Bruce finally gets to see Chenonceau...Day 8

Chinon, Chenonceaux

Friday, 28 September 2012
Michael in particular had a good nights sleep...he had his own room plus shutters really block the light! We woke to a gorgeous day so the raincoats have happily been put in the wardrobe!
Breakfast is downstairs...down the turret stairs, though a door, through the kitchen to a gorgeous breakfast room which is so pretty! We have fellow guests Steve and Janet from Minnesota and we all chatted a bit over breakfast. We also met Edgar...the French Bulldog - and he is gorgeous! He growls when you pat him..it's a little like a cat purring. We missBernard's huge selection of home made jams and the small piece if ham and cheese he served every morning. However this breakfast is equally nice.
We walked through Chinon to the bakery that Helene recommended and bought baguette sandwiches for me and Bruce and croissants for Michael, then some ham for Michael at the Charcuterie. Oh...and some patisserie! Then we headed of to le Chateau de Chenonceau. Bruce has always wanted to come here after the last time we were in the Loire we were too late to go through and we took some photos from a distance from a bridge on the River Cher ( which is the river that runs through this chateau).
It is built on the site of an old Mill on the River Cher and it is incredibly beautiful. I'm going to steal the next few paragraphs from the website.
Property of the Crown, then royal residence, Chenonceau Castle is an exceptional site not only because of its original design, the richness of its collections, its furniture and its decorations, but also because of its destiny, since it was loved, administrated and protected by women, who were all extraordinary and who, for the most part have marked history.
For the historical background, the “Château des Dames” was built in 1513 by Katherine Briçonnet, and successively embellished by Diane de Poitiers then Catherine de Medici. Chenonceau was protected from the hardship of the revolution by Madame Dupin.
The iron, but very feminine, fist in the velvet glove has always preserved Chenonceau during times of conflict and war in order to make it forever a place of peace.
We had our picnic lunch in a lovely area outside the entrance and beside the river. They have both outdoor and covered picnicking areas. As a side comment...it is usually not hard to find somewhere to picnic and there are often tables and well maintained rubbish bins. We shared our table with a French couple who had biked to the Loire from La Rochelle area. He was a school teacher but retired. It was a beautifully warm day ...and I was starting to wish I wasn't wearing my merino top! The wind was reasonably chilly though.
Then onto the Chateau. We walked down the main treelined driveway to the chateau. The chateau looks best from the side and you'll see that from the photos. The gardens are lovely and to me at least seemed more feminine than the La Notre designed gardens at Vaux. The chateau, like many, has a very rich history. Interestingly Rousseau stayed there for quite a time and there was a special exhibition all about him. I need to do some reading on Rousseau because while I know his name as a philosopher that's all I know. There appeared to be some unrequited love from him towards the chatelaine at the time. Also, I found interesting, was that Chenonceau was right in the border of occupied France for a time and the resistance used to use it to smuggle people and messages.
There was a maze in the garden which Michael desperately wanted to explore and so we did that and had a but of fun.
We then returned to Chinon via 'the back road' stopping at Montrichard (where Bruce and Michael bought chocolate), Montresor ( which is one of the plus beaux villages de france) and Loches on the way..and of course lots more photos! Loches in particular stood out and we would have spent more time but it was getting late and we wanted to get home. The countryside around Chinon is nice to drive in.
We decided it was time for a 'nice' dinner so we headed for a place called Oceans that Bruce had spotted the night before and was on the Chambre D'Hote's listed of recommended options. The problem is that upmarket = slow and I think Bruce underestimated how much the driving took out of him. You know it is a good place when they start with complementary aperitifs? (Is that the right word for the food that is meant to accompany the Pre-dinner drinks? I took Madame's suggestion of a sparkling rose for an aperitif and it was lovely. It's funny ...I never drink rose at home but I'm enjoying it a lot here. Maybe all the one's I have tasted are too sweet?
Bruce gave up after two courses he was so full and tired...I managed to get to the cheese..which came on a trolley and you choose what you want..up to 5! Michael's desert was spectacular...ice cream but with this foaming thing over the top of it. I think Bruce took a photo on his iPhone.
All in all...a great day in the Loire!

	Edgar! [Map]		Picnicking at Chenonceau [Map]
	Tree lined entrance [Map]		Chenonceau for the front [Map]
	The moat [Map]		From the gardens [Map]
	Another angle from the gardens [Map]		Isn't she spectacular from the Cher... [Map]
	One corner and the moat [Map]		The oldest part [Map]
	The gallery [Map]		Looking out a window from the gallery [Map]
	The kitchen [Map]		Looking down from the first floor [Map]
	The boys [Map]		The farmhouse [Map]
	Montrichard [Map]		Florist...a boom business in this country [Map]
	Montresor [Map]		Montresor..sorry folks..this photo needs editing! [Map]
	Loches [Map]		Loches [Map]
	Loches [Map]

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