Europe, with an Arctic cruise, a Balkan tour and bits of France and Malta

[TheRealTMA]

Chateau de Chambord w a big pile to choose as my first. ikipedia



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The front view

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The central staircase. The Chateau was overall a but cavernous, nit fully furnished.

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The Leonardo da Vinci staircase is fabulous.

 

[VPS]

The Leonardo da Vinci staircase is fabulous.

I was just posting I'm surprised it didn't appear in the wiki pages

The Chambord staircase is a notable architectural feature of the Château de Chambord, known for its double helix design, which allows two people to ascend or descend without ever seeing each other. While Leonardo da Vinci is believed to have inspired the design, there is no definitive proof that he designed it.

 

[RooFlyer]

Back to San Souci to check in. It was still hot - may be 32 degrees at 4pm. I had already chosen dinner the day before. A look around the place Pool put in 2023 ad landscaping by the same guy who did one of the local chateaux!





There are 5 accommodations, butone at the moment is occupied y family. Mine in the bottom corner.







Round the back

 

[RooFlyer]

My room. Small but good. Walls are very think (is a converted 15-16 century barn). Can't hear anything.





Reception area







Dinner was to be outside, so I regretted a bit my nomination of 6pm to eat. Still hot.

 

[RooFlyer]

The menu unchanged while I was there,. Not sure what the rotation was but easy to have something new each time. they do reccommend some restaurants in the area, but why would you bother?



I had the gnocchi and it was, naturally, very nice.





With a local white.



How could afters be anything but?

 

[FlyingFiona]

Wow, living the dream that place!! Gorgeous. (Both you, and the Aussies that run it. I'd LOVE to live in and run a B&B in France.)

 

[Pushka]

The menu unchanged while I was there,. Not sure what the rotation was but easy to have something new each time. they do reccommend some restaurants in the area, but why would you bother?

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I had the gnocchi and it was, naturally, very nice.

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With a local white.

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How could afters be anything but?

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So this is the place that @VPS suggested. Sorry I'm "just picture gazing" at the moment and not reading much text, but whereabouts are you? I'm very tempted. Next year I hope.

 

[ellen10]

I've been away and just caught up on all your magnificent photos!
Such a wonderful detailed report. Thanks for sharing.

 

[RooFlyer]

So this is the place that @VPS suggested. Sorry I'm "just picture gazing" at the moment and not reading much text, but whereabouts are you? I'm very tempted. Next year I hope.

San Souci Bed and Breakfast near Tours, Loire Valley

 

[RooFlyer]

Unfortunately updates will have to wait until after my current arctic cruise. Wifi is so weak ....

 

[VPS]

Wow, living the dream that place!! Gorgeous. (Both you, and the Aussies that run it. I'd LOVE to live in and run a B&B in France.)

I think it was a lot of hard work for them because they started from a very dilapidated barn and have done it very nicely. They also didn't speak much French but worked really hard to become fluent. When I was there they only did meals 5 days a week but I think because they are doing well they now just close for a week or so every now and then and just have a break. It's not very expensive either. The issue is because it is remote you can't walk anywhere to eat

 

[RooFlyer]

Brekky was amazing - as you'd expect.

Breads and fruit I took, but not any hot option - that weight loss stuff is still working (or at least the appetite suppression part).



However it failed in the face of fresh brioche and French toast, with home made maple syrup.



SO I hit the road. First, Château du Clos Lucé at Amboise

The Château du Clos Lucé, formerly called Manoir du Cloux, is a large château located in the center of Amboise, in the department of Indre-et-Loire, in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France. It is located in the natural Val de Loire (formerly called Touraine) region. Built by Hugues d'Amboise in 1471, the palace has known several famous owners such as the French king Charles VIII and Leonardo da Vinci. Clos Lucé is 500 metres from the royal Château d'Amboise, to which it is connected by an underground passageway.

King Charles VIII bought the home from Étienne Le Loup in 1490 and during this time it became known as the ‘summer house’, housing French royalty. After a few decades Francis I gave it to Leonardo da Vinci when he invited him to live in France in 1516. The ageing polymath lived his last years in this house until his death on 2 May 1519.

The Death of Leonardo da Vinci, an 1818 oil painting by the French artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, depicts Leonardo da Vinci on his deathbed at Clos Lucé on May 2, 1519 with Francis I of France holding his head. Another version of the painting created c. 1851 is held by the Smith College Museum of Art.

Outside views first. Entrance gate















Looking across to the Royal Chateau of Amboise, where da Vinci is buried.

 

[RooFlyer]

Leonardo's bedroom








His study and workshops









Moving hologram





In the basement is an exhibition and recreation of many of da Vinci's inventions - extremely well done.

 

[SYD]

Leonardo's bedroom

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Looks slightly better than your digs!

 

[RooFlyer]

Yowsers - fallen a bit behind. Have done my Arctic cruise and now in Gozo, Malta! Just arrived and waiting for the temp to fall a bit from 36 before I venture out.

From the Clos Lucé its a 20 min walk through the medieval town of Amboise to the Royal Chateau of Amboise.

Château d'Amboise

Official website of the royal castle of Amboise, palace of the kings of France & burial place of Leonardo da Vinci [...]

www.chateau-amboise.com

Wikipedia

Amboise and its castle descended through the family to Fulke Nerra in 987. Fulk had to contend with the ambitions of Odo I, Count of Blois who wanted to expand his own territory into Anjou. Odo I could call on the support of many followers and instructed Conan, Count of Rennes, Gelduin of Saumur, and Abbot Robert of Saint-Florent de Saumur to harass Fulk's properties. While Conan was busy on Anjou's western border, Gelduin and Robert attempted to isolate the easternmost castles of Amboise and Loches by raiding the Saumurois and disrupting communications.

Expanded and improved over time, on 4 September 1434 it was seized by Charles VII of France, after its owner, Louis d'Amboise, Viscount of Thours (1392–1469), was convicted of plotting against Louis XI and condemned to be executed in 1431. However, the King pardoned him but took his château at Amboise. Once in royal hands, the château became a favourite of French kings, from Louis XI to Francis I. Charles VIII decided to rebuild it extensively, beginning in 1492 at first in the French late Gothic Flamboyant style

King Charles VIII died at the château in 1498 after hitting his head on a door lintel. The château fell into decline from the second half of the 16th century and the majority of the interior buildings were later demolished, but some survived and have been restored, along with the outer defensive circuit of towers and walls.

The Chateau really lords it over the town



Leonardo da Vinci is reputed to be buried here, within the 1493 Chapel of St Hubert. See the linked Wikipedia article for the background.

The chapel of St Hubert









Leonardo's tomb (lucky to get this pic - its very crowded!)

 

[RooFlyer]

As noted in the Wikipedia article, the Chateau is perched high above the Loire River and there are some very nice views






This looks back to the extensive gardens that I didn't visit (it was bloody hot).





And panning back to the Chateau and St Huberts on the right.

 

[RooFlyer]

Inside the Chateau. Didn't really take much notice of where I was within it - I'm more interested in the outsides. PLUS - something most of the Chateaux I visited have in common - the audio guides are hopeless. This one had a heavy tablet that you slung around your neck and took a pic of a code at each location, then it told you the story on the screen. Gave it up after a couple of stops.

This is the 'Grand Chamber'



They do fireplaces very well in all the Chateaux I visited.









Death of Leonardo









So you can get the horses (and mounts) up into the castle interior

 

[VPS]

Inside the Chateau. Didn't really take much notice of where I was within it - I'm more interested in the outsides. PLUS - something most of the Chateaux I visited have in common - the audio guides are hopeless. This one had a heavy tablet that you slung around your neck and took a pic of a code at each location, then it told you the story on the screen. Gave it up after a couple of stops.

This is the 'Grand Chamber'

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They do fireplaces very well in all the Chateaux I visited.

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Death of Leonardo


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So you can get the horses (and mounts) up into the castle interior

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I didn't think I was ever going to get out of Amboise and thought I'd have to walk back up and find someone

Bit of a change from freezing to 35

 

[RooFlyer]

The Château de Chenonceau is the closest chateau to San Souci, abt 10 mins drive. Its built on a bridge across the river Cher.

Here's a pic from Wikipedia, linked to above.



A bit 'a history:

The estate of Chenonceau is first mentioned in writing in the 11th century.[3] The current château was built in 1514–1522 on the foundations of an old mill and was later extended to span the river.

Thomas Bohier, Chamberlain to King Charles VIII of France, purchased the castle from Pierre Marques in 1513 and demolished most of it (resulting in 2013 being considered the 500th anniversary of the castle: MDXIII–MMXIII), though its 15th-century keep was left standing. Bohier built an entirely new residence between 1515 and 1521.

In 1535 the château was seized from Bohier's son by King Francis I of France for unpaid debts to the Crown. After Francis' death in 1547, Henry II offered the château as a gift to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers, who became fervently attached to the château along the river.

After King Henry II died in 1559, his strong-willed widow and regent Catherine de' Medici forced Diane to exchange it for the Château Chaumont.[9] Queen Catherine then made Chenonceau her own favourite residence, adding a new series of gardens.

As Regent of France, Catherine spent a fortune on the château and on spectacular nighttime parties. In 1560, the first-ever fireworks display seen in France took place during the celebrations marking the ascension to the throne of Catherine's son Francis II. The grand gallery, which extended along the existing bridge to cross the entire river, was dedicated in 1577. Catherine also added rooms between the chapel and the library on the east side of the corps de logis, as well as a service wing on the west side of the entry courtyard.

Entrance











The place gets 800,000 visitors a year - over 2,000 per day and it felt like it.

Entrance way









This is one of three levels spanning the river



At the other end is a drawbridge and path to the other river bank.

 

[pagingjoan]

The Château de Chenonceau is the closest chateau to San Souci, abt 10 mins drive. Its built on a bridge across the river Cher.

Great round up, as ever RooFlyer.
Each chateau has its particular charm or point of interest - but I could have happily set up house at Chenonceau.

My recollection (from decades ago, admittedly) was that it was built for Diane de Poitiers. But I stand corrected. Just “gifted” to her.