We splurged on an all day guided tourist event out of Tours to see four castles in the neighboring area. Because I have not gotten the courage up to rent a car and the castles that exist all over the Loire Valley are spread apart, this tour seemed like the best option.
We had a driver, a crazy French man, who loved his own jokes, and 6 other people in our Volkswagen van. The driver, Pascal, told us the history of the area and each castle as we drove along, first in English, then in French. He told stories of the French monarchy and aristocrats that had lived or vacationed in these castles. Like a soap opera, the stories told of Kings with mistresses and illegitimate children, battles over power and love, accidental deaths and sickness and so on.
We started our visit at the castle called Villandry…….in the rain…….downpour………..had to buy an umbrella. The castle itself was not that interesting, but the gardens were amazing. Grapes on arbors surrounded the different themed gardens, some very formal, pruned and hedged to perfection. The ‘Sun Garden’, the ‘Herb Garden’, the’ Lover’s Garden’ and the 'Water Garden'and the 'Ornamental Garden'. By the end of that visit, the rain had subsided.
We travelled on to three others (Chambord, Chenonceau and Azay-le-Rideau) the countryside and small roads were a tour in themselves. Without a car, it is hard to see the small, outskirts of the less populated areas, so this was good. The other castles each had their own story and unique aspects. For most, the grounds were fun to walk through, some with gardens, and some with boxwood mazes, moats and water features. A couple of the castles we went inside and saw the rooms and staircases and imagined the activities that had gone on there in the past.
In the castle Chambord, there was an exhibit discussing and showing the events of WWII and the involvement of the castle. Here, the castle was used to hide and house works of art from all over France, and keep them from the hands of the greedy German military forces. The French government hired an overseer to take responsibility for the protection of the art pieces and many others aided in the protection efforts. The Mona Lisa was, at one time, at the Castle de Chambord.
The day was one of my favorites so far, just the historical perspective and the beauty of the castles and the gorgeous French countryside of the Loire Valley. I took 122 pictures. I could live in a castle…..wouldn’t have to be too big. Lots of garden would be nice and inside plumbing (saw none of that). I would definitely work on my French, wear long, billowy dresses and have big parties with all the other local castle owners. The sun would always be shining and I would harvest my own grapes and make my own wine. J’adore Francais. (again.....)
We had a driver, a crazy French man, who loved his own jokes, and 6 other people in our Volkswagen van. The driver, Pascal, told us the history of the area and each castle as we drove along, first in English, then in French. He told stories of the French monarchy and aristocrats that had lived or vacationed in these castles. Like a soap opera, the stories told of Kings with mistresses and illegitimate children, battles over power and love, accidental deaths and sickness and so on.
We started our visit at the castle called Villandry…….in the rain…….downpour………..had to buy an umbrella. The castle itself was not that interesting, but the gardens were amazing. Grapes on arbors surrounded the different themed gardens, some very formal, pruned and hedged to perfection. The ‘Sun Garden’, the ‘Herb Garden’, the’ Lover’s Garden’ and the 'Water Garden'and the 'Ornamental Garden'. By the end of that visit, the rain had subsided.
We travelled on to three others (Chambord, Chenonceau and Azay-le-Rideau) the countryside and small roads were a tour in themselves. Without a car, it is hard to see the small, outskirts of the less populated areas, so this was good. The other castles each had their own story and unique aspects. For most, the grounds were fun to walk through, some with gardens, and some with boxwood mazes, moats and water features. A couple of the castles we went inside and saw the rooms and staircases and imagined the activities that had gone on there in the past.
In the castle Chambord, there was an exhibit discussing and showing the events of WWII and the involvement of the castle. Here, the castle was used to hide and house works of art from all over France, and keep them from the hands of the greedy German military forces. The French government hired an overseer to take responsibility for the protection of the art pieces and many others aided in the protection efforts. The Mona Lisa was, at one time, at the Castle de Chambord.
The day was one of my favorites so far, just the historical perspective and the beauty of the castles and the gorgeous French countryside of the Loire Valley. I took 122 pictures. I could live in a castle…..wouldn’t have to be too big. Lots of garden would be nice and inside plumbing (saw none of that). I would definitely work on my French, wear long, billowy dresses and have big parties with all the other local castle owners. The sun would always be shining and I would harvest my own grapes and make my own wine. J’adore Francais. (again.....)
