Les Grandes Classic Chateaux de la Loire

We cycled into Blois late yesterday afternoon after a good long 85 km ride. We were very happy to get our butts off the bikes and enjoy a much deserved post-ride beer ( a dirty beer).
We’ve been hitting the Chateaux hard over the past 3 days. There are so many well preserved chateaux concentrated in this area that no one can actually agree on the final number.
Helen, our team historian, reminded us that the French map has not always looked the way we know it today. During the 1300 &1400s there were many Duchies or areas under control of Dukes and they spent a lot of time “duking it out”. Hence, these structures with their strategic locations, ramparts and , in many cases, defensive walls., draw- bridges and arrow slits.
Then when things settled down, noble landowners got a hold of these castles and started to refurbish them in the style of the Italian renaissance. Everything in France from architecture, art, fashions changed. As the centre of the French government was on the Loire, and not in Paris, the nobles, along with the French “who’s who” spent a lot of time buying up these places and modernising them. Fortunately, most castles survived the ravages of the Revolution and both World Wars..

The castle we visited yesterday at Chenonceau was bought by French King Henry II for his favourite lady- friend ?? Diane de Poitiers but then when he was killed in a jousting match ( occupational hazard) his wife, Catherine of Medici threw out the mistress and gave her a “ minor “ castle down the river and moved herself in. Chenonceau spans the river Cher and during WWII sat over the border of German occupied France and Vichy France, and was a place where refugees and prisoners escaped south by walking through the chateau.

We spent a few hours at Villandry known for its amazing gardens. Pictures enclosed for the gardeners. We also visited an enormous abbey at Fontevraud - big climb up a hill! At one point it housed 700 nuns and priests. That’s a lot of prayers. The Eleanor, Duchess of Acquitaine ( Acquitaine was actually about 1/4 of what we know of as France now) , was very strategic and she married the French King, became the Queen of France, ditched him and married the King of England and had 2 sons who became Kings of England including Richard the Lion-hearted.
They are all buried at Fontevraud so it is a royal necropolis. [You gotta watch those Eleanors, they can be quite wily.] So, lots of interesting history.

Today most of the chateau’s have private owners and they open parts to the public to make money for upkeep. Others are maintained by the state.

A couple of other things we’ve seen include an impressive canoe and kayaking club outside of Tours with an enormous boat storage shed that would be the envy of our paddling grandsons. Picture enclosed. We stopped to watch a bit of rugby yesterday.

The weather has turned cloudier and cooler and we biked in some rain over the past few days. Our overnight stays have been good and we stayed right in the heart of Tours near the bar and restaurants. It was Saturday night so very lively.

Today we leave Blois and stop at Chambord - the last of the grande chateau that we will visit on this trip. Tonight we stay in an Abbey! Hope they don’t start chanting at 5 am.
PS I am enclosing a picture of a car for my grandson little Malcolm. What is that car Malcolm? Tiny box.
That’s it for now,
Love Heather ( Mom/ Grandma) xxxxxRead more