The Loire Valley

Sunday 26 April, 2015 - house hunting in the Loire Valley

We started the morning at "Clos du Lucė" the chateau where Leonado da Vinci spent the last 3 years of his life under the patronage of King François 1st.  He crossed the Alps on a mule bringing with him among other things the Mona Lisa, which at one point hung in the King's bathroom!!  This was one of the most fascinating places we have ever visited.  The chateau, although quite large overall, was well proportioned and liveable.

His machines were brought to life by IBM who created scale models based on his original drawings.  Gliders, aeroplanes, swing bridges, tanks, gattling guns, screw pumps, canal locks - all centuries ahead of his time.

The next stop was Chateau Amboise.  A hugh fortress that had guarded Amboise in medieval times, it features a dramatic wide entrance ramp where horses drawing a carriage could gallop up a steep slope into the main court yard.

After a quick lunch we caught our guided tour of the Chateaux of Chambord and Chenonceau.

Chambord is the largest of the Loire Valley Chateaux, so large we thought we might get lost!  If features a number of beautifully decorated and furnished rooms.  It has a double helix staircase that winds around a central pillar where guests can see each other, yet never meet.  From there we travelled to Chenonceau considered to be the most graceful and elegant of the chateaux.  It was was owned by a succession of 3 powerful women.  It is built across the river Cher with 4 arches topped by a splendid ball room.  During WWII, the river Cher was the demarcation line between occupied France and the Vichy regime.  The castle was used to smuggle resistance fighters into occupied France and the ball room served as a hospital.

All four of the properties had wonderful features, however none met our standards and needs, so we will be returning to Stratford.

We finished the day with a delightful meal at "L'Épicerie" facing the Chateau Amboise, where we were happy to find ourselves seated next to the four Australians we had met on the tour and were able to continue our interesting conversations.  Did you know that they are able to plant only one crop per year in the Perth area beause of drought??