Monday
September 29, 2014
Yesterday when we had breakfast we took a couple of extra
croissants as we have to be up and out of the hotel early for our tour to the
Chateaux of the Loire Valley.
Patrick gave Bob instructions for the Metro and except for
having to ask someone on the street which way we should walk once we got off
the Metro we got to our meeting point early.
This tour of the Loire Valley is a bus tour we arranged from
home several months before our trip. Bob
spent time in the Loire Valley when he went to France in high school and he has
always wanted to go back.
It took us a couple of hours to get to our first Chateau,
Chambord. It was a beautiful drive
through the French countryside on an early fall morning.
Chambord is one of
the older Chateaux in the Loire Valley. It was built by Francis I as a hunting
lodge. It is mostly unfurnished. The staircase is absolutely amazing. We got some good pictures of the countryside
from the “balcony” at the top of the stairs.
Then back on the bus for an hour drive to Chateau Chenonceau. Again, beautiful countryside between the two
Chateaux. I think this was my favorite
of the three Chateaus we visited. While
the owners do not live in the Chateau itself they do have a cottage on the property
where they do spend time. There is a
maze on this property. The gardens were
absolutely lovely. I walked around the
ground floor rooms but decided not to go upstairs. I waited for Bob and the rest of the group
outside enjoying the gardens and looking down the river at the changing leaves.
We ate lunch at a restaurant on the Chateau property.
Lunch
Chateau De Chenonceau
Bob: Terrine de
Poisson, Soda
Iris: Hamburger,
soda.
After lunch we still had a little time so Bob stayed around
the Chateau to walk through the garden and I walked back towards the gift
shop. Yes every Chateau has a give shop
as you leave. Another way to help
finance the upkeep of the Chateau.
Then it was back on
the bus for an hour trip to our next Chateau,
Chateau Cheverny. This Chateau is
still owned and operated by the family who built it. The family lives in one wing of the Chateau
and the rest of the house I open for tours.
It is completely furnished.
After Cheverny it was back on the bus to head back to
Paris. I enjoyed the trip back. The scenery was beautiful and it was a chance
to just sit for a couple of hours.
This was a long day.
We left our hotel about 6:30 AM and got back to Paris after 7:30 PM.
We decided to have dinner at the same Café we had lunch in
on Sunday. The food we had on Sunday was
good and it was close to our hotel.
Dinner
Le Canon De La Nation
Bob: Risotto
Champignon, Affligem
Iris: Shrimps Et
Salmon Cesear, Iced Tea
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| Chambord |
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| The young woman in the middle of the picture is our tour guide, Cecile |
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| Bob and me on the balcony at Chambord |
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| Driving through the French countrysice |
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| Chenonceau |
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| Me at Chenonceau |
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| This is the view most people know of Chenonceau |
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| Bob at Chenonceau |
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| Some of the gardens at Cnenonceau |
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| Walking through the village to get to Cheverny |
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| Cherverny |
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| Some flowers outside the gift shop at Cherverny |
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