €14. As a starter: effective chef's terrine for me and Piedmontese salad for Hugo, won over. Main course: curry chicken and beef with delicious homemade fries. For dessert: refreshing Italian ice creams.
I appreciate this quiet tête-à-tête with Hugo, as does the kindness of our hosts.
The Straw in Tail
52 rue du Val de Creuse 86220 Saint-Rémy-sur-Creuse Tel: 05 49 85 94 22
Open every day for lunch, Friday and Saturday evenings.
Sunday evening: pizzas, burgers and panini to take away.
Traditional or Creole dishes to take away in jars (easy storage).
AND ALSO IN GRAND CHATELLERAULT
The region is a vast playground to discover. Five other routes await Tèrr’adventuriers in the Châtelleraudais region:
- “Manu overheating!” in Châtellerault : for those who like tough investigations
- “The Days of Angles are told” in Angles-sur-l’Anglin : as picturesque as it is sporty
- “Néomaye with webbed feet” in Scorbé-Clairvaux : ideal for the little ones
- Without forgetting at La Roche-Posay: “Kerlouët sounds the alarm! » and “A bath of velvet water”.
While waiting to tell you about my next adventures, I leave you with the six golden rules established by the Sages of Tèrra Aventura:
Rule n ° 1: Nature, environment and inhabitants, you will respect
Rule n ° 2: A QR code you will find and flash, then the treasure you will look for
Rule n ° 3: Your adventure story in the comments you will write
Rule #4: Discreet as a shadow you will be
Rule #5: Garbage on your road you will pick up
Rule #6: Did you fall on a bone? The tourist office will let you know!
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
You can download the app for free from your smartphone from Google Play and Apple Store.
The application also works in offline mode. Remember to download the route data beforehand.
If you don't have a smartphone, don't panic! It is possible to print the route map for the route you want to take from home. Also bring a GPS.
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