loire valley – Jen Maan in Amman

The Last of the Loire: Chartres, Chateau de Chambord, Amboise, & Clos Luce

I’ve been a lazy blogger but I have been meaning to finish posting the last of our R&R trip through the Loire Valley. I’ll try not to drag it out by posting three days trips into a single post.

Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres

Visiting this cathedral is every art history major’s fantasy. Just like visiting the pyramids, seeing Chartres in person is an amazing experience. Constructed between the years 1193-1250, Chartres is considered one of the best examples of the French High Gothic style. What a testament Chartres is to human ingenuity!

Chateau d’Chambord

You know the raspberry liquor that comes in the cool looking bottle with the crown atop its lid? Chambord (the liquor) is said to have been introduced to Louis XIV during one of his visits to this Chateau. Chambord is still being produced on the premises of this Chateau. In Paris, one of the pricey cocktails I kept seeing was the Cham Cham–champagne and Chambord. I’ll have to try it.

Needless to say, PETA, would not like this place…

Chateau d’Amboise & Clos Luce

The chapel where Leonardo is supposedly buried.

Located in Amboise and built on a spur above the Loire River, Chateau d’Amboise sits in a picturesque little village. The Chateau was confiscated by the monarchy in the 15th century and became a favored royal residence that was extensively rebuilt. King Francis I was raised at Amboise, which belonged to his mother, Louise of Savoy. Leonardo da Vinci came to Château d’Amboise as a guest to King Francis I in December, 1515, where he lived and worked in the nearby Clos Luce, connected to the château by an underground passage. It’s said that Leonardo is buried in the Chapel of Saint-Hubert, adjoining the Château, which was built in 1491–96. Who knows if this is true.

Clos Luce–the house where Leonardo lived

Last up…Paris…

Travels

Exploring the Loire Valley: Chateau de Chenonceau

Our first day trip was to Chateau de Chenonceau, the Ladies Chateau. This château is considered by many to be the loveliest of all of the chateaus and I’d have to agree. It’s surrounded by formal gardens and wooded grounds and visitors are free to roam freely throughout the rooms of the castle.

Here’s a little history of the place, in case you’re interested. As Eyewitness Travel’s Loire Valley states:

“Chenonceau reflects the combined influence of five women, who brought a feminine touch to this grateful building. First came Catherine Briconnet, wife of the royal chamberlain, who supervised construction of the château. Later, Diane de Poitiers, Henri II’s mistress, created a formal garden and built a bridge over the Cher. After Henri’s death, his widow, Catherine de Medici, reclaimed the château and topped the bridge with a gallery. Chenonceau survived the 1789 Revolution–because of local respect for Louise Dupin, wife of a tax collector–to be restored by Madame Pelouze in the 19th century.”

To the right of the château is the Marques Tower (part of the original remaining fortified castle and mill belonging to the Marques family).

My highlight to the château was the kitchen. I only have one picture of the pans (I must have been overwhelmed), but the kitchen is made up of two areas, located in two enormous bases forming two piers in the bed of the River Cher. The kitchen equipment, including ovens, pans, knives, bread baking equipment, etc., do a nice job giving the viewer an idea of what a working kitchen would have looked like.

On the day we visited it was freezing, which is really a shame because had it been a nice day out, we would have spent much more time exploring the formal garden, the vegetable and flower garden, and the 16th century farm. There’s also a lovely cafe that served lunch, pastries, coffee and wine. Perhaps next time…

Travels

Living in a Chateau, If Only for a Week

Our second leg of the trip was spent in the Loire Valley, France. Here we had the privilege of staying in a splendid Chateau (Chateau de la Noue) dating back to the 16th century.We stayed in one wing of the Chateau, equipped with all of the necessary creature comforts (including a DVD player, which enabled us to watch seasons 7 and 8 of Curb Your Enthusiasm–the nights got a little long, but we were in good company with Larry David).

The Chateau is located in the quaint village of Villedomer, a perfect jumping off point to many of our day trips throughout the week. The Chateau is blanketed by a beautiful forest of trees, including pine, sequoia, and chestnut. The only sounds to be heard were frogs in the pond and an occasional ‘moo’ of the neighboring farm’s cows. During our stay, we saw two deer, hares, and rabbits, and enjoyed walking along the grounds foraging for mini strawberries.

The owner of the Chateau is warm and friendly, without being intrusive. She welcomed us with a bottle of Vouvray (from Touraine, just east of Tours–my new favorite wine), made a delicious dessert for us one night, and invited us over for hors d’oeuvres and wine on another night.

What I liked most about staying at Chateau de la Noue was the unique experience it provided. Rather than staying in a sterile, perfectly appointed hotel room, we were afforded a more authentic experience–we drove hundreds of miles on small windy roads, shopped in local markets, and made many a pit stop to the abundant patisseries in every town. After exploring Chateaus throughout the week, staying at a place like this gave me an appreciation for the workmanship, upkeep, and history of the Chateaus.