[In the window] 11 Solutions for your Christmas gifts 2021 in Touraine

There are only a few days left before New Year's Eve on December 24 and the time to open gifts from family or friends... Are you still missing some? We help you find some while making local businesses work.

Boxes from Tours: the Touraine brand LaBel'Poulette has teamed up with Tourangoule to create gourmet boxes: LaBel'Gourmande, LaBel'Goule and Touran'Poulette. A mix of zero waste creations and delicacies from Tourangoule. Customers can order on www.labelpoulette.fr or come and discover the products directly at the Appart'Boutique aux 2 Lions (by appointment). There is also bicycle delivery with À vélo 37 (in addition to La Poste, parcel relays or collection from company premises).

Local soaps: There are a good dozen cosmetic brands in Touraine: soaps for all skin types and in all colours. Find our directory in this article. You can then buy them on the net or in certain shops in the department, or even on Christmas markets or ephemeral shops. Advantage: it is a Covid-compatible gift.

Eco-responsible beauty products in Tours: these are Procrastineuses Rue de Jerusalem in Tours. On the shelves, they therefore reference about fifteen essentially French brands (the only one that is not is of British origin). Most of the products are organic and some containers are returnable (we bring them back after use in exchange for a small reduction, and they are reused by the company). On the program: soaps, shampoos, day or beard care creams, oils, masks, facial massage products...

Epicerie Dejault in the Rabelais district of Tours: gourmet gifts always work. After several experiences in the field in Touraine (notably at the Balade Gourmande Place du Grand Marché), François Bonhomme was able to open his own shop in 2020. Loire fish rillettes, Touraine géline terrine, Racan pigeon... dishes and wines are carefully selected by this lover of the land. François Bonhomme passionately explains the story of each bottle stored on the shelves. The founder of the grocery store focused on rare grape varieties. Grolleau, pineau d'Aunis, Fié gris, Orbois are little known and for good reason: few hectares of these vines are cultivated in the region today.

La Vagabonde bookstore-café and Les Saisons bookstore-caviste in the center of Tours: in the first, all the furniture has been antique, and the books reflect the personality of this passionate about words, between novelties, great classics (Camus , Ellroy) or local finds. “I like to be surprised, to think outside the box. And engaged books” says the bookseller, particularly captured by the sentences of the Italian Elena Ferrante. In the second, you will find exclusively books around gastronomy (but not necessarily recipe books, they will also be novels or comics). And a few good bottles, especially Chinon.

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Maison Paon in Tours: A stone's throw from Les Halles, a sober storefront with white writing in the typography of the Magazine. She tells us about the Maison Paon. Here, we don't call ourselves a concept store but a lifestyle boutique. In this little cocoon with its refined decoration and white and blue walls, Floriane Coherier has done everything possible to make you feel good. A shop with its cozy corner. On the shelves, there is a lot of stationery (pretty cards, diaries, notepads, etc.) with also decoration, funny socks or cool clothes from the Touraine brand Mardi Matin.

Moko in Tours: This is another shop that showcases French creations. Located in the first part of Rue Colbert (N°29), this concept store brings together crockery, candles, tote-bags, clothes, lingerie… Inventive and original objects.

PassePasse Store in Tours: This is the latest record store in Tours, on Rue des Trois Pavés Ronds, in Old Tours. Shop run by a specialist known as DJ Universe. It brings together lots of vinyl records from internationally renowned artists or from Tours, a listening area (with comfortable armchairs) and even goodies.

A floating experience in very salty water: it’s in Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire that it happens, at En Apesanteur, which offers gift cards. The session lasts 55 minutes. We start with 10 minutes with relaxing music (sounds of the sea, forest walk atmosphere... and even children's games, yes, yes) then it's silence for 40 minutes before ending with a new sound session. During all this time, you have two options: stay in the dark or keep a little light (bluish tint or changing colors).

Vintage clothes on Rue Marceau in Tours: the shop is called Aimée. There are Levi's jeans, Maje, sometimes Kooples, fake fur in sight for this winter... "I put new things on every Tuesday" slips Mathilde who manages it. The result is therefore a store that combines pieces from several eras, from the 1960s to the beginning of the 3rd millennium, “sometimes new or almost never worn. Exclusively collections designed for women, to which is added a little leather goods and a selection of jewellery. Price range: often between 20 and 55€.

Decoration Rue Colbert in Tours: Les Trouvailles set up shop a few months ago near La Fabrique à Jus (the same couple is behind the two brands). On the home-made oak shelves, there are around thirty brands. Mainly French or European (from Germany, Denmark, etc.). There are caps for children made in Biarritz, Breton soaps made from oyster shells, combs of the same brand made from old fishing nets, handmade candles, candles in the shape of animals that reveal a metal skeleton when they melt… The objects are almost all made by hand.