Chambord Chateau, France

Monday, June 19th. We had breakfast at the hotel and toured the Abbey before too many people arrived. It was just magical and breathtaking. There was a very cute kitten staying at our hotel. We left by noon and headed out. It was hard to leave and was a highlight of the trip for us all. Little did I know that while we were all walking around Mont St Michele with our wine - Mikel told Anya he was going to ask me to marry him before the end of the trip.

Founded at the request of the Archangel Michael by the bishop of Avranches, Aubertus, the first sanctuary was consecrated on October 16, 709. It would become the heart of a great Benedictine abbey, famous in the Middle Ages for its treasures and rich library.

Converted into a prison during the French Revolution, the abbey has been beautifully restored since the late 19th century. The layout of the abbey cannot be compared with that of any other monastery. The buildings defy the laws of balance, wrapping around the tip of the rock.

We stopped at the chateau that is featured on the show "Escape to the Chateau". It was fun seeing it in person as we drove to the Loire Valley. We went to Amboise and the castle to see the tomb of Leonardo DaVinci. It was closed for renovations. They are working so hard to get repairs completed before the Olympics. I was disappointed but we were able to go to his house - Chateau du Clos Luce. They had models of a lot of his inventions. It was really interesting. They also had them throughout the grounds of the chateau.

We drove to Chambord. Our hotel was one that I had stayed at with Mom and Ann on a previous visit. They had added on to it and it was very changed. Relais de Chambord. It was very fancy. We had a view of Chambord from the windows in our rooms. Our timing was great here as well. When we arrived all the tourists had left for the day. We walked around the grounds and the bugs loved Mikel's eyes for some reason.

Chambord Chateau is a unique architectural jewel built in 1519 at the request of François I, a lover of the arts and passionate hunter, the château of Chambord has become emblematic of the French Renaissance in Europe and throughout the world. The plan of the castle and its decors stem from a central axis, the renowned double helix staircase, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci. Only under the reign of Louis XIV is construction finally completed.

Dinner was a bit disappointing. It wasn't that good but we had fun and loved the room and the view. Mom always said she had the best meal of her life there. It was an amazing steak with sauce. The food had been amazing so I was disappointed it didn't live up to that memory. We enjoyed drinking wine in the room and looking at the chateau all lit up at night.Read more