Chateaux of the Loire

I visited five castles this weekend, what did you do? My trip to tour the Chateaux of the Loire lasted only Saturday and Sunday, but it was packed full of amazing sights. We drove a few hours outside of Nantes (and an hour to get to each new chateau) to an area of France along the Loire river spotted with ancient castles and their amazing landscapes.

We began our trip with a visit to Montgeoffroy. It was more of a giant mansion than a chateau, but it was still interesting to view. The residents are still living inside Montgeoffroy so our tour guide only showed us the first floor, with large tapestries, portraits and velvet chairs positioned as they were used in the 16th century. Montgeoffroy had a giant kitchen with walls completely covered with hanging copper pots and pans, and the sun reflected off the copper to light up the entire stone room. There were also stone stables (now only housing old horse-drawn carriages) and acres of trimmed green grass (less astonishing than the other chateaux, but still nice and dewey).

Our second chateau, Azey-le-Rideau, was exatcly how you would picture a french castle. The milky stone walls formed towers on all the corners and the walls were filled with symetrical windows. This chateau bordered a small pond on one side, grassy fields on the others, and green and brown forestry wrapped around the outsides as a buffer from the streets nearby. It is the site of the Massacre of 1418 where 350 soldiers and their captain were executed by Charles VII when he passed through and was insulted by the Garrison Burgundy who occupied the chateau.  

I remember the third chateau not for it's architecture (en fait, I spent maybe 5 minutes total looking at the actual chateau) but for the dozens of gardens around the property. There are four gardens, one labyrinth, and le Potager composed of nine square, Italian-influenced plots with different geometric patterns of multicolor vegetables and plants. Villandry is a dream jardin, so beautiful and peaceful, and I would feel content working as a gardener there if I was able to wander those rainbow acres every day. Some colors I saw at Villandry: pumpkin orange, velvet red, hedge green, caterpillar green, cabbage white, ladybug rouge, neon blue, honeysuckle yellow, fairy blue, valentine's pink, maroon, and rabbit's ear green.

 

Chateau number four, Amboise, was built on a hill towering above a town of roofs of homes and creperies packed together around the Loire. The view really showed how tightly spaced together french buildings are. There was a tiny chapel off to the side of the chateau that I had a little special moment with. The sun was shining so perfectly through the stained glass windows and the intricate detailing of the sculptures around the outside walls was awe-some. Inside the chapel is the tomb of Leonardo Da Vinci. He visited Amboise fairly often while he was alive, and I can completly understand while he would want to be eternally buried there (I wouldn't mind some of my ashes being scattered around that chapel). I especially loved all the gargoyles at Amboise. There was one gargoyle flying on an owl, one carrying a little jester in his claws, and even a frog gargoyle. I felt all giddy from seeing so many protective gargoyles, so I am probably going to need to sculpt some on my future house.

Chenonceau was the last chateau on our weekend tour, but it is one of the most popular. It is built across the river, looking almost like a castle on a bridge, and boats can pass under the thick arches holding it up. King Henri II lived there with his wife and favorite mistress until his death. The chateau was owned mainly by women (the wives of the kings), and one there is one room (chambre des cinq reines) which housed five different dames. One woman (Louise de Lorraine) painted her room black in mourning after her husband, King Henri III was assassinated. The entire interior of the chateau was covered with massive, still brightly colored tapestries and each room had a floor-to-ceiling fireplace next to the canopy bed.

The weekend was another successful bonding and sight-seeing trip. However, looking at castles all day can really wear you out. Whenever we were on the bus inbetween chateaux, everyone was passed out, folded and slouched uncomfortably in the bus seats. At each chateau, we found the best location to lay in the grass or sit near a garden to rest and soak it all in. Fortunately, I am not desensitized to castles yet, and each one is still a new adventure for me.