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Visiting Chenonceau in the springtime was downright dreamy! I couldn't help but snap a million photos of all the wisteria - so much so that a friend back home claimed I had "wisteria hysteria." Can you blame me?
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After a full day exploring Chenonceau and Amboise, mom and I made our way to the river just as the sun was setting. It was picture perfect!
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The dreamy Château de Chenonceau cannot be missed - give yourself plenty of time to explore!
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The grounds at Clos Lucé, the last home of Leonardo da Vinci, are filled with fascinating inventions and lots of things to discover.
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For lunch in Amboise, try the very centrally located Pâtisserie Bigot. Make sure to save room for their yummy pastries!
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Our dinner at L'Alliance in Amboise was easily one of our favorite meals of the trip. Every course was delicious!
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#LePotager and #LeJardin: Referring to a vegetable garden and a regular garden, respectively, these are crucial words to know at Chenonceau, a castle brimming with gardens. I was a huge fan of all of them!
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The Château de Chenonceau was one of the stops on our tour I most looked forward to . . . and it did not disappoint! There was much to explore in the castle itself, but the gardens were even more chock full of gorgeousness. I felt like I could have easily spent all day there, wandering.
We learned that among French castles, Chenonceau was known as the ladies' castle, and its history is dominated by The Seven Ladies of Chenonceau:
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Katherine Briçonnet (early 1500s), who oversaw the construction of the château while her husband, the King's chamberlain, was away at war.
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Diane de Poitiers (1550s), King Henry II's mistress, who received Chenonceau as a gift from the King and had the bridge and the first French style garden built.
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Catherine de' Medici (1560s-1580s), King Henry II's wife, who kicked out Diane upon Henry's death (rude!), built the grand gallery, and threw extravagant parties.
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Louise de Lorraine (1590s), who was the last Queen to live at Chenonceau and who, upon her husband's death, mourned him by covering the castle in black tapestries.
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Louise Dupin (1730s-1780s), who hosted Voltaire and many other Enlightenment figures in her literary salon at Chenonceau and who saved the château from destruction during the French Revolution.
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Marguerite Pelouze (1860s-1880s), who bought the Flemish tapestries and furniture in the château today.
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Simone Menier (1910s), whose family owned a chocolate empire and who transformed the château into a hospital during World War I.
Day 6: I don't like to play favorites, but I'd have to say this day was my very favorite of the tour. The grandeur of Chenonceau, the ingenuity of Clos Lucé, and plenty of good food and wine in between. What's not to love?
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Inside Chenonceau was great, but I felt like
I had died and gone to heaven in the vast gardens. They were unbelievably beautiful!
Though I hated to drag myself away from the beautiful gardens at Chenonceau, it was soon time to head back to Amboise for a lovely free afternoon. On our approach into Amboise, we were greeted by the most stunning blue sky. Gorgeous!
We spent a bit of time poking around Amboise in the afternoon. At one store, while browsing the lace sachets, I told the shop owner they were "très jolie." She totally lit up, and we had a nice conversation in mixed English and French. It reminded me of the power of always trying to speak some French (no matter how utterly tragique my French accent may be).
After a morning spent walking all around Chenonceau, we were ready for lunch. Back in Amboise, we stopped at Pâtisserie Bigot, a little restaurant and café located in the center of town.
There, I had my 737th goat cheese salad of the trip (give or take a few). Bigot also features an incredible array of beautiful pastries; mom and I couldn't help but each choose one to finish off our lunch. Yummy!
In the afternoon, mom and I visited Clos Lucé, Leonardo da Vinci's home for the last three years of his life. I found Clos Lucé fascinating, as it's filled with models and replicas of da Vinci's various inventions, many of them interactive (with wheels you could turn and cranks you could pull). The grounds and woods surrounding the house are also filled with his creations, including several bridges modeled on his designs. It was fun to explore everything here!
In the afternoon, Virginie set up an optional wine tasting at our hotel for anyone who was interested. Never one to turn down wine when in France, I talked mom (sadly, not a big wine drinker) into joining in. Along with four others from our group, we sampled four wines (a sparkling wine, a white, and two reds), cheese, bread, salami, and pickles. Mom and I both agreed that it was a really fun way to cap off our afternoon. I just may make a wino of her yet ; )
I pride myself on being a foodie, so for free dinners on tour, I was always determined to hunt down the very best meal possible (a particularly fun challenge in the culinary haven that is France). I asked Virginie for her top recommendation in Amboise, and she suggested L'Alliance, a restaurant that had just opened. Tucked away off the main road, L'Alliance felt quiet and local - and the food was fantastic. My chicken (completely with crispy skin and great big hunks of sea salt) was To. Die. For. And the mango mille-feuille I ordered for dessert was similarly spectacular. Mom loved her meal, too. What a great find!
After dinner, we took a bit of a walk to work off a few of our calories from the day. We reached the river just as the sun was setting . . . talk about a picture-perfect capper to a wonderful day on tour!
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