Amboise
Situated on the Loire River, the quaint town of Amboise was our home base for two days. The location of our hotel in the heart of town was perfect.
On our drive to Amboise, we first stopped at Château de Chambord, the largest château in the Loire Valley, with an impressive 440 rooms. Due to its many styles of towers and chimneys, it's reminiscent of the skyline of a city.
Château de Chambord
It was here, at one of the outdoor cafés near the château, that we first learned the magic of Google Translate™ when trying to decipher a French menu.
Art treasures from the Louvre were hidden in the attic here during World War II.
On our first night in Amboise, we walked across the river to a Spanish-style tapas bar called Le Shaker. We sat outside and enjoyed spectacular views, both of the castle across the river and the trays of tapas before us. We ordered two bottles of local wine, a white and a red. The waitress seemed a bit confused when it became clear that we all wanted to try them both and would appreciate each having two glasses. She graciously complied, but this brought stares and comments from other diners. When we mentioned it to our guide, he just smiled and gently explained that no one in France would ever have seen such a thing. Oops.
Château de Chenonceau
Chenonceau, often considered the most beautiful château in the Loire Valley, spans the Cher River. It's known as the Ladies' Castle because it was owned mostly by women, and they had great stylistic influence over its architecture and gardens.
This was an optional tour, but we're so glad we went. We spent several hours here but would have enjoyed even more time in this beautiful place.
Every room is adorned with fresh flowers.
Donkeys wander peacefully in the fields.
Rooms are furnished as they would have been in ages past.
Remedies for Queen Catherine de' Medici were prepared here in her apothecary.
Traveling light means bringing only two pairs of pants, a real problem when one of the zippers breaks. This clothing store came to Joe's rescue.
Not only did he find the perfect pants here, the clerk personally escorted him down the street to a place where they could be altered immediately. Joe had new pants that fit well before any of us even knew there was a problem. Small town service at its finest!
Artisanale (Art Is an Ale) Brewery specializes in American-style beers which certainly pleased the IPA lovers in our group. Those serving the beer here were having as much fun as we were.
Soon after meeting with our tour group for happy hour, a cloudburst found us dashing for cover under umbrellas outside a busy restaurant which kindly found a spot for us inside. A trip to France should include escargot at least once, and this is where we had ours.