The chateau is actually the 3rd most visited chateau in France, after Versailles and Fontainebleu. We had a good visit Thursday - Noelle had read some historical fiction on Catherine d'Medici, one of the main figures in the history of Chenonceau, so we had a good idea of the story from her. The chateau is actually built with part of it extending across the Cher River which makes an impressive sight. The most interesting part of the history was that King Henry the II gave it to his mistress, Diane de Poiters (19 years his elder) and she lived there and made improvements for 12 years, until Henry was killed in a jousting tournament. Henry's wife, the very stern and commanding Catherine d'Medici (yes, of the Italian Medici), kicked de Poiters out (albeit to another chateau 20 miles away) and made Chenonceau hers. It was also used during WW I as a hospital, and during WW II it was the sight of various prisoner exchanges as the Cher was a border between Vichy and occupied France, and the chateau extended over the river between the two.
The Hotel Roserie, where we are staying in a wonderful 4 room apartment sized room, is run by two of the nicest people we've met in our travels. Sophie and Laurent are the kind of people who are meant to run a place like this - endlessly cheerful and always willing to engage in conversation. They bought the place when it hadn't been updated in 30 years, and have done a great job bringing it up to date. Just to watch their day is to see how much work goes into running one's own hotel. Sophie was greeting us for breakfast this morning at 9 (and undoubtedly up before then), we saw Laurent busy doing updates to the place during the day as she checked people in and out, and in the evening, they are the head waitpeople at their amazingly wonderful (and very busy) restaurant. We had an amazing meal there Thursday night - the kids enjoyed it, but Trish and I loved it.
I finally got to turn some pedals the last few days. Riding on these roads, even in a bike friendly area like the Loire Valley, is much different than the alternative reality zone of Boulder. The roads make our two lane country roads look like super highways. Most of the country roads I was on today were probably 1 1/2 lanes and that is being generous. As for a shoulder to ride on - no such thing - you are at the mercy of people slowing and going around you. Fortunately drivers seem to be well aware of cyclists, but the cycling experience here involves a much greater sense of intimacy with the other traffic than I'm used to, especially when a tour bus passes you on a road barely big enough for the two of you. Still, the scenery on the country roads really represents the most beautiful and peaceful of rural France that I've seen so far.
Speaking of scenery, much of what we've seen so far - Normandy and the Loire Valley region - has really reminded me more of Wisconsin than anywhere else. The plots of land are smaller, and the buildings are of course in the French style and older, but lots of corn, plenty of cows, and rolling fields punctuated with stands of forest look very much like the more hilly farm areas of rural Wisconsin. A couple of other differences though are that Wisconsin has a dearth of vineyards and huge chateaus also.
They do have new suburban housing developments near here too, and like the States, the houses have the same similar look to each other (although in a French style) and the same omnipresent swings sets and Large Plastic Toys in the backyards. Part of the reason for the building out here is that the TGV (Train of Great Speed) has made the Loire a bedroom community of Paris, 100 miles away, because at 200 mph, it's still only an hour commute.
Today (Friday) we went to Amboise, on the Loire river, which is the town where Leonard da Vinci spent that last few years of his life. The French king at the time, Francois I, a very enlightened 23 year old, invited him to come live in France and studied with Leonardo at Ambois at some times. They have a nice exhibit of Leonardo's house here, and also a large garden with various versions of his inventions built and operating. da Vinci was a brilliant dude, the breadth of his thought was incredible, but I think he was more of an idea guy near the end than an engineer. He didn't really have enough faith in his inventions to be jumping off any buildings with his flying contraption strapped on, or attached to his parachute.
Tomorrow we leave for the Dordogne area a few hundred km south of here, in a river town of Beynac.
Trish and the girls in front of Chenonceau, which looks quite storybook. Not bad for just a vacation place in the country.
Trish and Sophie in the Great Hall of Chenonceau. This hall extends over the Cher river. During WW I it was used as a hospital hall, and recovering soldiers would fish out the windows.
The girls look over Diane de Poiter's garden at Chenonceau. Of course, after she booted the mistress out, Catherine d'Medici made her own garden on the opposite site of the entryway. Still, it was amazing to me that she didn't just dig up de Poiter's garden.
Noelle overlooking Catherine d'Medici's garden
Pete with his omnipresent backpack (frequently an object of derision by Trish and girls, however very handy whenever somebody doesn't feel like carrying something) in front of Chenonceau. The part to the far left extends as a bridge over the river, originally so that the residents could get to the far side of the Cher to hunt game in the forest there.
Sophie in the hedge maze at Chenonceau. It wasn't a huge maze, but really fun, most of all because Pete was tall enough to see over, and could sneak around taking pictures of the girls as they ran through.
Noelle pops her head up in the hedge maze.
Trish and Noelle in the central gazebo in the hedge maze
Trish, Marie and Sophie in the hedge maze central gazebo, which looked quite the natural jail.
Pete taking off on the fold-a-bike, which looks a little strange with the small wheels but rides pretty nicely.
Fishing in the Loire - they get quite a few fish from the river, which is surprising. I'm not sure what this guy was fishing for, but he had his line by some vegetation near the shore.
The courtyard of our hotel, the Hotel Roserie, which was a wonderful place to stay.
Pete packing up the fold-a-bike for traveling to the next town.
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