Playing Queen and King in the Loire Valley

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After spending a week skiing in the Alps, we went back to Luxembourg for few days. It was time for Leslie to spend a week with his grand-parents visiting Pisa and Roma. For Mari and I, a week in France to celebrate our three years together. No time to blog on the road, I've got hundred of pictures to sort out, so it will be one entry at a time. , and it could take some time...

We drove from Luxembourg early morning to the Loire valley, enjoying the small roads, and a very short stop in Champagne to stock on bubbles for all my little family for the next few months. Wish we could stay longer in the Champagne region, but we did it properly last summer.

We arrived early afternoon in the Loire Valley, first stop in Chambord. No time for us to visit the inside of the castle, but we went around. Our next stop, an hour further drive, the amazing Chateau of Chenonceau. I visited the place for the first time 6 years ago with my parents, and Mari never visited the region, so it was time to enjoy the great spring time that France had been enjoying since the beginning of the month. The best part, we are enjoying summer weather, but with the crowds of the low season...wonderful!

The next stop, our little stop for the night in Onzain, the Domaine des Hauts de Loire. I fell in love years ago with this place. It's easy to fall in love with the place as it is seriously romantic...but it was way better to share it with my love Mari than with my parents (not that I don't enjoy my parents, but Mari is obviously way more romantic!).

Domaine des Hauts de Loire is a Relais & Chateaux, the kitchen is under Remy Giraud, who enjoy and deserve 2 stars on the Michelin Guide. So we slept very well, but we also ate seriously well, and drunk some very nice wines from Touraine. The pictures will as usual speak for themselves.

Next morning, early morning...we overslept and had to forget about breakfast. Our first stop of the day, the Chateau Royal d'Amboise. The visit was a first for me. We followed part of the guided tour. Amboise is the place where Leonardo Da Vinci has been buried by his own wish. We also learned a lot about the Kings of France Francois I as well as Henri VIII, as they both had an important role for the castle.

It was time to head back on the road, direction south...for more amazing time.

And for the menu of our romatic dinner, we chose the "small menu"... fois gras for starter, scallops as a main, and Grand Marnier based desert...yes...our next stop will be linked to Grand Marnier. During my first visit to Domaine des Hauts de Loire, I had the chance to drink for the first time their Cuvee du Centenaire...so next entry, a dream come true...

I have to admit, we could easily spend a week around the Loire Valley, but it was a simple stop on our way South. I have visited few Chateaux already, and we have few more on our wish list. And if you want to know, this place is also a wonderful choice for any honeymooner living in Europe.

We didn't dream during this week, we simply enjoyed or time...and we run a lot...today we are ready for a good diet!

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Comments

[cVeronique Blan]

Super
Coucou PIerre Alexandre, toujours un plaisir de voir tes photos de partout .... bastard !!! :-))) je regarde toujours et tu nous fais rever avec toutes ces destinations. Continues pour nous, les coinces au bureau :-))) Bisous Veronique

[TinNiE]

wow
really lovely place ...

[liliram]

The good life!
Lovely photos.....happy anniversary to the two of you. You look like you surely enjoyed the foie gras, scallops and champagne. Hmmm....good thing you didn't bump your head in some low doorway in Chateau d Amboise the way this young king (was it Charles VIII?) did, and died. Must be the wine ;-) Cheers!