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selenakLoire
This is the first time since two decades I was able to return to the Loire valley and Anjou in France, and its beauty is as overwhelming as I remember. Which means I want to share some impressions!
Though I will cheat. The photo above shows a rainbow above Amboise, where we`re staying, but I won`t present Amboise until the next entry. We started small, which Chateauneuf, which is one of the few areas you don`t need to pay an entrance fee for.
Which was a charming prelude to what was to come. Not that we minded the fees, btw, because maintaining these glories certainly is worth them.
Sully-sur-Loire is mostly associated with Marshall Sully, Henri IV`s bff.
As you could see, the clouds began showing up while we were there, and they lent a dramatic background to Chambord. Which was supposedly at least influenced by Leonardo da Vinci, as it was built during his final years at the court of Francis I. More Leonardo to come in the next post, btw, the French make the most of him living out his life here and not in Italy and are pulling all the stops for the 500 anniversary this year.
Chambord, in any event, is a great melding of French and Italian Renaissance.
One thing you will see everywhere is the fire salamander, which was the personal emblem of Francis I.
You can go up to those roofs and admire more details of the building.
And this is the view from the top.
One thing displayed inside is the painting depicting the French/English summit known as the Field of Gold. Where Henry VIII thought he could show off and humiliate the French by challenging Francis I to a wrestling match and was soundly beaten, to his great fury. Likely, this is also the first time Anne Boleyn saw him, as she was part of the French court at the time. Run, Anne, run! Don`t go back to Britain!
Villandry is one of the most delightful places to visit. This isn`t so much because of the chateau, though it is charming and beautifully kept, in private ownership.
Some of the rooms, all of which are filled with fresh flowers.
And the kitchen.
And the best view of the castle, which will give you a hint why so many people visit.
It`s all about the gardens, of course. Which are fantastic. For lack of an airplane, I can give you only partial views, but have at it!
You could spend the entire day there. But there is so much else to see...
...like Azay-le-Rideau. Which surprised us by presenting us with US style cheerleaders on the square in front of the castle entrance.
Here is the Chateau from different angles.
A fairy tale sight if there ever was one.
Next stop was Chinon, and here we are in medieval, not Renaissance territory. Famous even to non medievalists for two associations. Jeanne d`Arc identified the Dauphin here, during her first encounter with him. And Henry II died here, Chinon being one of the chief castles of the Angevin empire as well as the seat of his treasure. `The Lion in Winter` takes place at Chinon, though it was filmed in Ireland. You`ll see why it had to be here -
It`s still a mighty ruin, and you can only photograph parts of it unless you`re up in the air.
Glimpses from below, from the town of Chinon.
Said town is still very medieval, too.
This one is a bookstore!
An overview of the town.
Next, we went to Turquant, where houses are built into caves or caves made as houses, however you want to put it.
Turquant was en route to Fontevrault, the cloister where Eleanor of Aquitaine spent her final years after having been a patron for most of her life. She`s buried here, as are Henry, their son Richard, and John`s wife Isabelle d`Angouleme. After the revolution, the abbey was securalized. Napoleon made it into a prison which it remained until 1985.
Fontevrault total -
Eleanor and Henry
Richard and the sister-in-law he never met, as he died before John married her -
And the tombs in context of the interior -
The town of Fontevrault happens to be very fond of roses, it seems, so I shall end this post with two examples of this trend -
This is the first time since two decades I was able to return to the Loire valley and Anjou in France, and its beauty is as overwhelming as I remember. Which means I want to share some impressions!
Though I will cheat. The photo above shows a rainbow above Amboise, where we`re staying, but I won`t present Amboise until the next entry. We started small, which Chateauneuf, which is one of the few areas you don`t need to pay an entrance fee for.
Which was a charming prelude to what was to come. Not that we minded the fees, btw, because maintaining these glories certainly is worth them.
Sully-sur-Loire is mostly associated with Marshall Sully, Henri IV`s bff.
As you could see, the clouds began showing up while we were there, and they lent a dramatic background to Chambord. Which was supposedly at least influenced by Leonardo da Vinci, as it was built during his final years at the court of Francis I. More Leonardo to come in the next post, btw, the French make the most of him living out his life here and not in Italy and are pulling all the stops for the 500 anniversary this year.
Chambord, in any event, is a great melding of French and Italian Renaissance.
One thing you will see everywhere is the fire salamander, which was the personal emblem of Francis I.
You can go up to those roofs and admire more details of the building.
And this is the view from the top.
One thing displayed inside is the painting depicting the French/English summit known as the Field of Gold. Where Henry VIII thought he could show off and humiliate the French by challenging Francis I to a wrestling match and was soundly beaten, to his great fury. Likely, this is also the first time Anne Boleyn saw him, as she was part of the French court at the time. Run, Anne, run! Don`t go back to Britain!
Villandry is one of the most delightful places to visit. This isn`t so much because of the chateau, though it is charming and beautifully kept, in private ownership.
Some of the rooms, all of which are filled with fresh flowers.
And the kitchen.
And the best view of the castle, which will give you a hint why so many people visit.
It`s all about the gardens, of course. Which are fantastic. For lack of an airplane, I can give you only partial views, but have at it!
You could spend the entire day there. But there is so much else to see...
...like Azay-le-Rideau. Which surprised us by presenting us with US style cheerleaders on the square in front of the castle entrance.
Here is the Chateau from different angles.
A fairy tale sight if there ever was one.
Next stop was Chinon, and here we are in medieval, not Renaissance territory. Famous even to non medievalists for two associations. Jeanne d`Arc identified the Dauphin here, during her first encounter with him. And Henry II died here, Chinon being one of the chief castles of the Angevin empire as well as the seat of his treasure. `The Lion in Winter` takes place at Chinon, though it was filmed in Ireland. You`ll see why it had to be here -
It`s still a mighty ruin, and you can only photograph parts of it unless you`re up in the air.
Glimpses from below, from the town of Chinon.
Said town is still very medieval, too.
This one is a bookstore!
An overview of the town.
Next, we went to Turquant, where houses are built into caves or caves made as houses, however you want to put it.
Turquant was en route to Fontevrault, the cloister where Eleanor of Aquitaine spent her final years after having been a patron for most of her life. She`s buried here, as are Henry, their son Richard, and John`s wife Isabelle d`Angouleme. After the revolution, the abbey was securalized. Napoleon made it into a prison which it remained until 1985.
Fontevrault total -
Eleanor and Henry
Richard and the sister-in-law he never met, as he died before John married her -
And the tombs in context of the interior -
The town of Fontevrault happens to be very fond of roses, it seems, so I shall end this post with two examples of this trend -
no subject
Date: 2019-05-26 08:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-05-26 05:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-05-26 07:21 pm (UTC)These are glorious pics. I'm assuming the abbey where Eleanor and the others are buried has been restored, given the light color of the stonework on the inside.
I got to spend a couple of nights in the small but charming town of Azay-le-Rideau last summer. I wandered around both evenings, enjoying the late sunset and the beautiful scenery. It was stock Loire valley village, but that's really hard to beat for picturesque quality.
no subject
Date: 2019-05-27 05:56 pm (UTC)All those castles seem to spring from fairy tales, don`t they.
no subject
Date: 2019-05-27 09:06 am (UTC)That has to be the most over-specced kitchen garden I've ever seen! Though I have seen one being restored at Kingston Lacy that aspires in that general direction.
I think I'd call the girls majorettes rather than cheerleaders. Do cheerleaders use batons?
Have you ever played "Between two castles of Mad King Ludwig"? https://stonemaiergames.com/games/between-two-castles/
It's hard to see the individual tiles in the photo, but they are all unique and are the most beautiful interiors. It's a fun game to play as you construct your castles to all sorts of arbitrary instructions.
no subject
Date: 2019-05-27 06:00 pm (UTC)No, I haven`t played. Will check out the link once I can, I have limited time online due to all the sight seeing.
Sorry about the pictures - they`re fine on my view screen, and I`m currently using an Ipad. But Photobucket played odd tricks on some viewers two months ago when I posted the easter wells photos, too, then changed them back to normal the next day. I have no idea what could be the reason.
no subject
Date: 2019-05-31 08:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-06-01 05:42 am (UTC)