Two Chateaux

Big day. Two Chateaux, a final sprint before our spa day. Chateau de Cheverny has a kennel with hounds who were super friendly and a small exhibit on Tintin, a famous comic book series.

The Chateau is unusual because it was not sacked during the revolution. The Hurault family have owned the chateau on and off since its construction in 1640-50. But. They lost the property before the revolution and only managed to get it back in 1825. The garden has a cool maze that is a challenge.

We had a lovely multicourse country lunch.

Then onto Chateau de Chambord. This vast chateau was sacked during the revolution and so the interior is a recreation. The ability to walk the roofline was especially fun. Fun fact: the liquor Chambord was created by an American, Norton “Sky” Cooper, in 1982 and its market is primarily US. The liquor is made in France and sold in the gift store.

Our dinner is a Michelin 2 star 8 course dinner at Christophe Hay’s restaurant in our Relais and Chateau Lafleur de Loire which is a five-star hotel occupying a restored 17th-century building commissioned under Gaston d’Orléans (son of Henri IV, brother of Louis XIII. The dinner is definitely instagram cuisine but is creative and fun with a beautiful wine pairing done by Bastian, the sommelier. All leave at midnight but Bastian and I continue chatting until just before 1:00 over genuine monk made Chartreuse.Read more