Week 7 Castles of the Loire Valley

MONDAY, 11 June 2018

An abundance of castles in this area, all within easy driving distance.  We drove 20 km to explore the Royal Fortress of Chinon, much more of a defensive castle than most of those we have so far seen. There was already a fort there as far back as the 1st century b.c., no doubt because of its strategic position at the top of a hill overlooking the river Vienne and in the 9th century the lords of the area were still fighting and killing each other for control of it. Over the centuries it was added to and burnt down and altered and today a lot of it is in ruins.

Slightly more so than many of the tourists who visit.

This area has a long history of warfare and connection with England.  A 12th century lord of Chinon and surrounding areas, Geoffrey of Anjou, took the nickname plant á genêt after the yellow sprig of broom he wore in his hat.

 His son became Henry II of England after inheriting the kingdom through his mother and founded the Plantagenet dynasty. Eventually, Richard the Lion Heart followed as heir but when he was captured and died after the crusades and his nasty pasty brother John succeeded him, the castle was lost in war to the French.

A couple of centuries later, Joan of Arc travelled to this castle to meet the French king Charles VII

as this famous tapestry hanging on a wall there shows. She persuaded him to fight the English and led his armies to victory.  Some time after this she was captured and sold to the English for the sum of £10,000.  Full of vengeance, they lost no time in trying and convicting her of heresy and burning her at the stake.

There are wonderful views from the castle over the township of Chinon

and interesting views of parts of the towers still standing

with some of the sentries still on duty.

Some of the ancient weaponry was on display in different areas

 while other areas provided good opportunities for 'selfies'.

The amazing clock tower has been ringing out its bells on the hour, every hour, since 1399, 

and like some people, just can't be silenced; so sometimes it's necessary to resort to desperate measures.

TUESDAY, 12 June 2018
A quiet day on the home front as we had a few tasks to attend to.  We did manage, however, to walk down to the park to check on the swan, and were disturbed on our approach to find the nest empty

apart from the eggs, but we seen saw the mother gliding around gracefully in the pond,

before heading back to her nest

and settling herself down.

Relieved, we told her to hurry up and hatch her eggs as we're only here for another 7 weeks, before heading back to town to our favourite coffee shop.

The group of riders sitting behind us consumed at least two wines each in addition to the beer before riding off a little unsteadily.  

WEDNESDAY, 13 June 2018

Another day, another castle.  This time a 30 km drive in a different direction to the beautiful, beautiful chateau and gardens of Azay-le-Rideau.

(nb: click on photos to enlarge)

 First off, a walk through the rooms of the stately castle, built in 1518 on the site of an 11th century predecessor that was bashed down to make way for this.  It is entirely on a small island in the river Indres, a tribuatary of the Loire.  It was always a castle intended to show off the wealth and power of the ruling class and never used as a defensive fortress.

A billiards room slightly different from the one down at the local bowling club.

                                     Formal dinner

                                  then moving to the salon; maybe a little musical entertainment.

                              before retiring for the night.

Make sure you pull the drapes, though, if there's any hanky-panky going on.

We've heard of 'taking your face off'' before going to bed but this is rather carrying it to extremes.  And what's with all the mirrors  on the dress?  Until the last 150 years or so, they were very expensive and only affordable by the rich, so what better way to flaunt your wealth than wearing them all over you.  Also handy for checking your face, if you had one.

On we traipsed, right up to the top of the building to the attic

 where a notice advised that the chateau's attic was inhabited by bats which were hard to spot by day but very active at night.  We, howerver, were able to spot a couple of old ones, and on closer examination they turned out to be of the genus 'dingbat'.

The view of the roof 

and some of the intricate stonework

was even more impressive from up high.

Back down the grand central staircase we went and off for a tour of the gardens.  The grounds cover a few hectares so we strolled around the lawns and waterways and through the magnificent stands of trees.

We were intrigued by this tree with the very large flowers, which we saw in all stages of development.

We had no idea, either, what this flower was,

but yellow it was with quite separated petals.

Finally we made it to the vegetable garden which had a very pretty walkway,

a variety of herbs and vegetables growing

more interesting flowers

and a grape vine flourishing in a soil composed entirely of cork.

After all that walking and gawking it was time for a short nap

 before heading home.

THURSDAY, 14 June 2018

(nb: click on photos to enlarge)

This is one place all visitors to France should try to see, especially if you have any affinity with the beauty of nature.  Terra Botanica is firstly a botanical and secondly a themed park divided into 4 separate areas, with over 15 km of magnificent walkways and covered paths.  On a cool June day the place was uncrowded but it is so big it would need a huge crowd to make it appear crowded.  The hot air balloon in the picture takes people for a ride above the park and over the city of Angers, the location of the park, but, unfortunately, its operation is subject to weather conditions and today was unfavourable.  As it was, we arrived around 11.00am, an hour after opening, and left at 6.00pm, closing time, and missed out on a number of activities and exhibits as we ran out of time.

The displays of flowers everywhere were stunning and the variety was overwhelming.  There were plants from all over the world growing in different climatic conditions.  The beautiful rose garden at the entrance set the scene.

And it didn't take long for two petals to make friends with the flower lady.

The size of the butterflies floating around was impressive

but not as impressive as the statistics for this giant pumpkin grown last year,

which went from 8.5 kg on the 15th July to 375 kg on the 21st September.  That's a lot of pumpkin scones.

There were bridges over waterways

and boats on the waterway

 that could be boarded to ride through it, which we did, and there was already a French couple on the boat and when the boatlady realised we spoke English she ordered them off so she could play the english language commentary for us as we glided through, and as I looked very smug when the Frenchman got off he said 'don't worry, smart-ass, we'll get you back when we play you in ze World Cup.  Allez les bleues.'  

When the boat looked like it was getting out of control, we got the captain up the front

to steady things down and he took us without further incident past the lily ponds, and rose garden

 and the beautiful hydrangeas.

We found ourselves soon after in the butterfly garden, one of the highlights of the day, an enclosed tropical garden

 with a great variety of butterflies with startling colour patterns on their bodies and wings.  Some of them were on display outside

and were easier to photograph as they rarely settled on a flower for long,

though this one did.                                                                             

They might also alight on your hand if you held it out long enough.

Faye claimed it was because this one recognised her as a fellow Collingwobble supporter, but we later read they were attracted to hands that were particularly dirty and/or smelly,

or people they identified as flighty.

Pierre just loved it here and wanted to get right in the action

but unfortunately, when the butterfly just below him flew up to say hello, he clapped his hands in delight and squashed the little fellow.  The chief lepidopterist came storming out of his office at this, enraged, and ordered Pierre out of the building, or would have if I hadn't slipped him quickly back into his bag.  Pierre, that is.  There was not too much damage done, however, as this particular butterfly only had a life span of 5 days.

There were displays of carniverous plants, and plants that survived in arctic conditions and orchids

and a number of prickly customers 

that can survive in extreme conditions.

And much, much more.  There was water available at the pump if you were thirsty

and displays to contemplate

and after an exhausting day, there was still time to put it all in the can with a family photo.

FRIDAY, 15 June 2018

A slow start to the day with a visit to the Friday market for some pork ribs, calling in at the boulangerie for a baguette and raisin roll on the way home, then a stroll to the park on a very wet morning

(nb: click on photos to enlarge)

to check on our swan

who still hasn't delivered the goods.

In the afternoon we headed off to 

founded by this guy

and featuring an astonishing collection of tractors, steamrollers, early model cars, farm machinery, tractors, weapons, motorbikes etc and oh!...did I mention tractors?   Spread over 6 hectares, the museum contains thousands of exhibits, beautifully displayed.  We spent three hours wandering through the very well laid out displays and listening to the excellent audio-guide supplemented by the explanatory signs in English.  

Pierre was flattered they had painted tractors in his colours

 but then wanted to drive all of them.

Many of the exhibits were unique, such as this dentist's van from 1911 which a French dentist used to travel around in with his family to the different villages.

 At the back of the van was the torture chamber and the door through that was to the living quarters. The fore-runner to the camper van.

This lovely horse-drawn carriage was on display

and how lucky would you be if you were one of this guy's customers.

Many of the accompanying stories were almost as interesting as the exhibits, as with this Buick.

Not quite sure how he would have driven it around the roads near the museum as they are all winding and narrow.

We found numerous little cars we fell in love with.

This was an example of an early model ride-on lawnmower

                                                                while Pierre was all in favour of the delivery bike.

Mr Ramiro's tandem was there

and the inevitable penny-farthing

 and a further step on the way to the modern safety bicycle

One exhibit we were happy to stay clear of was Madame La Guillotine.

Dufresne apparently found this dismantled in a factory but didn't realise what it was so stored it for over 10 years until he came across a nameplate for the blade one day and the penny dropped.  It is an original that was used in the French Revolution and called into service on over 100 occasions.

Many of the stories concerning the vehicles told how they were found in swamps, buried under earth and rubble, hidden in caves, as was this one

 or transported from far-away places.

.

All in all, a fascinating place

SATURDAY, 16 June 2018

Chenonceaux is a small town we visited today to see the famous Chenonceau Castle, the second most visited castle in France after Versailles.  We strolled down the long driveway

(click on photos to enlarge)

and there it was , from afar

 

                                               then a bit closer,

and later the view that it is most famous for.

The history of the various chateaux is as interesting as the actual buildings themselves.  It nearly always seems to involve politics, intrigue, skulduggery, warfare, greed, pride and all the other baser human traits.  This one is no exception.  The builder of the current chateaux in the 1500s knocked down a previous castle and put up the main building minus the part with the arches across the river.  All he kept of what was there before was the keep

This chap, unfortunately, tossed a coin and backed the wrong horse in the Hundred Years War against Les Anglais, so in punishment the French king burnt the castle down.  He re-built it, ruined himself financially in doing so, and had to flog it to the King’s Treasurer, who was later caught feathering his own nest to a very large extent, thus proving that politicians of today are no different from those of 500 years ago.  He was forced to forfeit the castle to the crown and the next king, Henri II, gave it to his no. 1 mistress, Dianne de Poitiers, a woman 20 years older than him.  It was she who had the bridge with the arches built across the river, but before she could finish the rest, and unfortunately for her, the king died after an injury in a jousting tournament.  The jealous wife, Catherine de Medici,

 who has the sort of status in France that Elizabeth I has in England, and was, in fact, mother-in-law to Mary, Queen of Scots, lost no time in booting the mistress out and moving into the castle herself.  It was she who completed the building of the portion on the bridge.

As we wandered through the castle, there was a news flash over the radio,

and Faye and UVJ were distressed

to learn that Les Bleus had spanked the Ozzieroos in le football.

Faye couldn’t believe her eyes

as she watched over and over the replay of the French faker earning himself a penalty kick.

The castle had the usual collection of beds

and more pornography hanging on the walls than you could poke a stick at.

 It wasn’t very long before the blindfold was brought out and I was spared any more such distressing images.

We visited the kitchens and viewed the ingenious device used for spit roasts

saw the stove used to cook dinner for Mum and Dad and 400 hangers-on

but weren’t at all surprised to see that even 500 years ago they had pizza ovens, 

given that Catherine de Medici was Italian

The Great Hall,

scene of all those masked balls and great feasts of the Middle Ages was an impressive sight but very plain compared to the Hall of Mirrors we saw at Versailles.  This hall, and the whole castle, was used in WWI to house and treat wounded soldiers.

One salon had an impressive picture of the Sun King himself, Louis XIV

who very graciously presented it to the owner of the palace, who by then was once again a high ranking court official, in thanks for the hospitality shown to him on the occasion of his visit there.  Check out the frame.  It was magnificent

Like most chateaux, the gardens here were a feature.  No 1 gal Dianne, in between building and planning and scheming and turning the surrounding lands into a profitable farm found time to design gardens for her amusement. 

These are a part of them she could see from the royal boudoir, laid out in a series of triangles.

Catherine de M, not to be outdone, had her own gardens planted on the opposite side of the chateau.

After lunch in the chateau self-serve buffet and more terrible coffee, we concluded our visit by wandering round the outbuildings

in the warm sunshine.

This fine specimen was formerly part of a farm on the estate.

We came across the source of the boxfish on the restaurant menu

and discovered how the lawn-mowing costs were kept down by the 

use of mobile  mowers.

We also discovered one dude who was so anxious to get to the castle before the 10.00 a.m. pensioners’ preferential price cut out that he forgot to change out of his shortie pyjamas. 

Surprising he remembered his beret, unless he slept in that, too.

As Chenonceaux was 80 kms from Richelieu and we are travelling further east tomorrow, we Air BnBd a place

 in a tiny hamlet called Saint Claude de Diray.  These places are so good and equipped with everything, as long as you don’t mind hitting you head on the sloping roof under which the bathroom is located.

SUNDAY, 17 June 2018

Another beautiful 60 kms drive through small towns and forests and straight past an impressive castle at Chambord

(nb: Google photo)

which we didn't have time to stop and see as we were on our way

to the city of Orleans.  

No surprise to learn that Orleans, too, has a famous cathedral, Saint Croix.

We thought the one at Chartres was pretty long being a footy field in length, but this one was 10 metres longer.  

And speaking of footy, it is pleasing to see that the Shockers with 2 wins in a row have begun their march to the top while the over-hyped Eagles look like they’re on the slippery slope. 

  And as for the other kind of football, everywhere we looked the flags were flying

You'd think Les Bleus had done something wonderful instead of falling over the line against the minnows of the World Cup.

You can’t mention Orleans, of course, without thinking of Jeanne d’Arc, famous for leading the French troops here in the defeat of the English in 1429.  Her statue dominates the main square

and she is a symbol in France of patriotism and valour and all the finer qualities. A bit like the Anzacs. Even the church has withdrawn its charges of witchcraft against her and turned her into a saint.  Very good for the tourist industry here.

There is a newer section of Orleans which we walked through with some disturbing sculptures I managed to snap

 before the blindfold went on and then my pictures turned out like this,

and an older section, with some parts looking a bit shabby

but others done up

 in much the same style we’ve seen in other towns.

We took a stroll along the banks of the Loire and were charmed by this lovely paddle steamer

which has recently been re-built after blowing up, despite its name meaning ‘non-explodable’.  We also came across this tiny patch of beach on the banks, complete with pop-up bar

selling all kinds of drink, many of them containing alcohol. Couldn’t imagine such a thing happening in Oz. 

Over a very average lunch at a typical tourist trap overlooking the statue of Jeanne d’Arc, once more with atrocious coffee, this dodgy looking character

kept wandering past us, up and down, all around, this time with his eyes fixed on our water bottle, until, in the end, Faye had to tell him to ‘piss off’.  Even I was surprised.

And in case we couldn’t remember what city we were in, there were clues to it everywhere.

 

We left Orleans about 5.00 p.m. and drove 65 kms to an Air BnB in another tiny town, Villefranche-sur-Cher.

 Now we are snuggled into a house with everything including many beautiful knick-knacks, a spa and sauna in the living room, a little soccer table game and a lily pond with croaking frogs outside

....but a WiFi that doesn't want to work.