Loire Valley

Picture this:

It's 9:30 in the evening in picturesque Amboise, a small town in the French countryside. You stroll up to the terrace of a restaurant, and it's bustling and noisy with the clatter of cutlery and the lilting tones of French conversation. Surprisingly, the waiter is able to seat you at one of the best tables...

To your left, the sun is setting, casting lavender hues across the Loire. In front of you sits the man you love, and to your right is the beautiful château of Amboise. The soft light gives the intricate stonework a fairytale look. The accordion player across the cobblestoned street fills the air with the stereotypical La Vie En Rose, and if you aren't in love tonight you soon will be.

On to dinner! The old men at the table beside you are smoking, and it adds to the aroma of melted cheeses and crispy meat. Red wine, and lots of it. Raclette, canard, creme brûlée. You are full, and so happy that you're almost sad to realize that happy moments like this are fleeting, and will soon be only memories. For now, you watch the world and the people around you, and hope never to forget moments like this.

Amboise was our home base as Azim and I explored many of the châteaux in the Loire Valley. It’s a gorgeous little village, with tons of history and delicious food. We stayed in a quaint bed and breakfast across from the old town, complete with historic rooms and a welcoming hostess we simply called Madame. Madame settled us in, gave us many restaurant suggestions, always chatted with us when we emerged for breakfast each morning, and generally made sure we had everything we needed. Madame only spoke French, mais bien sûr! It was a great opportunity for Azim and I to practice :)

Our itinerary in the Loire was as follows:

Day 1 - Château Royal d’Amboise and Maison Le Clos Lucé

Day 2 - Château du Chambord and Château de Cheverny

Day 3 - Château de Chenonceau and Château de Villandry

We drove from one château to another, which is the best way to do it in my opinion if you’ve only got a few days to spare. For a longer stay in the Loire, I would definitely suggest biking and visiting a few vineyards along the way! Since we only had 3 days, Azim and I saved the wine tasting for the next leg of our trip and made the châteaux a priority. Seeing two a day was the perfect amount, and even then we both fell into bed exhausted by 9pm each evening. That would probably be my fault, because I insisted on reading every plaque, and renting all the audio guides (I like soaking up as much information as I can)! Poor Azim. Wandering around old buildings and learning about kings and queens is not his favourite pastime, but he was a good sport about it :)

Highlights of the Châteaux:

Château D’Amboise

This 15th century château is probably most well-known for being the final resting place of Leonardo Da Vinci. He is buried in the small chapel on the château’s property. Leo was BFF’s with King François I, and spent the last few years of his life in Amboise, in a manor closeby to the château (Le Clos Lucé). He spoke with François everyday, and was named “first painter, engineer, and the King’s architect”.

Maison Le Clos Lucé

This is the aforementioned last home of Leonardo Da Vinci. The King made sure he lived comfortably, and had room enough to work on his inventions and paintings. If you visit Amboise and have to choose one or the other to visit, I would definitely choose Le Close Lucé over the Château. The tour of the manor gives you a great idea of what life was like for Leo in the 1500’s, and the immense garden has replicas of some of his inventions. He was truly a BRILLIANT man. I remember learning about him in school, but really you have not experienced his genius until you’ve walked where he walked, to put yourself in his shoes and imagine… He invented so many life-changing machines and apparatuses in his lifetime which have impacted the way we live today. Not to mention his incredible art work. I was truly blown away.

Château du Chambord

This is the big daddy of all the châteaux in the Loire Valley. Its size alone is most impressive, but wait til you see the forest and gardens around it. The hunting reserve is the largest in Europe (54 sq km around the château), and is actually used solely by high-ranking government officials - I guess some things in France don’t change! 10 sq km is available to the public, and there are trails to walk and bike. You can even jump on a land rover safari tour, to try and see some wild boar or deer.The château itself is too large to try and keep the rooms furnished. In all the other châteaux we visited, the rooms were replicated and done up with furnishings from the Renaissance time period or furnishings from when the château was most used. Chambord is so massive, it would be near impossible to maintain, so it seems quite empty by comparison. It is worth renting the audio guide, which explains what each room was used for. My favourite part of the château is the famous double-helix staircase, and the beautiful chapel in which artwork was stored and protected during the World Wars.

Château de Cheverny

This château was one of the most beautiful, and felt more like a proper home - probably because it is still owned and inhabited by the Hurault family (it has been in their family for the past 6 centuries!). Another fun fact is that the château is the inspiration behind Tintin’s friend, Captain Haddock’s ancestral home (Marlinspike). The château is also famous for its kennels, and if you arrive at the right time you might just see the feeding of the hounds “Soupe de Chiens”. It’s a pretty stinky affair.

Château de Chenonceau

By far the most elegant of any of the châteaux in the Loire! This one is uniquely built over a series of arches across the Cher River. It is a magical sight! The château is also called the “Ladies Château” because it has been run by some very famous French women: Diane de Poitiers (mistress of King Henri II), Catherine de Médicis (wife of King Henri II) who took it back from Diane after Henri II died, and after her, Queen Louise of Lorraine (wife of King Heni III). Looking at the gardens and beautiful interiors, you can definitely see it has a woman’s touch.

There is a restaurant on the château’s property which isn’t too bad, and you can eat outside with a view of the gardens and the château.

My favourite part though, is the gorgeous tree-lined path leading up to the château. The trees are HUGE, and I felt like I was in a fairytale…I could imagine the horse drawn carriages that must have bumped along, ready to meet the queen or arrive at a fancy ball. There is a balcony at the château which faces the path, and I could imagine the queen looking out and watching the carriages as they arrived, ready to receive her guests. Definitely don’t pass on visiting Chenonceau!

Château de Villandry

Last but not least, Villandry. This was my favourite! The gardens were absolutely spectacular, far outshining any of the others in the Loire. The château itself was one of the last major Renaissance châteaux to be built in the Loire Valley, and it does seem “newer” (completed in 1756!). Like Cheverny, it also seems more like a home. Each room is completely furnished, and that really helped me to envision what life must have been like at the time. It also has a gorgeous art collection, and a room with a spectacular gilded ceiling, which was stolen from a 15th century Moorish palace in Toledo.

My friends, I hope that was a helpful snapshot of our time in the Loire. I could go on writing many more pages, because it was one of the loveliest experiences I’ve ever had. I hope you do have the pleasure of visiting at least once! And if you do, make sure you send me a postcard and give my regards to Madame. She gave us bisous (kisses on each cheek) on our last day in Amboise, and told us to come back soon :)