Chateaux et chevre:
A week in the lovely Loire (part two)
A week in the lovely Loire (part two)
September 1999
Chinon
A medieval village built on a hillside, Chinon is dominated by the ruined
remains of a castle and curtain wall that broods over the town from above.
The castle and town are rich in history; it was the scene where a young
Joan of Arc recognized the disguised Dauphin (despite his best efforts to
trick her), and convinced the royal court that she was sent by God to help
deliver France from the English.
The town itself is a wonderful place for strolling narrow, ancient streets and
finding rustic old restaurants, taverns and cafes. We found hearty fare,
unpretentious clientele and friendly service at each place we stopped. Our
favorite meal: the cheap and filling crepes at a local institution with long
tables and benches, where we shared space with a nice British couple.
The buckwheat crepe filled with ham, gruyere, mushrooms, egg and fresh
herbs was delicious and cost-effective, as was the carafe of local cabernet
franc.
Because of its location, about 4 or 5 miles from our country inn, Chinon
served as a sort of “base of operations” for the remainder of the trip. We
highly recommend it for Loire Valley trips lasting 4 nights or more, as it
provides convenient access to all of the main attractions…from Angers in
the west to Chambord in the east.
Surrounding Area
The immediate vicinity around our hotel and nearby Chinon is wine country,
and we were visiting around harvest time. Grapes were fat and a robust
purple everywhere we looked, including just over the old stone wall
adjacent to our Manoir. Just to the north of this area is the town of Avoine,
home to the oldest nuclear power plant in all of Europe. We nicknamed the
giant cooling tower of the plant “the cloud factory,” as it seemed designed
for this purpose.
Of all the many small towns in the area…Beaumont, Avoine, Candes-St-
Martin, Azay, Huismes, etc…one thing had us mystified. “Where are all the
people?” we would ask as we drove through the heart of each town. These
ancient villages were erected with walls of stone, but they almost looked
like Hollywood movie sets waiting for a busload of extras to arrive. Along
the streets, in the shops, in front of homes, around the churches and
schools…there was no one. It seemed odd.
Chambord
On the short list of absolute must-sees in the area, Chambord is the
largest and, perhaps, the most-visited. The well-manicured grounds
surrounding the chateau seem to stretch out forever in all directions. The
chateau itself is a massive, princely palace with dozens of rooms (mostly
empty now), and fairly well preserved. The roofline is highly photogenic,
with a pell-mell assortment of chimneys, turrets and towers.
Chenonceau
Of all the chateaux, castles, palaces, alcazars, estates and fortifications we
have seen in Europe, none is more beautiful than Chenonceau. That is a
bold statement, so we’ll repeat it: This is the prettiest chateau of the lot.
And because of its unique architectural design and setting, it also qualifies
as one of the most beautiful bridges in the world!
The inside offers some interesting furnishings here and there, and the
parquet floor of the grand ballroom astride the river is well worth seeing as
well. But the main attraction is the exterior, including the lovely gardens. Be
sure to come here on a good-weather day and take pictures till your shutter-
finger is raw. We wish we had had clearer and bluer skies when we
visited. If you have the time, there are nice scenic trails through the woods
as you come out on the other side of the chateau.
Blois
A smallish city or a large town, Blois is lively and engaging. The centrally
located chateau is an understated low-rise affair built around a square
courtyard. Inside it is well-appointed with period furnishings and
tapestries, and worth a quick tour. The town itself is a good place to
explore if you want to shop and/or find a good place for dinner. It is a nice-
looking town with more than a few nice-looking young people around. We
liked Blois a lot.
Amboise
Just to the north of Chenonceau, Amboise is another major chateau town
right on the river. It is also well known as the home of Leonardo da Vinci
during his last years, and there is a fascinating museum there dedicated
to the man, his ideas, his art and his innovations. Or at least we are told it
is fascinating…we were short on time and resources, so we didn’t go. We
wish we had.
The town is an excellent place to stay, with an attractive city center and
scenic old avenues, streets and alleys. The chateau is not usually
mentioned among the most notable ones in the general area, but we
found it to be quite interesting and beautiful. It includes a unique spiral
ramp, suitable for a retinue of horsemen three abreast, leading up into the
keep.
Tours
Tours is a larger city, and the capital of the region. We breezed through
here, but didn’t see much. It’s a living hell trying to park there. Save your
time; there’s a lot else to see.
Villandry
Yet another big, stately chateau…but this one has a difference. Namely, the
biggest and most impressive gardens since ancient Babylon. Words really
can’t do it justice, and frankly neither can photography. There are
ornamental gardens, vegetable gardens, a hedge maze, an arboretum,
water garden, and more. Even if you don’t care at all about gardening (like
Chris), this is worth a side trip. Highly recommended.
Azay-le-Rideau
This small, moated chateau gets Chris’s vote for second-prettiest palace
on the trip. And the insides are top-notch as well, including an impressive
collection of 16th Century Belgian tapestries. Very much worth a trip to see,
and a nice little nearby village to boot.
Chateau d’Usse
Probably the most overrated attraction on our trip. The guidebooks were
breathless about the fairy-tale beauty of this chateau, but it struck us as
fairly average with kitschy overtones. Supposedly, this palace inspired the
legend of Sleeping Beauty. The current owners have taken great pains to
remind you of this fact throughout the tour – including the Sleeping Beauty
figurines seen through the windows in the towers. You know what? If you
are a 7-year-old girl, this is the place for you. If not, move along.
Fontevraud Abbey
In the small village of Fontvraud lies one of the most important convents in
medieval Europe. For centuries, this was a center for religious instruction
and home to thousands of sisters, novices, and girls of all ages. Today it is
deserted, but restored to its former glory. The many well-maintained
buildings offer a remarkable glimpse of what daily life must have been like
in those times. We spent several hours here, and were glad we did.
Saumur
This is another larger town that is scenic and lively…much like Blois…but
with a larger and more impressive chateau overlooking the scene from
high on a hill. There are plenty of shops and cafes, pedestrian streets,
wine shops and more. We even found a place to buy an obscenely
expensive camera battery for Marisa’s battered old Canon SLR, which had
given out on us back at Villandry. It was a bit of a hike to get up to the
chateau, but well worth it. The road leading to Saumur, along the river, is
dotted with traditional wineries set up in the many caves inside the
limestone cliffs. All things considered, Saumur was one of our favorite
towns on this trip.
Angers
This is a city, not a town, and it is built around what once was the mightiest
castle in all of France. The Chateau d’Angers (or Danger Castle, as we
started calling it) is unlike the stately, elegant pleasure palaces we found
in other towns. This one is a massive, medieval fortification with
enormously thick walls and a moat so deep and broad it now serves as a
vast deer habitat. But by far the most interesting thing in the castle is the
Apocalypse Tapestry down in the dungeon. The largest tapestry ever
crafted by man, it depicts in vivid colors and lurid images the events
described in the Book of Revelation. It is difficult to say whether it is more
impressive for its size or its palpable creepiness. But it is definitely one of
the most unusual things either one of us has ever seen, and it is highly
recommended.
Le Petit Loir and Vendome
We spent one day driving through the hills and hamlets to the north of the
Loire valley, along the valley of a minor river called the Loir (without the “e,”
also known as the “little Loir”). We then ventured east to the city of
Vendome, which has an impressive cathedral, university and other old
buildings in its center. This was a nice little side-trip, but it wasn’t
necessarily a highlight of our journey.
Chateaux et chevre - part I
our Loire photos on Webshots
our travels
home
contact us
Chinon
A medieval village built on a hillside, Chinon is dominated by the ruined
remains of a castle and curtain wall that broods over the town from above.
The castle and town are rich in history; it was the scene where a young
Joan of Arc recognized the disguised Dauphin (despite his best efforts to
trick her), and convinced the royal court that she was sent by God to help
deliver France from the English.
The town itself is a wonderful place for strolling narrow, ancient streets and
finding rustic old restaurants, taverns and cafes. We found hearty fare,
unpretentious clientele and friendly service at each place we stopped. Our
favorite meal: the cheap and filling crepes at a local institution with long
tables and benches, where we shared space with a nice British couple.
The buckwheat crepe filled with ham, gruyere, mushrooms, egg and fresh
herbs was delicious and cost-effective, as was the carafe of local cabernet
franc.
Because of its location, about 4 or 5 miles from our country inn, Chinon
served as a sort of “base of operations” for the remainder of the trip. We
highly recommend it for Loire Valley trips lasting 4 nights or more, as it
provides convenient access to all of the main attractions…from Angers in
the west to Chambord in the east.
Surrounding Area
The immediate vicinity around our hotel and nearby Chinon is wine country,
and we were visiting around harvest time. Grapes were fat and a robust
purple everywhere we looked, including just over the old stone wall
adjacent to our Manoir. Just to the north of this area is the town of Avoine,
home to the oldest nuclear power plant in all of Europe. We nicknamed the
giant cooling tower of the plant “the cloud factory,” as it seemed designed
for this purpose.
Of all the many small towns in the area…Beaumont, Avoine, Candes-St-
Martin, Azay, Huismes, etc…one thing had us mystified. “Where are all the
people?” we would ask as we drove through the heart of each town. These
ancient villages were erected with walls of stone, but they almost looked
like Hollywood movie sets waiting for a busload of extras to arrive. Along
the streets, in the shops, in front of homes, around the churches and
schools…there was no one. It seemed odd.
Chambord
On the short list of absolute must-sees in the area, Chambord is the
largest and, perhaps, the most-visited. The well-manicured grounds
surrounding the chateau seem to stretch out forever in all directions. The
chateau itself is a massive, princely palace with dozens of rooms (mostly
empty now), and fairly well preserved. The roofline is highly photogenic,
with a pell-mell assortment of chimneys, turrets and towers.
Chenonceau
Of all the chateaux, castles, palaces, alcazars, estates and fortifications we
have seen in Europe, none is more beautiful than Chenonceau. That is a
bold statement, so we’ll repeat it: This is the prettiest chateau of the lot.
And because of its unique architectural design and setting, it also qualifies
as one of the most beautiful bridges in the world!
The inside offers some interesting furnishings here and there, and the
parquet floor of the grand ballroom astride the river is well worth seeing as
well. But the main attraction is the exterior, including the lovely gardens. Be
sure to come here on a good-weather day and take pictures till your shutter-
finger is raw. We wish we had had clearer and bluer skies when we
visited. If you have the time, there are nice scenic trails through the woods
as you come out on the other side of the chateau.
Blois
A smallish city or a large town, Blois is lively and engaging. The centrally
located chateau is an understated low-rise affair built around a square
courtyard. Inside it is well-appointed with period furnishings and
tapestries, and worth a quick tour. The town itself is a good place to
explore if you want to shop and/or find a good place for dinner. It is a nice-
looking town with more than a few nice-looking young people around. We
liked Blois a lot.
Amboise
Just to the north of Chenonceau, Amboise is another major chateau town
right on the river. It is also well known as the home of Leonardo da Vinci
during his last years, and there is a fascinating museum there dedicated
to the man, his ideas, his art and his innovations. Or at least we are told it
is fascinating…we were short on time and resources, so we didn’t go. We
wish we had.
The town is an excellent place to stay, with an attractive city center and
scenic old avenues, streets and alleys. The chateau is not usually
mentioned among the most notable ones in the general area, but we
found it to be quite interesting and beautiful. It includes a unique spiral
ramp, suitable for a retinue of horsemen three abreast, leading up into the
keep.
Tours
Tours is a larger city, and the capital of the region. We breezed through
here, but didn’t see much. It’s a living hell trying to park there. Save your
time; there’s a lot else to see.
Villandry
Yet another big, stately chateau…but this one has a difference. Namely, the
biggest and most impressive gardens since ancient Babylon. Words really
can’t do it justice, and frankly neither can photography. There are
ornamental gardens, vegetable gardens, a hedge maze, an arboretum,
water garden, and more. Even if you don’t care at all about gardening (like
Chris), this is worth a side trip. Highly recommended.
Azay-le-Rideau
This small, moated chateau gets Chris’s vote for second-prettiest palace
on the trip. And the insides are top-notch as well, including an impressive
collection of 16th Century Belgian tapestries. Very much worth a trip to see,
and a nice little nearby village to boot.
Chateau d’Usse
Probably the most overrated attraction on our trip. The guidebooks were
breathless about the fairy-tale beauty of this chateau, but it struck us as
fairly average with kitschy overtones. Supposedly, this palace inspired the
legend of Sleeping Beauty. The current owners have taken great pains to
remind you of this fact throughout the tour – including the Sleeping Beauty
figurines seen through the windows in the towers. You know what? If you
are a 7-year-old girl, this is the place for you. If not, move along.
Fontevraud Abbey
In the small village of Fontvraud lies one of the most important convents in
medieval Europe. For centuries, this was a center for religious instruction
and home to thousands of sisters, novices, and girls of all ages. Today it is
deserted, but restored to its former glory. The many well-maintained
buildings offer a remarkable glimpse of what daily life must have been like
in those times. We spent several hours here, and were glad we did.
Saumur
This is another larger town that is scenic and lively…much like Blois…but
with a larger and more impressive chateau overlooking the scene from
high on a hill. There are plenty of shops and cafes, pedestrian streets,
wine shops and more. We even found a place to buy an obscenely
expensive camera battery for Marisa’s battered old Canon SLR, which had
given out on us back at Villandry. It was a bit of a hike to get up to the
chateau, but well worth it. The road leading to Saumur, along the river, is
dotted with traditional wineries set up in the many caves inside the
limestone cliffs. All things considered, Saumur was one of our favorite
towns on this trip.
Angers
This is a city, not a town, and it is built around what once was the mightiest
castle in all of France. The Chateau d’Angers (or Danger Castle, as we
started calling it) is unlike the stately, elegant pleasure palaces we found
in other towns. This one is a massive, medieval fortification with
enormously thick walls and a moat so deep and broad it now serves as a
vast deer habitat. But by far the most interesting thing in the castle is the
Apocalypse Tapestry down in the dungeon. The largest tapestry ever
crafted by man, it depicts in vivid colors and lurid images the events
described in the Book of Revelation. It is difficult to say whether it is more
impressive for its size or its palpable creepiness. But it is definitely one of
the most unusual things either one of us has ever seen, and it is highly
recommended.
Le Petit Loir and Vendome
We spent one day driving through the hills and hamlets to the north of the
Loire valley, along the valley of a minor river called the Loir (without the “e,”
also known as the “little Loir”). We then ventured east to the city of
Vendome, which has an impressive cathedral, university and other old
buildings in its center. This was a nice little side-trip, but it wasn’t
necessarily a highlight of our journey.
Chateaux et chevre - part I
our Loire photos on Webshots
our travels
home
contact us
Chinon
Chambord
Chenonceau
Chenonceau
Amboise
Amboise
Villandry
Azay le Rideau
Chateau d'Usse
Fontevraud Abbey
Vendome
Chateau d'Angers with its moat / deer habitat
