Azay-le-Rideau, Villandry & Amboise

Thursday 31 July

Our revised program hit a couple of hiccups due to train times & accessability (and the Tourist Information office thought we would struggle to fit either Chenin or Amboise in with Azay-le-Rideau & Villandry) - but with an 11 hour day we did.

We were easily able to handle the first two via an organised trip - it was just us and a very informative and customer focussed driver (Elsa) and both sites were relatively quiet.

The Chateau at Azay was a 1510 rebuild of an existing fortress undertaken by Gilles Berthelot,  Francois I's Notary, aided and abetted by embezzlement of the Kings wealth.  Berthelot eventually fled and Francois confiscated it in 1537.  Set on water and with attractive gardens it is now in the hands of the state. Azay-le-Rideau was a beautiful village.

Villandry is another chateau with links to Francois I, and is built on what was an old 12th century fortress.  Villandry is all about gardens - and what gardens they are!!!  Set out in a classic Renaissance, precisely and geometrically patterned, they are truly amazing - ornamental,  water,  sun, vegetable and herb gardens.

Back to Tours for a train to Amboise, where there are two notable chateaux - the Chateau Royal, where a medieval fortress made way for a royal residence during the reigns of Charles VIII and Francois I (him again) and the Chateau du Clos Luce, given to Leonardo da Vinci by Francois I - and where da Vinci lived the last 3 years of his life.  Of particular interest is the focus it has on da Vinci as an inventor - and what an inventor he was.  Everything from the life buoy, the parachute, cannons of varying capabilty, water pumps, water paddles etc, etc, etc - truly a remarkable man.  As well as the chateau featuring models of many of his inventions, quite a few feature in the gardens as play and try out equipment.

The town of Amboise has been the busiest and most touristy of all we have visited in the Loire Valley.

Back to Tours for another beautiful dinner at Au Chien Jaune, and guess what, they had caught that trimmed down duck from the other night - he was the main course tonight, along with a prawn & seafood salad and a dessert of stewed apricots and ice cream.  Beautiful!!!

Off to Rotterdam tomorrow.