Not as big in sheer size as yesterday’s but made up for that in class. The Château de Chenonceau is a French château spanning the River Cher, near the small village of Chenonceaux in the Indre-et-Loire département of the Loire Valley in France. It is one of the best-known châteaux of the Loire valley. The estate of Chenonceau is first mentioned in writing in the 11th century.

Visit the website for more information

If you could only see one Château this should be the one says she who has only seen three out of the hundreds in France.

I loved how it spanned the river and was not as fortresslike as the others although it was protected by a pretty significant moat. The gardens were well laid again not complex but simple plantings then repeated again and again to provide perfect symmetry and best overall effect. After an hour so going from room to room. Yes, a few more stairs to reach 1st level rooms and gallery.

The floral arrangements were something to behold. I really liked them all especially the table centre. I have never seen such bright pink hydrangeas.

After a wander around there garden, we had lunch in the bistro. I had the soup of the day and something I love but never have, strawberries and cream. Not just cream it was chantilly cream. It was so delicious and now I can reflect on it next time I go without dessert. We decided we had seen enough and it was time to find some fuel and cash for the next leg of the drive.

We headed back towards Amboise and I fuelled up on the way. I love that you can pay at the pump and no need to go inside. Wish this was more widespread at home. Not much chance how else are servos going to entice people into paying over odds for their snacks foods and drinks. They need those sales to offset the fact they make nothing from fuel.

We headed in the old part of Amboise to have a wander around. I purchased a cotton string bag for home. Woo hoo, I hear you say but it has a purpose and brings me joy. Home again around 4pm and looking forward to a break before we enjoyed our lamb chops and turned in for an early night. 

Tomorrow we hit the road again headed for Rocamadour. Rocamadour is a small clifftop village in south-central France.  Amboise has been a great place to stay and I would happily recommend staying in Seb and Fredricka’s gitè. 

Accommodation: Airbnb Highly recommended if you want to be a little out of town, lovely family. The children love practising their English.
Getting Around: Car is the best option, you could get the train to Loire valley from Paris but then need a car to see the area to best advantage
Time: Need a few days to really explore the area, there are so many Chateaux within a reasonable drive and need to leave time for other activities.
Favourite part of stay: Visiting Château de Chenonceau
Least Favourite part of stay: Not enough time – needed at least 4 days