Saturday, April 8, 2017

Day 7 - Chateau de Chenonceau and Montresor et le Val d'Indrois (Loire)


A short drive to Chateau de Chenonceau. We got up late and I was worried that there would be lots of people waiting to get inside since Chenonceau is the one of the most famous or photographed castles. Luckily not, it's the benefit of visiting France at this time of the year.... right before the season start and the weather has gotten warmer.


The castle really is magnificent. It has a nick name "the ladies' chateau" because it's mainly designed, protected, restored, and used by  different women since 1547. We didn't have the time and patient to have audio guide because of Sophie.   I have to read up after we get home some time.
Kitchen area was big... lots of working space and cook wares. We were having fun pretending cooking in there.

There were three Gardens, maze, carriage gallery, 16th century farm, vegetable and flower garden, and tea room. We certainly took time to walk around and try to see everything. It was really an fairy tale experience.

So much walking and claiming stairs, my legs have been sore for like a week. I guessed that's how people back then to stay fit... no gym was needed.
Big thanks to the strangers who took these two photos for us... they turned out great!

 The tulip season...

 A little music break for Sophie.
Next stop - Montresor. What interested me was the this small village was one of the most beautiful village in France and it's closed by. I was like hmm...really?? From the drive into the village didn't seem special. After we parked, we found a place to eat... pretty good for a simple lunch meal. Forgot to take pictures of the main course. We were too hungry to remember.
After lunch, we found a sign that pointed to a green bell path direction... we used our common sense and guessed we should probably follow it... (or our usual way... just get lost then we'll alway find something interesting) Voila... the beautiful secnic walking path that's alone a small creek with back drop of a Chateau, fortress walls and a church.  A leisure walk after a full tummy was always a good idea... otherwise I don't know how I can fit into the pants I brought with me after wonderful delicious French food everyday... multiple course per meal plus dessert in the afternoon.




The path led us back into the village and up to the Chateau. At the gate, the guard said we had to pay to see inside. I was like... I just saw the most photographed castle in the world... do I really need to see another Chateau on the same day??? Feeling kind of chateau out at the moment! The guard then went on telling us how beautiful this private chateau is, the current owner still lives there, and how it is one of the most decorated and furnished chateaus. Ok ok... you twisted my arm... we'll pay and go inside.

Well, the guard was right and we were glad we went in.

It's so hard for Sophie not to touch anything or sit on the beautiful furnitures specially after a long walk up and down the hilly village and claiming up the spiral staircase in the castle. I told her if she had to sit, she can sit on the floor... so here she was on the floor fixing her new shoes.