La Loire ... un endroit parfait!

I'm not sure if you know, but May here in France is absolutely replete with jours feriés and therefore ample opportunities to faire le pont. I think there were four long weekends in May, and in a great tradition of leisure-seeking, employers often grant their labour force the extra day between a public holiday that falls on Tuesday or a Thursday and the weekend. I certainly have chosen a civilised part of the world to reside in!

So what does one do with all this extra time? Well, Parisians escape to the countryside, and where better to head for than somewhere with châteaux, fine wine and glorious food?

A trip to La Loire from Paris often begins in Orléans, and this where we paid hommage to one of France's favourite daughters ...


Jeanne d'Arc

... this statue is in the courtyard of the Renaissance built ...


Hotel Groslot

After a rather disastrous lunch - a lesson Sally and I learnt on the roadtrip of '07, never try to sit down for a bite after 14:00 anywhere (interesting) outside Paris - our spirits were lifted by this impromptu street performance by the local theatre group.


Street theatre

We started exploring château country from Blois, a very pretty town built on a pair of steepish hills and the centre from which Louis XII ruled France from his magnificent Renaissance Château de Blois in first decades of the 16th century.


Blois


From the hill

And here's our friend the king gracing the entrance to the château which sits at the top of the hill and has a magnificent view over the town and the river below.


Louis XII greets his guests

Blois was just lovely, but we had some serious château visiting to do, so we started with the most magnificent of the lot ...


Château de Chambord

Francis I succeeded Louis XII and started building Chambord in 1519 as a hunting lodge - there is still a vast wilderness park around the château - and the building is heavily influenced by Italian Renaissance architecture.


The impressive double helix staircase

... located at the centre of the keep, is a very unusual architectural feature in France, and thought to have been inspired by Leonardo da Vinci, who visited at the request of the Francis I prior to the construction of Chambord.


Simple staircase

But all the staircases are lovely, not to mention ...


The turrets of Chambord

Dear old Francis I only managed to spend 72 days at Chambord in the end - seems like a terrible waste of effort!

And the best way to get from château to château would be?

By bicycle certainement! Especially when the weather is perfect - sunny, not too hot, with plenty of pistes and quiet woods to cruise through. Perfect, of course for those who are competent and not ...


Accident prone

Hopeless! But I still managed to smile in the face of blood, loss of skin, and a torn pair of (new!) jeans. (You'll be pleased to know that I have healed up nicely without a scar and I'm just waiting for the small red mark to fade.)

Not to mention that I also had something to look forward to ... lunch in Bléré, enough to make anyone smile! Le Cheval Blanc was the unexpected gem that Sal and I discovered on our trip - and after one or two dining mishaps on my adventure this year, I decided to take the new crew there for a repeat performance.


Tournados de boeuf


Bavette


Chocolat fondant

Yes my friends, these dishes did in fact taste even better than they look! And the array of vegetables!!! The Guide Michelin doesn't even give this place a fourchette et cuillère croisé - which can only mean that they forgot to eat there - but I have to say, if you ever find yourself in this part of the world, make sure you have time to have lunch or dinner here.


Courtyard

Sadly though, there is no other reason whatsoever to stop in Bléré. After tablecloths and a heavy lunch, what's next on the agenda? Why a visit to ...


Château de Chenonceau

The original building at Chenonceau was a mill on the river Cher, which was remodelled completely by Thomas Bohier and transformed into a Renaissance château. His dynamic wife Katherine Briçonnet ensured that Chenonceau became a fixture of court life in 16th century France.


Kitchen equipment

Imagine working in a kitchen like this! I for one, however, wouldn't want to have to polish all those copper pans.


Harvest time


Château sur Cher

Chenonceau has a long history with influencial women at the helm. The château passed back into the hands of the monarchy under Francis I due to a taxation dispute, and Henri II gave Chenonceau to his mistress Diane de Poitiers in 1547. She created a magnificent garden in the grounds, and built the bridge over the Cher. Following Henri's death, Catherine de Médicis reclaimed this much-loved château from her rival and ruled France from here for several decades, built more gardens and hosted lavish and spectacular court parties - including putting on the first known fireworks display in France for the coronation of her son Francis II.

Makes a girl think, all this château hopping ...


... do I keep waiting?

Or do I go out and find my own château?