Amboise, France - 3 October

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Amboise - October 3

(Geoff) Today was C day. C is for Chateaux. When we arrived in Amboise, Sue contacted a little tour company by the name of Acco-Dispo who specialise in touring the area by minibus to arrange a tour of the outstanding Chateaux in the region. We enjoyed a leisurely start to the day and sauntered down to the Tourist Information office to meet our guide, one Pascal Accolay at 10:30. He was a youngish guy who spoke pretty good English, thankfully. We really appreciated not having to wait long as the air temperature here is pretty cold and there is a freezing wind blowing - I reckon the wind chill factor is about -5 degrees.

Our first port of call was a Chateau about 10kms out of Amboise, called Chennoneaux. This was a sprawling country estate with a chateau that had been enhanced over about 150 years, in four stages. Interestingly, part of the chateau spanned the Cher river and we found out this part had been used by Catherine de Medici as a ballroom. As you would expect, the furnishings were sumptuous and the tapestries and paintings on the wall were often by the renaissance masters, including some by Reubens. The grounds were also stunning and several separate gardens surrounded the chateau. We only had an hour here so we saw what we could but knew that we also had missed a lot.

Then its back to Amboise for lunch and afterwards we travel east to our next stop - Cheverny. This chateau was until recently completely privately owned and only in the last few years has part of it been opened up for public visitors. It has quite an impressive approach with paths and manicured lawns extending around the main building - no trees but there were also extensive grounds with trees all around -looked like it would make a good golf course (OK I'm a philistine!). Inside the house had a homely feel and the collection of period furniture and family mementoes lent a comfortable air to the interior. It was quite nice but must have been hellishly expensive to maintain. Our guide had previously informed us that to own one of these was like having a poisoned chalice or a money pit! This Chateau could be rented out and there was also an option to hire the hunting party and dogs for a fox hunt if your tastes were so inclined - not my taste but it might bring in a few shekels to help with the upkeep!

Then it was off to Chambord, further east still. This had been built by Louis XIV as a hunting lodge - some holiday shack with 440 rooms, 365 bathrooms, etc - and then Louis only spent 29 nights in the place during the rest of his life. No wonder there was a revolution in France to overthrow the nobility! Now this chateau is open to the public, mostly but is actually the presidential hunting palace. Pascal informs us that no President has used it for this purpose since Mitterand but it is still used to receive foreign dignitaries. It was a very impressive structure but there was a sense of foreboding as the first thing we see when we enter the main courtyard is a glass case encasing a Chevrolet with the number plate Chambord. Whilst the chateau is impressive, it has a very sterile feel due to being largely unused over the last few hundred years. A bit of a white elephant but the views from the fourth floor were quite spectacular.

At 5:00 we head back to Amboise, say farewell to Pascal and at 7:30 try to find a restaurant. The two that have been recommended are booked out (damn I should have reserved a table) but we find a nice little place near the Royal Chateau. We have a nice dinner and then go for a constitutional around the town, thankfully the wind has died and the air temperature is a bit warmer now, and then its off to bed.

Tomorrow we head to Paris for the last leg of our European trip. So for now, its Au Revoir from Amboise.

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