Geo: 47.4125, 0.98266Visited the Chateau Du Clos Luc (Parc Leonardo Da Vinci) in the morning. Leonardo was brought to the Chateau at the age of sixty by King Francois 1 in 1516. Leonardo was given this chateau and he lived there for the remainder of his life. Leonardo was not only one of the finest painters to have ever lived, he also designed the following:-- early design of a plane- army tank- machine gun- helicopter- mill- parachute- double winch- paddle boat- diving suit- gear cogs and many more inventions too numerous to list.He also discovered plant growth and nutrition before botany was a science. He studied the human body and drew the musculo-skeletal system in detail. In the afternoon we visited Chateau de Chernonceau. This chateau adjoins and spans the River Cher. It is a beautiful ... read more

Geo: 47.4104, 0.981122 Up early to pack up and leave for Amboise, located in the Loire Valley. About a three hour trip. Picked up our mini bus from the Charles de Gaulle Airport. Darrol is driving, with Liz navigating. A little scary driving on the wrong side of the road. I am listed as the alternate driver. The Loire Valley is the home of "Chateaus", with around sixty chateaus in the area, mostly fronting the wide rivers that flow through the valley. A chateau is a small castle built for french royalty or elite. The town of Amboise is an ancient town located right on the Loire River, with a chateau overlooking the the town. It is the town of Leonardo Da Vinci, who the King of France brought to France to work for him, and ... read more

Geo: 48.8567, 2.35099After visiting the palace we headed down to the bottom of the gardens to Marie Antoinette's Petite Trianon (her personal retreat). We continued further down the estate to explore a little village Marie had built to recreate a typical country village. The gardens are kept in immaculate condition and are literally hundreds of hectares in size. Just as amazing outside the palace as inside. It was a very full day but well worth it.Off to the Louvre tomorrow.......Jim & Kim ... read more

Geo: 48.8567, 2.35099Woke up to steady rain falling, and travelled to see the Eiffel Tower. When we arrived there, it was still raining steadily, so we decided to visit Musee D'Orsay. After waiting in the rain for half an hour, an announcement was made that the opening of the Musee was delayed indefinitely. We decided then to visit Petite Palace, a Musee of artworks, sculptures and fine arts. It was warm, dry and very worthwhile to visit. Contained works by Picasso, Rubens, Monet, Rembrandt etc. After visiting the Palace, we came back to the apartment to change out of our wet clothes from the rain. After lunch, the weather had fined up, so we decided to again try the Eiffel Tower. This time the weather was great, and we walked up the stairs to the second ... read more

Geo: 48.8567, 2.35099 As we are staying in an apartment, we went out to buy a few supplies. Not easy to find a supermarket in Paris. Darrol, Chloe and Ciara arrived today. After they unpacked and settled in, we went for a walk to Musee L'Orangerie, which contains famous paintings by Monet, Rembrandt, Renoir and Gaugin, plus others. After that, we went to see the Arc de Triumphe, followed by afternoon tea at Laduree Patisserie, one of the most famous patisseries in France. The girls did some shopping whilst the guys waited patiently and watched some africans busking and hip hop dancing. All set for a big day tomorrow.... read more