June 10, 2014 - Chaumont sur Loire Castle - Beauregard Castle - Blois - Day 41

We had breakfast at 8:30 with Jerome.  Then we took off to Chaumont sur Loire - about an hour's drive from Loches.  What a treat awaited us at Chaumont sur Loire.  There were several attractions - the chateau, the Goualoup Gardens, the Festival Gardens, the Historic Grounds, and the Stables.  It had rained much of the night and a huge storm was brewing in the west coming out way, but we headed out to the Goualoup Gardens.  Fabulous.

A pathway built over a small pond with red bamboo sticks

As we walked up this was just some dripping water from the trees - then it started smoking . . .

and it ended up being a smoke filled garden - it was really cool!

The rains started hard but we made it through the Goualoup loop.  We took shelter for a while and started into the Festival Gardens.  These were even more special.

Logs making a pathway on a pond and chickens in a fenced area

Beautiful plants, colorful objects

Many of the small gardens had symbolic meaning - we visited them all!

The chateau as seen from the Festival Gardens

Then we visited the stables - many art exhibits there too.  Very creative.

This was a sculpture in the horse foot washing area at the stables

The stables with art on the walls

And another modern art interpretation in the stables

Then we walked through the Historic Grounds - beautiful as well.

The chateau as seen from the historic grounds

A really weird structure that we could walk through in the historic grounds

Beautiful Chaumont sur Loire Castle

A beautiful sculpture in the castle walls at the drawbridges

The King's bedroom

The chapel

The inner courtyard

Unlike other castles, we got to visit the third floor and see where the servants lived and to view storage rooms that hadn't been touched.  That was fascinating.  Last, back to the main stable - it was elaborate and interesting

The stable at Chaumont sur Loire

The tack room in the stables - very elaborate with wood paneling

An old coach fit for a King!

We finished the day at Chaumont in a few of the gardens that we had to skip because of the earlier rain.  More creative things to see . . .

This was like a pot of gold at the end of a small trail

Tim "trying on" the "red flower dress" - can you see it????

The red wires on his chest are the bust area and the flowers are the skirt!

Beautiful colors in the gardens every where we went

Then we drove 20 minutes to Beauregard Castle.  Also privately owned.  It's claim to fame is the Portrait Gallery where 327 original portraits adorn the walls.

A fountain in the gardens - the gardens were needing some help at this chateau

Beauregard Castle

The front of Beauregard Castle - or is it the back?

237 original portraits at Beauregard Castle - Kings, Popes, Queens, Noblemen, and others from

1328 to 1643

Queen Elizabeth I - top row, 4th from the end

This was a magnificent room at Beauregard Castle - portraits lining all of the walls above

These were the last paintings chronologically - King Louis XIII

A last view of Beauregard Castle

The gardens at Beauregard - the gardeners need to get to work here!

 

We returned to Loches, filled up the car with diesel for our trip to Paris tomorrow, and returned to the B&B for a short rest.  Jerome invited us for champagne and cheese at 7 pm and we had a great time with Jerome and his partner, Jean-Luc.  We sat on the patio and talked.  A fun time.  We told Jerome that we thought he had a twin in Oslo, Norway - our friend Dag Arne who lives there favors Jerome and acts like him too.  Small world!

 

 

At 8:30, Tim and I went to dinner at Le Gerbe d'Or - the kernel of gold.  We sat on the terrace and had a great dinner.  Fish again for me to watch my diet.  A British couple sat next to us and I was almost in hysterics - she went on and on and on about being a "raging alcoholic" and she needed to go away to get help - but her companion kept saying - "But my darling, I'll miss you terrible".  I couldn't wait for them to leave so I could tell Tim about the entire conversation - felt that I was eves-dropping, but it was funny.

 

Tomorrow, we head back to Paris.  Jerome helped us with how to go.  We decided to leave about 9:30 and go to Blois and explore it for a while and then head to Paris to arrive by 3 pm.  We decided to skip Chambord and Cheverney as we've been to both before and we expect there will be crowds there.  Blois tomorrow will be a new experience.

June 9, 2014 - Loches - Montresor - Montpoupon - Day 40

We slept late - breakfast at 9:30 - Jerome was very happy about that.  He had a great breakfast for us - there is nothing "petite" about petite dejeuner in France!
Then Jerome walked with me to the Pharmacie.  The pharmacist spoke no English but between my little bit of French and Jerome we made it work and he filled my prescriptions just in case my feet and ankles get worse.  The bill was 9.04 euros - about $12 US.  Unbelievable.  We complain so much about our health care system but I understand the French system is better.

Then we walked out of the B&B, went up the stairs to old Loches.  First stop was the church, then the Donjon, then the royal home, Maison Lansyer.  There were great views  and interesting displays of old clothing.  The the old prisons and the torture chambers were interesting. 

The inner courtyard at Closserie Saint Jacque where we stayed in Loches

Our "dressing room" in Loches

Our bedroom at Closserie Saint Jacques in Loches

Our B&B as seen from the steps going up to the old city - a "Royal City"

The Church of Saint Ours where Agnes Sorel is buried

Inside the Church of Saint Ours

The two steepled ceilings are one of the "attractions" at the Church of Saint Ours

The tomb of Agnes Sorel - she was the 1st official mistress of King Charles VII.

She died mysteriously in 1435 at the age of 30.

The Church of St Ours

This was a gorgeous chateau in the old city between the church and the Donjon

We left the Church of St Ours and walked along a tree-lined street to the Donjon building (Dungeon) in the Royal City of Loches.  This was interesting with the prison cells, costumes, and wall art.

Tree-lined street leading from the church to the Donjon (Dungeon)

One of the torture rooms at the Donjon (Dungeon)

Fabulous costumes from the period on display

Intricate wall carvings in the Donjon - many made by prisoners

View from one of the towers at the Donjon

View of the church and royal homes from the Donjon Tower

Wonderful wall art still on the walls in many colors in the Donjon - these made by prisoners

The Donjon in Loches

From the top looking down the inside of the Donjon

One of the prison cells

Then we went to the royal palace where the King of France, Charles VII, had his first official mistress, Agnes Sorel.  I thought it was interesting that they labeled her the first "official" mistress.  I guess there were many others.  She bore him 2 children.  She is buried in the church right next to the castle.  Here too they had a display of old clothing.

Tim going into the Royal Residence in the Royal City of Loches

Fabulous costumes here too!  This was the outfit for the king and queen in an opera

Portrait of Agnes Sorel

Another depicting Agnes Sorel as the virgin mother

Dog statutes guarding the entry way to the Royal Residence - the French love their dogs

 

We bought sandwiches in a shop and ate them in the car in the parking lot while it poured rain outside.  Then we headed to Montresor.  We stopped at La Chartreuse de Ligert enroute and looked at the arch from the 18th century.

Montresor is a great smaller castle owned by a Polish man and the castle is just as he left it when he died.  Beautiful furnishings and art.  The town was beautiful.

The scenic church in Montresor

The "Fallen Angel" statute at Chateau Montresor

The dining room at Chateau Montresor - the table opens up to seat 40 people!

The oriental rugs throughout were beautiful - I couldn't believe they were letting us walk on them!

A winding, Cuban mahogany stairway - they let us use this too!

A replica of the ceiling from the Paris Opera House

Chateau Montresor - there was a "treasure room" but it was closed as there had been a robbery!

Then we drove to Montrichard to visit the Bourre Quarry where they have carved a town in the caves.  We drove and drove as we didn't have an address and the signs weren't the name in our book.  We found it but the tours were only in French and Tim would have none of that - so we looked around and left for Montpoupon.  This too is a privately-owned castle and beautifully furnished. They had lots of horse things that Tim really liked - beautiful grounds.

Chateau Montpoupon

The chapel at Chateau Montpoupon

This is the building that houses the chapel

Beautiful fields - there are walks but it had been raining and the paths were very wet

The stables at Montpoupon

Chateau Montpoupon - privately owned!

One of the 5 or 6 pyramids out in the forest to mark the boundaries.  This was Pyramid Genille.

 

Then back to Loches - we had a bottle of Chinon red wine on the terrace and talked to Jerome.  I learned some more French - he says there is no French word for "warm" or "cool" - only hot and cold.  I didn't believe that but looked it up online and it's true - only chaud and froid!  And I found out that Lincoln, my son-in-law, is my beau frère - interesting - beautiful brother for a son-in-law.

We left about 7:30 for Chemille sur Lac to a small restaurant on the lake about 20 minutes from the B&B.  She knew we were 2 Americans as Jerome had called them when he made the reservation.  When making the reservation for 2 Americans, there was silence on the other end of the line - and after many seconds, Jerome said "Hallo"??? 

The small lake where we ate dinner

She recognized us as Americans when we walked in and pronounced out loud "La (There!)"  Right in front of the burning fireplace where they cook the steaks over the fire.  It is 80 degrees outside and we were burning up.  She finally opened another door and there was a breeze for a while and then it cooled off.  We were HOT during most of the dinner but we got to watch the chef sear the steaks that were ordered. 

Our table was in front of the hot wood fire used to cook steaks

We had paella with chicken and seafood and it was great.  They had "chicken" described on the menu as something exotic - when I asked her what it was she responded "pollo" which is chicken in Spanish.  Tim picked up on that immediately.

Several things on the menu was interesting - "Lady black as a ceasar salad" and then there was the dish with "Salmon smokes house / small news potatoes / cremated by horseradish".  We didn't order either but we got a laugh from the translations on the menu.  Glad we like new things!

We only ordered main course and dessert - with a bottle of white wine (Chinon) and it was a good meal.

The menu at the restaurant on the lake

We drove back home with thunder and lightening all around.  We made it in but Jerome had closed up the entire house - may be a "warm" night - oh, that's right - there is no word for warm.  OK - it's HOT.

Off to bed - we have an hour's drive tomorrow north to get to the next 2 chateaus to complete this trip to the Loire Valley.  Jerome and his partner have invited us for drinks on the terrace in the afternoon.  Another fun day.  And we were able to catch up with the things we missed yesterday when I was ailing.  Back on schedule!