Road Trip Part 2 - The Chateaux

     The Loire Valley - the playground of the rich, royal and famous for 300 years spanning the 16th through the 18th centuries.  Before the Renaissance came to France, this area, with it's proximity to Paris, was the preferred hunting ground for the royals.  After the Renaissance arrived (in the persons of Leonardo DaVinci and Catherine de Medici! ) anyone with wealth and ambition decided to out-do his neighbor in building lavish chateaux.
     The Loire River is the longest river in France and geographically divides the country north and south.  And it is home to more than a thousand (yes, you read that right!) castles and palaces of all shapes and sizes.  Hundreds of these are open to the public.  Today's Loire Valley is also one of France's most important agricultural areas.  But, it's the chateaux that visitors come to see.
     When I first arrived at the village of Chenonceaux last Friday, I checked into the hotel (the one where CoCo and I were the only guests!) and then wanted to see the chateau which was only a few blocks away.  It was close to closing time so I didn't go any further than the car park, but it was wonderful just being that close to my favorite chateau!
     Saturday morning was my trip to the abbey which I wrote about on the last blog post.  I finished there around 1:00, grabbed a sandwich on the road and headed to find a few nearby chateaux.  As this is off-season, many of the chateaux close early (around 4:30) or are closed all together.  I checked my map to see which ones were closest to the abbey or on the way back towards the hotel and the first one I saw was Saumur.  You can see it from miles away as it sits majestically on the top of a hill above  the Loire River.  It began as a fortress which is still evident in its walls and moat which surround the immense and impressive structure.

Saumur - Standing Tall and Proud (And Vineyards!)

A View of the Moat

     It was "Italianized" in the 16th century and today is undergoing a huge restoration project.  So, unfortunately, I could not go inside.  But I was able to walk across the moat and up to the gate into the courtyard area.  I have not visited this chateau on any other trips to France so I was really disappointed.  It's on my list of "must see" places.
     As I still had time (since Saumur was closed) my next stop was Villandry.  This chateau is most famous for its extensive and beautiful gardens so I wasn't terribly disappointed that the chateau itself was closed.  At least I could visit the gardens - and they are well worth a visit.  I hope my photos do them justice.  Not really the best time of year to take garden photos, but they still look amazing.

On Approach to the Chateau

The Chateau as Seen from the Middle of the Lower Flower Garden

The Chateau and Gardens as Seen from the Second Level

   
     Situated between the chateau and the village, the Renaissance gardens sit on three levels and 10 acres of beautifully designed plants, trees, flowers, shrubs, herbs, fountains, even a practical vegetable garden.  There's a maze and a pond and a forest.  It's truly magical and I enjoyed getting lost in its spell.  There are 85,000 plants that are tended to year round by 10 full-time gardeners.  Even in winter, it's a work of art.

Red Roses and Purple Cabbages

Entering the Herb Garden with its Topiary Trees

Beautifully Manicured Gardens

The Water Gardens

The Chateau and Gardens from the Third Level

The Maze Garden

      I'm so pleased with the reflection shots.  I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

Even the Swans are Reflected

This One's My Favorite!

     By the end of that visit, the sun was setting, the chill was coming in and CoCo and I headed back to the hotel.
    I almost didn't visit Chenonceau having visited it many times before, but then I overheard someone saying that it was all decorated for Christmas and that made me want to see it!   So the next day, after my visit to the Zooparc de Beauval (that's next week's blog post), there was still time to get there before it closed.
     Rick Steves calls Chenonceau "the toast of the Loire" and it's certainly my most favorite.  This 16th century palace arches gracefully over the Cher river (a tributary of the Loire).  It's nicknamed "the Chateau of the Ladies" as there were five royal women who stayed here at different times in its history.  It was originally a small chateau (no arches over the river) when King Henry II gave it to his mistress, the divinely beautiful Diane de Poitiers.  It was she who added an arched bridge to give her access to the very good hunting grounds on the other side of the river.

Approaching the Chateau from the Car Park

The Front of the Chateau

A View of Catherine's Gardens

The Lovely Chapel.

Diane's Bedroom (and then Catherine's)

A Portrait of Catherine Atop the Fireplace in her Bedroom

The Bedroom of the Five Queens (Daughters and in-laws to Catherine)

The Bedroom of the Count who Originally Built the Chateau

     After Henry's untimely death in a jousting tournament, Henry's wife, the formidable Catherine de Medici, kicked Diane out and took over the palace for herself.  It was Catherine who enclosed the bridge and added two more stories to give it a wonderful ballroom on the second floor.

The Festive Grand Gallery/Ballroom

Joyeux Noel!

     The other "ladies" who called this chateau home at one time or another, were Catherine's two daughters (queens of different countries) and her three daughters-in-law.  The chateau is lavishly decorated with Renaissance tapestries in every room, beautifully carved ceilings and immense gilded fireplaces.

Even the Kitchen Area is Impressive

Looking out on the Gardens from the Second Floor

Louis XIV's Drawing Room

The Main Floor Gallery Also Decorated for Christmas

     It was too cold to walk through the gardens which was unfortunate as the gardens here, while not on the scale of Villandry, are still quite lovely.  But it was time to get CoCo and me back to some warmth at the hotel.  We had been out in the cold all day, first at the zoo and then at the chateaux.

An Iconic View of Chenonceau (found on the internet)

     Next week I'll tell you all about "one of the most beautiful zoos in the world".  Until then, I thank you for joining me on my travels around France.  Merci!!