Loire Valley - days two and three

Our second day in the Loire Valley was a Sunday so we went on an hour and a half search for the chapel in Blois (I nice way to get a tour of the town) and never did find it. We then drove past the Chateau de Chaumont, through Amboise (worth a day of its own!), and took a scenic country drive to Tours before camping next to a beautiful river and having a relaxing night.

A few typical-looking houses...

This is the chateau in Amboise with the town lining up in front of the river. Beautiful.

Geoff promised Tennie an explore in the woods near the river but it began to pour rain. Never going back on a promise (and Tennie not deterred by a little rain) Geoff made some make-shift rain coats out of garbage bags and they went exploring!

Chateau de Chenonceau

On day three in the Loire Valley we visited the sixteenth century Chateau de Chenonceau (it took me about three days to finally pronounce it correctly!), and this was by far our favorite chateau of those we visited. It felt as though we stepped back in time with period furniture filling the rooms, intact tapestries still covering and warming the walls, and in the corners of the floors, where centuries of passer-throughs hadn't worn them away, one can see the ornate tile work that once graced the rooms. And the setting with the chateau built over a peaceful river is spectacular.

A large portion of the exterior was under renovation so I tried to capture a bit not hidden by scaffolding.

The house well

The girls had their own kid tour that kept them 100% entertained through all the rooms.

This beautiful hall goes over the river. During WWII it was used as a hospital.

I couldn't get enough of the kitchen(s!) The pans, shiny and ornate brass ware, the dried herbs and baskets hanging from the ceilings, the large, functional fireplaces, the huge butcher blocks with their knives...all original (well, maybe not the herbs). To some of you kitchens may not be interesting...I LOVED this part of the house best!

Then there were fresh flowers adorning every room of the chateau. Someone told us they are brought in twice a week. They got as much admiration as King Henry II's fancy furnishings.

There are two magnificent gardens, one on each side of the chateau. One created by Henry II's mistress (for whom the chateau was originally built), and the other Henry II's wife who kicked the mistress out after Henry's death and moved in herself.

The rose garden of Henry II's wife, Catherine de Medicis

The gardener's quarters! (A gardener was sitting on a stool eating crackers and cheese inside the little door you can see behind Adele.)

The garden of Diane de Poitier, the mistress

Heading down the driveway back to our camping car