Like a Fairytale - Val de Loire Pt. 2

As if Chambord wasn't cool enough, we had a jam-packed sunday touring the other 3 chateaux and learning about their history while enjoying their lasting beauty. We found a service at the airport that did different packages of chateaux, combinations of 2-4 usually. All they did was transportation, but it was nice not to have to plan trains and taxis to each one.

We started with Amboise, which is built on a hill overlooking the Loire. It has a long history and changed hands many times, but one of its more famous inhabitants was King François I, who grew up there. Much of it is destroyed, but what is left is really beautiful. You can tell that the location was chosen for easy defense, unlike the other chateaux. The chateau had an amazing view of the city below; I could have spent hours just sitting in the gardens up there and looking out over the river and the city. Unfortunately, a large part of it was destroyed through wars and conflicts, leaving only a fraction of the actual building standing.

Also up on the hill is a little but beautiful chapel. Inside are amazing ceilings and nice stained glass, along with Leonardo da Vinci's tomb.

After touring around the chateau, our chauffeur took us to the base of it, back on city streets, to a wine caveau to taste some local wines. They were very good, and we bought a few bottles. I love that tasting the wine is free, and the hosts are always very eager to let you try as much as you want. Our chauffeur laughed at us for not only bringing 4 bottles, but buying an additional 3. He asked why we were so thirsty.

The next stop on our trip was actually just about 1km down the road to the house where Leonardo da Vinci lived. He was a favorite guest of François I. In fact, François gave him this awesome house down the road, Le Clos Lucé. He would invite Leo over to Amboise to talk, debate, or help with a problem on a daily basis. There is even an underground passageway connecting Amboise to Clos Lucé.

Clos Lucé was filled with drawings, paintings, schematics, quotes, and models of Leo's. It was really cool to see. Seriously, it should be on cribz (for those of you that don't know, a program on MTV where you get tours of rappers/nba players houses). I could just imagine Leonardo walking around the little gardens and rooms, figuring something out in his head. So many of the things he thought of are in use today, but were only put to use centuries after he died. Many of the models he made worked in theory, but needed more energy than they had at the time. Then when things like steam power came along, many of his more elaborate inventions could be used. There was also a drawing of the modern bicycle, I mean, it looked EXACTLY like what we use today. And he drew it in the early 1500s. Crazy.

There was a terribly cheesy cardboard cutout of da Vinci at the bottom of a staircase inside. I was like....really? Completely unnecessary. Funny though.

After that it was time for our last stop. The Chateau de Chenonceaux was perhaps the most elegant of them all. It's formal gardens were by far the best, and the Chateau itself has a very interesting setup. Most of it is on the river. I don't mean on the banks, I mean it is on the river, like a bridge that doesn't reach the other side. The one downside of Chenonceaux was that they were doing some restoration of the outside, so a part of the Chateau was marred by ugly scaffolding. That's okay though, it was amazing still.

The inside was adorned with huge fireplaces, decorated with lavish paintings, and covered in velvet. I could imagine some awesome parties there in the 18th century...it would be a good place for it. Lots of gardens for scandalous midnight encounters, and plenty of room inside to dance and drink! Perfect. The part that spans the river is a long hall. It's so cool to look down from the windows and just see water. You kind of feel like you're in a boat.

To top it off, a bunch of hot air baloons started landing right on the other side of the river from the Chateau. They got so close to the Chateau when they crossed the river. I can only imagine what the view would be like from up there. The gardens would look like drawings and the house would look like a 1/8 scale model. That would be cool. I enjoyed going inside it and exploring though.

We finished a good deal of our wine in the Gardens at Chenonceaux, and we thoroughly enjoyed our tour of the Loire Valley. Unfortunately, it's back to class and routine for us. Can't complain about coming home to Paris though, can you?

Chateau d'Amboise

The Chateau and Grounds

Looking at part of Amboise from one of the defensive towers sticking out of the hill. You can tell how hight up it is by looking down on the city in the background.

The view of the bridge over the river Loire. When the Chateau was built it was just a strategic ford.

The boys. Victor, myself, and Eddy. We're on a defensive tower of Amboise.

Jessica contemplates the complexity of the local red wine we tasted after seeing Amboise. The wine was named François I, after Amboise's famous resident. Our Driver in the background.

Clos Lucé

View of Da Vinci's residence, le Clos Lucé


Gardens at Clos Lucé, in the background to the left of the two pinetrees you can see the little chapel on the hill at Amboise.

Little did you know, Leonardi da Vinci also foresaw and invented the Bowflex. Sadly though, until the infomercial, there was no way to mass publicize it.


Chenonceaux

Hedge "Labyrinthe" in the woods at Chenonceaux


Formal Gardens


Painting of Louis XIV with characteristic ridiculous frame.

Typical ceilings at Chenonceaux. Exposed, gilded timbers in shades of gold and scarlet.

Interior of the part of Chenonceaux that spans the water. During WWI, it was used as a hospital.


View of the formal gardens from the Chateau windows.


The first hot air balloon landing! You can see the scaffolding on the left side of the front face of the Chateau.


The Chateau itself. It looks like there is just a flood, but I promise, it's supposed to be like that. Cool, huh?

Same view, with landing balloon. I got so many pictures of those balloons. It was surreal!