Loire Valley Chateaux

We had a wonderful couple of days in the Loire Valley.  The weather in Paris, unlike the U.S. and Canada has been unusually rainy and we were very glad to see the sun.  We drove down on Saturday and arrived mid-morning in Blois.  Blois is a small city perched on a hill overlooking the Loire; we knew little about Blois and were surprised and charmed.  There are beautiful public gardens, a charming Saturday market, and reasonably priced public parking.  

We walked up through beautiful gardens to the main plaza where Maison de Magique and Chateau Royal de Blois sit across from each other.  There is a lovely park along the side of the plaza that overlooks the Loire.

Lillian and Sylvia chose to begin at Maison de la Magique.  We arrived in the plaza on the hour and every hour four dragons (and one tail) poke their heads out of the windows and look around.  The girls were entranced.  It is really quite something because you can't see the dragons when the windows are shut.  We watched twice and the second time Sylvia had a long talk with this fellow and offered him some flowers to eat. 

The Maison de Magique is a tribute to Robert-Houdin, son of Blois, from whom Harry Houdini took his name.  They had a magic show that was pitched just right for the 6 to 8 year old crowd.  There are 5 floors of illusions, history. theater, etc.  We had a good time checking it out.

We walked down the steps to the market and ate some sandwiches and some crepes to fortify ourselves for our visit to the chateau.

Chateau Royal de Blois was the residence for 7 kings and 10 queens of France. The chateau is really 4 different chateaux in one: one wing from the Middle Ages, the chateau of Louis XII (the porcupine was his symbol), the chateau of Francois I (the salamander was his symbol), and the chateau of Gaston d'Orleans.

  Jeanne d'Arc departed from Blois on her way to Orleans.

From Blois we drove to Amboise where we took a swim in our hotel's outdoor pool.  Amboise is home to at least two chateaux, which we did not see.  We did enjoy their pedestrian shopping area and some delicious pizza.

Day 2: Chenonceau, Cheverny and Chartres

Chateau de Chenonceau was a 10 minute drive from our hotel, so we thought we should check it out.  My photos really don't do it justice.  It is a castle built in the middle of the Cher River surrounded by immaculate gardens, woods, a maze, a play area, and flower and vegetable gardens.

In 1547, King Henri II donated Chenonceau to his "favorite lady," Diane de Poiters.  She appears in the portrait depicted as the Huntress Diana.  When Henri II died, Catherine de Medici (in black), Henri II's wife removed Diane from Chenonceau and moved in herself.

This gallery was used for parties by Catherine de Medici.  During WWI the two galleries were turned into hospitals where over two thousand soldiers were cared for.  Simone Menier the hospital's matron, part of the wealthy Menier chocolate famil,y paid for the hospital.  During WWII the River Cher corresponded to the line of demarcation.  One end of the gallery was in the occupied zone and the Resistance could move large numbers of people through the chateau and into the free zone.

Chenonceau kitchen workers

 Chateau de Cheverny

We stopped at Chateau de Cheverny because they have dogs!  Sylvia loves dogs.  When I was here 20 years ago the dogs were out being run.  When we visited yesterday, the dogs were all in the kennel...not smelling too sweet.  Sylvia did not mind and was very happy to see these doggies.

Cheverny was built in the early 1600s and  is owned by the original family and has been lived in continually.  The rooms on display are completely furnished.  It was the inspiration for the chateau in the Tintin comic books and there is a Tintin exhibit there now.

We learned that the beds are not just short because people were smaller, but because they believed that lying down should be reserved for the dead.  They slept sitting up--they were also afraid of swallowing their tongues!

Robert, we are sorry you missed all the Tintin in the gift shop!

Chartres

On the way home we stopped in Chartres, which is about half way between Paris and the Loire Valley. Chartres Cathedral was built between 1193 and 1250 and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. There have been only small architectural changes since the thirteen century and most of the stained glass windows are original.  It is one of the few churches that was saved by townspeople during the Revolution.  The stain glass windows were removed before WWII and replaced intact when the fighting was over.

On our drive, we saw many windmills and sunflowers.  The girls had a great time and would like to return.  You don't think of Paris as a big city until you live here and then it is nice to get out and see a little green--and some castles.