The Loire Valley

We headed to the Loire valley which is known as the land of a thousand chateaux.  Dermot has posted some pictures on Facebook so I'll just add a brief post on this area with some more lovely photos in clickable albums.

More Chenonceaux pictures here. 

They have a great audio guide for many of the rooms. In the photo album, you'll see a picture of a hall.  That was used as a hospital during WWII and the bridge across the river was used to get people out of the then-German controlled part of France. There's lots written about the history of the place and its pretty fascinating.

Next we went to Chateau de Chambord -it was enormous and had a double spiral staircase that was both beautiful and a design marvel.  They also had a guide on a tablet that, in certain rooms, allowed you to witness what it would have looked like hundreds of year ago - including straw on the floor, different room layout, furniture and gaming tables. This place was overwhelmingly large and was built to be a symbol of King Francoise's power. Turns out, he only visited 18 times for an average of 4 days each time.  Kings traveled alot then and their furniture was broken down for the trip to be transported with them.  Most of the time, the place was pretty empty in the early days.  In later days, the furniture was built to stay put and was more comfortable.

Photos of Chateau de Chambord and Amboise here.

We rounded out the day with a drive in to the town of Amboise.  The photos include a picture of a clock tower but what you can't see is what really makes travel special.  It's impossible to capture travel in pictures because the experience is made up of small discoveries along with the big sights to create a whole.  Each post feels like just a sliver of the experience.  For example, I was carrying my iPhone with a Rick Steves ebook guided walk thru the town.  The book points out how the town was built up thru the ages and the wonderful clock tower that stands in the middle of the street that was part on the original town wall. What isn't mentioned is that there's a small restroom built into the foundation just under the tower at ground level. The massive wooden beams are at odd angles with huge metal pins through them showing the original, seemingly haphazard construction. The toilet and basin are very modern and the ancient wood is all painted white.  So a simple restroom becomes a true marvel if you happen onto it and look around. It's also hard to know what will touch you.  This was a very cool discovery for me but it didn't register with Dermot who was in the same room - French bathrooms not being divided.  On the other hand, he often points out something he's noticed that I missed entirely.

Next, we headed to the Dordogne region but that will have to be another post . . .