Our last couple of days in Loire Valley were pretty jam packed. We visited five more chateaus — Chenonceau, Parc Leonardo da Vinci at Clos Luce, Azay le Rideau, Langeais, and Saumur. We actually stayed in a chateau, too! Chateau de Verrieres is not quite as old or large as the others, but, built in the 19th century, it was still one of the oldest buildings we’d ever stayed in. Christine says it was a little like staying at a bed and breakfast — the owners live in the chateau themselves and were very friendly — but the ceilings in our bedroom were nearly twenty feet high while the decor throughout the chateau was quite ornate. Otherwise, our favorite chateau was Chenonceau:  it sits right on the Cler river, included access to the kitchen and pantry area, and had lots of interesting history. I also liked Langeais quite a bit because it most resembled a medieval castle with its draw bridges and parapet.

For our last dinner in France, we ate at l’alchimiste restaurant, a terrific recommendation from the owners of Chateau de Verrieres. It was quite affordable and only a couple of blocks away from our chateau. We had excellent foie grois, really tender pork, sea bass, and an apple tart with vanilla ice cream for dessert.

A sincere thanks to all of you who have been reading our blog, especially everyone who has sent us emails and comments along the way. It was wonderful to hear from home while we were so far away. We had a great trip overall and look forward to hearing about one of your future vacations, next!

La Loire River runs east to west through central France (roughly three hours by car south of Paris) and carves out a region that has been called the “Valley of the Kings.” Before the political focus of France moved to Paris (1600’s), many French kings made their home in the Loire Valley. The kings built castles and chateaus throughout the area, which also served as a critical battleground during the Hundred Years’ War (1337 through 1453). Joan of Arc famously rallied Orleans to fight off the English in the region. Loire Valley is also home to numerous cathedrals and wineries, and was once a home to Leonardo da Vinci and other renown artists.

So far, we’ve visited the largest chateau in the region, Chateau Royal de Chambord, as well as two others: Chateau de Cheverny and Chateau Royal de Blois. In the town of Blois, we also visited a 13^th century church, Eglise St. Nicolas. We’ve been staying in the town of Amboise, where Chateau Royal d’Amboise is located.

In the evening, the town of Amboise shuts down fairly early – which is in stark contrast to what we had become accustomed to in Paris. Driving around Loire Valley has reminded us of Canada in some spots, Napa Valley in others, and of course, a medieval countryside everywhere else.

Here we are in front of Chateau de Cheverny: