Like a Fairytale - Val de Loire Pt. 1

We went to the Loire Valley this weekend. It was way cooler than I thought it would be. We saw 4 chateaux, tasted local wine, and got an idea of what the nightlife is like in Tours, the city we stayed in. The group was Amy, Eddy, Samantha, Jessica, Victor, and Carly from Australia. Carly is also an ESCP student. We were glad she could come along!

We took the train there Friday afternoon. A couple bottles of wine helped pass the time during the 2 hour ride. Thankfully, our hotel was basically the first thing you could see after exiting the train station.

There was so much to see and do there. But, the first thing we did after checking into our hotel in Tours was go to the grocery store and stock up on wine and some beer. Typical...

That first day really didn't consist of much other than drinking and planning Saturday. After hearing that the Chateau de Chambord was the most magnificent of the Loire Chateaux, we found train tickets to Blois, the city nearest to Chambord. After that was settled, it was time to get some food and walk around Tours. The city hall was nice, and in general the city is fairly clean. Good food, too. I had pizza that had bacon bits, crème fraîche, and a fried egg on it. Strange, but delicious.

On Saturday we woke up and got right down to business. We got on the train and enjoyed a 40 minute ride to Blois. From Blois we got a taxi minibus to Chambord, another 20 minutes. Walking up to Chambord was breath-taking and humbling. You see its densely-packed spires between the trees, and as more of it comes into view, you begin to wonder when the building ends. It's just HUGE. This thing was a house. François I, King of France, went there to hunt when he was tired of being couped up inside. Even though he brough 3000 people with him, it's still a single house...

The inside is intricate in many spots, but also seems vast and empty in others. One cool feature is the central double-helix spiral staircase. It's a spiral stair with two entrance points, and if you take one and your friend takes the other, you'll see each other through windows across to the other side, and it seems like if you walk around about a half rotation you'll find them, but if you've taken different entrances, you won't find them until the top. It's a very strange thing.

After we toured the inside, we rented bikes and circled the Chateau and its grounds. It's a very pretty, very large place. The bikes were really fun, too.

That night we went out to a club in Tours. It was pretty cool, but it was no Paris. Nightlife in the big city spoils me.

The trip was great. We got extremely lucky with the weater both days - crystal skies and warm temperatures. I'll talk about the other 3 Chateaux (that we did earlier today) in my next entry. For now, I need to get to bed, as I've been walking around cities and castles all day, and have just gotten off the train.

Astonishingly enough Chambord, despite its grandeur and sheer scale, was my least favorite of the Chateaux. Isn't that crazy? So get excited to hear about the other three: Amboise, Clos de Lucé, and Chenonceaux.

The takings from the nearby grocery in Tours. Note the proportion of food to alcohol.

City Hall in Tours. Very Pretty, cool sculptures near the top of the ground floor appear to support the upper floors.

Me in front of the enormous Chateau de Chambord. It's overwhelming.

Bedroom of François I at Chambord. Many rooms were elaborate like this, but some were vast, cold, and empty.

The front view from the balconies of Chambord. Notice how far the path goes and how straight it is. Typical French design showing dominance over nature. Very cool to stand there and look all the way down the path.

Detail shot of the painstakingly-carved and decorated central spire of Chambord.

New angle of Chambord after cycling a little bit around the property.