Europe 2010

Day 30		Monday 19th July

We went to Amboise today intending to visit the Royal Chateau and also Les Clos Luce, a local chateau where Leonardo da Vinci spent his last few years and died. We visited the Royal Chateau, including the St Hubert Chapel where Leonardo’s remains are now interred. The chateau was largely restored by Louis-Philippe after a lot of the structure was sold off as building stone during the years after Waterloo. The chateau had been built and added to since medieval times through to the renaissance time. It was home to several monarchs at various times. The chateau is quite interesting with some lovely period furniture. Also two towers were constructed that allowed horses and carriages to ascend from ground level up to the main terraces – about 40 metres above ground.  After a picnic lunch we walked up the hill to Les Clos Luce (also called Manor of Cloux). However, we found that to be a lot more expensive than the Royal Chateau and more than we were prepared to pay. We returned to the town. We then went towards the Pagode de Chanteloup. This was someone’s folly and could be seen down a road between the trees. After this we went in search of the local supermarket E Leclerc. We eventually found it and did some food shopping. We returned to the cottage a little earlier than otherwise and sat and read in the garden. Unfortunately there is no swimming pool although the garden is amply big enough. Weather has been sunny most of the day.

Miles Travelled Today - 25				Total Trip Miles -  3037

Day 31		Tuesday 20th July

Today was another hot, sunny day with some high thin cloud. We went to visit the Chateau at Chambord. This chateau was built during the early 16th century and may incorporate some ideas from Leonardo da Vinci who was asked to contribute before he died in 1519. The site was a boggy one and so a platform was created by sinking oak piles down to a solid rock layer. We found the area was plagued by flies. The chateau is a magnificent edifice, with a central keep built symmetrically around a central spiral staircase formed as a double helix. It is built in the local soft white stone, so weathering is a problem, but it looks white and clean. There have been many alterations internally and externally over the centuries so some apartments from each period can now be seen. We went up one side of the staircase visiting the three floors as we went. After we had come out on the roof terraces and admired the views, we came down the other side of the staircase. We visited the coach house where there were some lovely carriages that had been ordered, made, but never used.  After lunch we started back to Cangey stopping to photograph Chaumont Chateau further downstream. It is difficult to get a good photograph as the best view is from over the River Loire, and yet there are many trees on the river bank in the best spot, obscuring the view. A sit in the garden completed the day.

Miles travelled today - 64				Total Trip Miles - 3101