Touring Chateaux from Azay-le-Rideau

The two chateaux we toured are among the very best in the Loire Valley.
Luckily, we arose with the dawn. (The night before, the little town of Azay-le-Rideau had slumbered early.) As we walked the narrow medieval street leading to the chateau, merchants were setting out their wares. We got audio programs in English and exited the Visitors’ Center through the back door, and that moment was when we felt lucky to be among the first visitors. It was worth 4 trains from CDG to behold "the crowning achievement of the Renaissance in the Touraine" gleaming like an epiphany in the morning sun.

After an hour inside, we lingered on the grounds along the River Indre. Then we hiked that 1.2 miles again back to the train station, rode first to Chinon and then to Tours, ran out to see this town’s Hotel de Ville (beautiful!), jumped on another train to Chenonceau, walked all around the Old Town there and met the potter, and then toured "The Dames' Chateau." Whew, touring chateaus by train is hard work! But even if I hadn’t been charged by an angry male black swan--"Yes, I see your lady on her eggs there in the leaves!"--the Chateau of Chenonceau also would have been worth all the trouble to get there. On River Cher, it shimmered in the water like Paris in the Seine.

Balzac’s beloved Touraine and an adult fairytale town.
We relished the scenery between towns. Many houses have roofs decorated with parapets, and gardens were beautiful in April. No wonder Balzac loved the area! His house in Sache, 3 miles from Azay-le-Rideau, is still set up the way it was when he lived there. We missed it, since (horror of horrors!) we had forgotten our folder labelled "Loire Valley." My favorite novelist of all times gives me reason to return. Besides, I loved our hotel with the vine-covered facade. Two nights, I opened our French doors and sat on the tiny balcony watching the sun set on the barn across the street. As I mentioned before, the town is quiet early, except for the light-and-sound shows at 10 p.m. at the chateau. We liked the sun on the chateau, so we saved ten euros each and enjoyed a quiet evening in the hotel bar--and I mean quiet! This stay was a good rest before Paris.

Quick Tips:

Where is Azay-le-Rideau?
When we arrived at the rail station, we looked around and saw no town in any direction, so we tried to get back into the station to call a taxi. It was already locked--and still daylight! The attendant had disappeared fast. The only public building in sight was the Relais across the street. It was also closed, but a man was inside. "A gauche," he said, so we walked left, much more than a mile, dragging our luggage over sidewalks too narrow for it. Steps protruded onto the walk, and we had to lift our luggage over them. Good advice would be to make that attendant stay until you have called a taxi--oh, the driver will be at our hotel having coffee with the proprietor, where he was when we got there. (They’re related--and proud of it!) Everyone we met in this town was undeniably cute as French puppydogs, and I mean that as a great compliment. I began to wonder where Balzac got his material for his terrible villains! Folks here are simply laid back.

Best Way To Get Around:

Walk, ride, or peddle.
Without luggage, the main drag into town is a pleasant walk lined with once-stately homes from another era. French gingerbread is unique, and I’m enthralled by the brick-stripe that looks like a twist on Flemish Mosan. Styles here were not in evidence in other places we visited in France. We walked this distance each day and took many pictures--and then rounded up the taxi driver for our return to the station.
Trains from Azay-le-Rideau run either to Chinon or to Tours. There is only one route, which runs four or five times each day, depending on season. We rode to Chinon because that’s the way the train was headed at that hour, and from there, it turned around and went to Tours, where we got the train to Chenonceau. (We simply enjoyed the ride in preference to waiting at the station.)
This entire area of the Loire Valley is of UNESCO World Heritage designation, and perhaps this fact explains why trains here are so nice, twice as new and clean as those in other areas we visited. A bicycle would also work, as these towns are less than 20 miles apart.

"Bonsoir!"
The proprietor greeted us through his thick moustache, and we immediately liked him. After check-in, he picked up my heavy suitcase in one hand and David’s in the other and trotted at a steady pace up two flights of stairs to our room (no elevator). Every morning and evening, he made us a large pot of coffee with our own Maxwell House and brought it to us at one of the cabana-style seating groups in the lobby bar, where we admired his own handiwork. I asked him if he had worked on the place himself ("yes"), and he beamed with pride when I exclaimed, "Perfect."

He was so . . . French! And, so was Hotel Val de Loire.
Everything shined with an immaculate care I associate with "French provincial." No smudges, cracks, or scratches ruined the perfection, for he would have fixed them pronto! The second night, we had crispy clean sheets again. Our room was small, but pleasant, and not so small that we couldn’t move around. It was sparsely furnished with shelves by the bed, desk and chair, large wooden closet, and an extra stool. Our two-tone mustard yellow paper with single flower design resembled fleur de lis, and two sets of French doors let in plenty of light.
Only one minor detail annoyed us. The doors had only sheers on their glass, and the bathrooms (2 separate rooms) were too small for clothing and dressing. ("Hey, that’s what the stool is for!") It was just outside the bathroom door--every problem had at least been anticipated and resolved! We enjoyed the view of the neighborhood.

The English are coming!
We met an Englishman in the lounge who had driven over. He made a few snied, but comical remarks about "Gee-orge Dubbee-ya Bush" before he and his wife were off to visit the chateau. His booming voice made the most noise we heard our entire visit!
The diningroom was as perfect and pleasant as the rest of Hotel Val de Loire. A paved space outside has tables in warmer weather. We felt at home here and will return. (Our double was 72 euros.)

Goodbye, goodbye to the "pretty how town (with up so floating many bells down)."--E. E. Cummings
The night before we left, we asked the proprietor if he would be up early enough to call us a taxi. (He rises at 7:30.) We decided to forget making the 7:36 train and settled on the 8:10. (If you don’t get to the station at least for the 8:58, you can’t get out of town until late afternoon.) Our taxi was a little early in front of the hotel--but no driver! He was chatting with our host until we began to get nervous, and then he speeded the 1.2 miles down the main drag as the "pretty how town" flashed past our window.

No need to worry! We were just in time.

Did you know that the Loire Valley has over 300 chateaux? This one was the envy of all.
The first owner we know about was Giles Berthelot, who acquired the estate with the Lordship of Azay in 1515 and reconstructed a mansion built by an unknown. Berthelot was Treasurer of France under Francois I, and he and his wife Philippe did such a good job of designing the chateau that the King was envious and accused him of misappropriating funds, or so the story goes. He was forced to abandon the estate unfinished. Next owner was Marquis Charles de Biencourt, who added Renaissance touches, especially the grand staircase showing as the huge bay on the front facade.

The huge, romantic park.
We enjoyed the park as much as the castle! Townspeople were walking their dogs, and we intended to return in the evening, since we were staying two blocks away. The scene was idyllic, an English-style park built by Biencourt after 1810. Some of the trees he imported included Sequoia and Ginko, so a touch of grandeur is added to the French countryside scene.

A Museum of Royal History.
Heads of the kings and queens of France are sculpted into the grand staircase. Portraits of Francois I, Henry III, and Louise of Lorraine are displayed, as well as a magnificent full-length painting of Louis XIII. Others are too numerous to mention, but a portrait of Diane de Poitiers, mistress of Henry II and Dame of Chenonceau, in her bath should be noted by anyone touring the castle at Chenonceau. My favorite, since it reminded me of a history lesson I’d forgotten, is the painting of Camp du Drap D’Or.

The gold blob on the left is Henry VIII of England arriving at an early heads-of-state meeting with Francois I. They pitched tents, had jousting tournaments, and reached agreements about matters of state at the "Camp of the Gold Cloth," and the painting tells the story. Royal beds (2) are also displayed, as each owner of the chateau was obligated to keep a bedchamber for his king. Louis XIII also visited (1610), and his bedroom is decorated with early Gobelin tapestries and now a late seventeenth-century bed.

Tapestries from several centuries and countries.
All rooms with tapestries are dimly lighted in order to preserve them, but they are astoundingly well preserved. Some were Berthelot’s, including a fine example of Brussels weavers from the 1500’s, still gothic with Biblical scenes. Others depict late seventeenth-century hunting scenes, my favorite, since they pertain to the Loire Valley. Others still are Italianate. The castle has been called "a museum of tapestries," and few rooms are without them.

Before we say "Goodbye."
Kitchens on the ground floor are also interesting. Stone sinks and ribbed brick ceilings with mythical moldings are always interesting, and these ceilings are original, from Berthelot’s day. We lingered on the grounds admiring other groupings of buildings not on the tour, and then we walked a narrow old street back to the main square and on to Chenonceau.

Chenonceau is one of the most beloved Chateaux.
It is one of the most visited chateaux in the Loire Valley. At least, crowds were in evidence the day we visited! Because it straddles the River Cher, it is more romantic, and many want to see its spectacular foundations rising from the water. Some folks want to see the building projects and designs directed by the women who lived there--the design is referred to as "feminine." Others want to see famous portraits of these women, particularly those commissioned by Henry II of his mistress Diane de Poitiers. One of those is by Le Primatice:

Rubens, Tintoret, Van Loo, Murillo, and others.
The castle is a virtual museum of royal artwork visitors can’t see anywhere else. I was amused at the portrait of Catherine of Medici plastered into the fireplace so that it could not be removed. (This is in Diane’s former bedroom, and Catherine, Henry’s wife, kicked the mistress out and moved in herself after Henry’s death.) The beautiful chimney is by Jean Goujon, a French sculptor from the Fontainebleau School, so the plaster job had to be a good one, and I suppose Catherine figured that nobody would dare ruin that artwork by removing her portrait, recognized as "stern."

Many , many paintings.
Also in Diane’s bedroom is "Virgin with Child" by Murillo, and the chapel has another of his paintings (St. Antoine of Padua) and Assumption by Jouvenet. The "Green Study" of Catherine de Medici, regent at her husband’s death, is even more replete with art: Tintoret, Jordaens, Veronese, Poussin, and Van Dyck. The library displays an Andrea del Sarto, and Francois I’s Bedroom, a self-portrait by Van Dyck and The Three Graces (three sisters, favorites of Louis XV) by Van Loo.

Van Loo’s Portrait of King Louis XV is in the Louis XIV Living Room. Here, we met another of the "Dames of Chenonceau," Madame Dupin (portrait by Nattier), of interest to literary folk as grandmother of George Sand and host to Voltaire.

Dames to the rescue!
The women of the chateau saved it from destruction several times by making it available for other uses: hospital during WWI, "Free Zone" during WWII, wood store during the Revolution. Today, it is art and history museum and World Heritage treasure. Tapestries alone could furnish a museum of that industry. Plus, it was the home of other notable women, such as Louise of Lorraine, "the White Queen," perpetually mourning Henry III. Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland, was also related and a visitor. An original builder, Katherine Briconnet, worked on the design alone while her husband was in Italy. Chenonceau is truly "The Dames’ Chateau."

Before we left.
We skipped the wax museum in preference to sitting outdoors with pastries at the Orangerie. Anyone would want to linger on the grounds. David went to study the ramparts’ structures rising from the water, but I was "finished" after two chateaux in one day! The train back to Tours would soon be just down the lane.

Bring your camera!
Chenonceaux (yes, the "x" is correct for the village, but not for the chateau) is the best photo opp I found in rural France. I must have wasted a hundred shots from the train in my attempts to capture a few good photos of provincial subjects. I wanted to take home a memory of the simplistic, clean, rustic--you know, the perfect shot, like those in travel and home-decor magazines! Okay, so these opportunities have been "arranged" a bit for the tourist’s convenience, but they still can’t be beat without countless hours in a car. Besides, the village looks authentic enough! Actually, in this area of the Loire Valley, it exemplifies the spirit of UNESCO’s World Heritage Designation for the greater area, as it is a grouping of artisans into a community for the purpose of sharing and passing on their cultural traditions.

Start at the railroad tracks.
The little historic railroad building beside the track is a good shot. It may even be World Heritage, since many of the railroad buildings in France are. Then proceed in the direction of the ensemble of small buildings with red doors. (I don’t know what they are, but they are . . . "idyllic," right?) After them, don’t miss the church. Go inside and find the vase of country flowers (sunflowers for my visit) that the priest has placed right in front of the podium--no pulpit here. (It’s a simple, unpretentious life here--it’s a "village"!) That’s another good shot, and if that isn’t authentic--as old as this church is? 900s?--then I don’t know what is.

Take a break. Visit the potter.
Signs point the way. Go right on in to the compound. It’s a little communal grouping from another era. The potter has bowls, lamps, dishes, all very nice and priced about the same as in this country at craft markets. Large bowls and lamps can be 100 euro, so anyone who wants a quantity of matching pottery might want to save up for this trip. The potter’s displays and garden are photogenic, so I took pictures on my way out.

Gastronomy is being preserved here.With only a few hundred people, the village of Chenonceaux has an abundance of restaurants and inns, and some are even well-known. The Hotel du Bon-Laboureur with its restaurant is known to bicyclers who trek here to visit chateaux. It looks like a picture in a periodical for gourmets, and it is authentic (since 1786) in its preservation of the recipes of the Loire Valley. (I checked!) We're already planning our next visit, and it will include a stay here with dinners of coq au vin and chicken Armagnac. Several other inns and restaurants are picturesque, rather Breton-looking choices for tourists traveling to the castles of the Loire. Best part is, we can get there effortlessly by train!

Regional Products.We followed another sign pointing to a plant nursery, we think. At least, that’s all we found there, but we may have been there at the lunch break before 2:00 p.m. This, too, may be a communal setting for a number of artisans.

All accounted for, the village of Chenonceaux isn’t too "touristy," even though it is just across the railroad tracks from the castle. Its apparent authenticity makes a nice contrast to my album of really touristy sites in France.