Looking for Chateau’s - Wednesday July 11, 2018

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We’ve got the breakfast routine down pat. We have what I would call the perfect German breakfast. Cheeses, meats, bread, coffee and yes, soft-boiled eggs.

Today’s agenda ... Chateaus. Bea requested seeing some Chateau’s before leaving us to be with the Jarrett’s. So last night after dinner, Kirsten put together an agenda that included three chateaus.

We all pile in the car and make our way to Angers. I’ve got the Navi loaded. I have Google Maps loaded and I have Apple Maps as my backup. I’m barking instructions along with Helga (our Navi) telling Kirsten when and where to turn. Yes, I have made the transition to the digital maps. Now, if I can get Kirsten to listen to me.

We pull into Angers and Helga puts us right into the center of town. The tourist office the “I” is just a few steps from the car. Our first Chateau is few steps from the tourist office.

Why do we always go to the “I” Tourist office first? Well number one, they always have clean bathrooms. Second, they love to tell you all the cool things to see and provide you with all the discounts you can possible want. So today, we got a “day pass” that got us into the 3 chateaus and museums in Angers.

The Angers Chateau is supposedly the first built in France. It started off as a fort then was converted to a Chateau once the king brought his new queen there. I can imagine she said I’m not living in that FORT, you understand that Kingie. So started the building of Chateau’s in France, when the queen got with her girlfriends and when they went home, they put the squeeze on their husband and the rest is history.

Now this Chateau houses the longest tapestry. It was made in the 13^thcentury and depicts the story of the Apocalypse. We walked through and viewed the tapestry. Pretty impressive, but what’s more impressive is a Baptist preacher can tell you the same story in 30 minutes or less trying to scare you into heaven. Just saying.

We finish going through the chateau, basically it’s cool fort with a nice-looking house in the center. The motte was drained and turned into a beautiful garden circling the fort, I mean the chateau.

We started walking toward the cathedral, about half way there we came upon an old cathedral turned into a museum. The cathedral was bombed in WWII and turned into beautiful museum with a glass ceiling. It was very impressive.

We continued on to the cathedral, you couldn’t miss it ....it is huge. We go inside, I always love sitting in a pew and just enjoy to tranquility of each cathedral. I always light a candle and say a prayer for Kirsten, Drew, Lori and me. I think it’s working because I’m truly blessed.

Our next stop is to the Cointreau distillery. This is a liquor made in France from orange peels. Yea go figure.

Our appointment is at 2 PM, which is what the lady at the tourist office made for us. See... always go to the “I” first.

We arrive early and like all Polk county folks, we have a picnic out of the back of our car. Yea, we’re all drinking from the same bottle of wine and eating a perfect picnic lunch Kirsten prepared. Where does she find the time to do all this stuff? I don’t know but I’m glad she chose me.

We tour the distillery, it takes about 2 hours and it was very cool. The tour ends with a tasting. Bea is behind the bar mixing drinks and everyone is enjoying them. Way too much to type, but if you are ever in Angers, I highly recommend taking the tour. Oh yeah, the tasting also.

It’s now almost 5 pm and we have two more chateaus to visit. We’re in the car, I’ve loaded the addresses into the Navi and google maps. We’re firing on all cylinders. Helga says we are 10 minutes from the first chateau. Kirsten arrives in 9 minutes, we are parked and walking into the chateau. Now this looks like a normal French chateau. As we’re walking through, we see all these individuals dressed in medieval attire. We think they are workers and they are playing the part. You know just like Disney, well it turns out they are shooting a movie. What?! Omi is in the thick of it, peaking in and watching the director and actors.

Onto the next chateau, this one is over the hill and through the woods. Another fort with a nice house in the center. Well not exactly, it was a fort, then it was added on room by room. Finally, it turned into a chateau.

It’s now 6:45 pm, Omi wants to buy dinner. Kirsten is blazing down the highway toward the house. Bea and I scouring Google and Apple maps looking for a restaurant. It has to be scenic, it has to be French cuisine. I find the village of Ancenis, its half way to Nantes and sits on the Loire river. Yep, right on the river. I reroute Helga and Kirsten takes the next exit, when we arrive into Ancenis... I ask Is this scenic enough? Kirsten smiles and says Oh Yeah.

We have a wonderful French meal at a Creperie, it was delicious and fun. We dined for two hours overlooking the Loire river.

After dinner, as we’re walking back to the car, we decided to come back here and have tapas at the restaurant next to where we ate.

We climb in to the car and meander home taking every backroad possible. We’re home in time to enjoy England and Croatia play, Croatia wins.

It’s late and off to bed we go. Tomorrow is supposed to be a rest day. Yea, we’ll see.

Good night

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