Loire Valley

A nice vacation to the Loire Valley.  Alex and Vincent have two weeks off for Toussaint (All Saints') so we decided to take a few days this first week and go back to the Loire Valley since we enjoyed our last trip there in 2010.  We were able to visit three Chateaus including Chambourd, Azay-le-Rideau, and Le Clos Luce where Leonardo da Vinci lived for the last four years of his life.

We stayed at Chateau de Pintray, managed by a nice couple who also have their own vineyard and wine production.  We had a wine tasting the first night we arrived and met two other couples, one from Geneva and one from the Basque region.  Alex and Vincent enjoyed the pool table at the chateau.  We had some wonderful meals including ris de veau (sweetbreads), pigeon, squash soup, doe, cream of celery root, escargot, couscous, duck with armagnac sauce, and regional cheeses.

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Rental car, driving to the Loire, lunch at Chambord, touring Chateau Chambord, arriving Chateau de Pintray.  Dinner in town in Amboise at L'Alliance.

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Chateau Azay-le-Rideau.  Dinner in Tours (closest sushi we could find). 

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Chateau Clos du Luce, the last residence of  Leonardo da Vinci.

"The Château du Clos Lucé brings to life the Master’s botanical drawings, geological studies and landscapes. Spread out over a hectare, “Leonardo’s Garden”, a real outdoor museum, has been landscaped and planted in the spirit of the paintings and drawing of Leonardo da Vinci. Cross the two-level bridge created and designed by Leonardo, follow the botanical walk in his footsteps, enjoy the fast-flowing waterfalls and the mists that rise mysteriously from the lake. Canvases, thematic panels and sound posts all explain the link between Leonardo and nature – the nature that made him say: “Everything is there ”."

last of the pictures