On June 22 we woke up, got ready, ate breakfast (fruit, baguette, Laughing Cow cheese, orange juice) and drove to Château de Chenonceau. It was absolutely stunning! The château was built on the site of an old mill and straddles the river. Other than the Royal Palace of Versailles, it is the most visited château in France. We walked through the château and loved the beautiful furniture and furnishings, fresh flowers, copper pots, wooden kitchen tables, fresh lavender and herbs on the kitchen table, grand hall with black and white tiled floor, sconces and chandeliers, and river flowing beneath. The windows were open with the sound of rushing water below. The large marble staircase was so impressive. Every detail of the château was perfect. After touring the château, we walk through the gardens which were all beautifully designed and trimmed. We loved the amazing view of the château and river. We also went and got lost in a labyrinth made of hedges and walked down a sycamore tree lined path covered in agate rocks underfoot. We absolutely loved Chenonceau, and it was no doubt our favorite!
In the afternoon we returned to Amboise and found a nice French cafe for lunch. Afterwards, we walked to Château du Clos Lucé, Leonardo daVinci’s home. Leonardo lived at the Clos Lucé for the last three years of his life, and died there on 2 May 1519. Now, it is a Leonardo da Vinci museum and includes forty models of the various machines designed by Leonardo. We toured the home which had gorgeous furnishings and spent a lot of time reading through the exhibit on Leonardo’s inventions. It was all very interesting and included inventions such as various flying machines, water pumps, bridges, tanks and artillery, ball bearings, paddle boats, automobiles, and lifebelts, just to name a few. We also walked out into the gardens where there were plenty of colorful flowers, trimmed hedges, a lake, double-decker bridge, and life-size models of Leonardo da Vinci’s inventions.
