Gems of the Loire Valley

Once you decide to visit the Loire Valley you need to do some research into which châteaux you would like to visit. There are hundreds of châteaux and you can’t see them all. Depending on time, I would suggest seeing a few of the big ones and then stopping off to see some of the smaller, less advertised châteaux that can be just as beautiful as the large ones.

Château de Chambord and Château de Chenonceau were the two big châteaux that we visited. I would also suggest seeing Château d’Azay-le-Rideau, Blois and Château d’ Ussé (the model for Sleeping Beauty).

A must-see cathedral is Chartres Cathedral. With over 28,000 square feet of stained glass, you will not be disappointed. It is very difficult to take pictures of the stained glass because it is so dark in the church and you really shouldn’t use flash. A tripod works wonders for this, otherwise you have to try to steady the camera. Wander around the old town in Chartres, too.

Visit Orléans for some Joan of Arc history.

From across the river you can get outstanding views of Chinon. But you need to take some time to stroll through the cobblestone streets of the old town with half-timbered houses, Renaissance art and wine tasting in the local caves.

Quick Tips:

Why not stay somewhere different when you visit the Loire Valley? There are several châteaux that offer bed and breakfast. There are an abundance of rental cottages in the area, too.

Most of the châteaux we visited had free parking. Some of them had pay parking so be sure to have change on you all the time. It is also good to have change on you to use the toilets since many places charge you around 30 Euro cents for the pleasure. The positive thing is that when you pay you can almost guarantee that the toilets will be clean.

When renting a car in France, ask for a diesel. You will get much better gas mileage and diesel is generally a little bit cheaper at the pump. Be sure to have a good map as driving can be confusing. We are used to seeing directional signs with North, South, East and West. They don’t do that here. You need to know what city you are going towards and the number of the road. Things are generally signed pretty well.

Best Way To Get Around:

If you are doing an extensive tour of the area, a car is almost inevitable. The distances are great and I would not want to try to depend on public transport to get you around.

It is a different story if you are staying in a city and plan on staying there. Then I would skip the car and use public transport and /or walk.

We did see lots of people riding bikes in the area. There seemed to be trails by the rivers and such, but not everywhere had bike lanes. At times it looked downright dangerous to be riding a bike on the road. We planned on riding our bikes from our cottage to Chenonceau, but after closer examination, we didn’t want to risk our lives that much, so we drove.

Rental Price: £166 for three nights with firewood. Price varies with season and extras such as firewood and linen.

Instead of staying in a hotel in the Loire Valley, we decided it would be much more fun to stay in an old cottage. After much searching I came across Loire.net, the website for Touraine Vacances, a company based in Kent, England. Ann Palmer, the director of this company, sent out a lovely colour brochure for the cottages she had available for the area.

We chose a tiny village, Vrigny, just off of the Cher River near Tours and just about a mile from Château de Chenonceau. Three cottages on one property are available here. The entire property at Vrigny sleeps up to 14 people. Our cottage, Maison de la Grandmère, sleeps 6-8, but 4 people with children would be just about right. Any additional people would have to sleep on small bunk beds or the pull-out couch.

Mrs. Palmer posted the keys to us with superb information about the area and detailed information about the cottages. After our stay we simply posted the keys back to her with a thank you note.

The entire property has been renovated to modern standards over the past few years, yet outside retains its old village charm. Modern improvements such as electric shades for the large overhead windows and a large corner bathtub for two in the loft/galley bedroom’s en-suite bathroom made for nice surprises.

There were wonderful old-style shutters on the windows and the fireplace in the sitting room was perfect for the chilly May evenings. The kitchen was fairly well-equipped with a microwave and all of your other basic cooking needs. We managed all of our meals there so it couldn’t have been too bad. Don’t expect anything high-quality as most utensils and cooking implements were well-used.

You can supply your own linens or use their linen hire service for £10 per person. Since there is no cleaning person, you must make some time the morning you leave to do a thorough cleaning of everything. Cleaning supplies were provided and were found in the kitchen. We found that if we needed something we would just put it on the list and stop off at the grocery store for our items (toilet paper and paper towels are a must on the list!)

Overall, this was a great place to stay. The cottage was about twice the size of our flat so we had fun just relaxing with all of that space. We watched movies on the VCR while sitting in front of the fire in the evening and during the day we would come back to the cottage to have our lunch in the sun out in the courtyard. This cottage was larger, but the cottage attached to this one looked like it was better equipped and furnished a little nicer as it is equipped for and used by the owners.

The façade of the Cathedral is an interesting mix of architecture—Roman and Gothic. On the façade you will see the stained-glass and rose windows, two different steeples and the Royal Portal (main doorway). The two steeples are different and you will also note a beautiful rose stained-glass window between the two towers. The cathedral was built during two different periods and the two towers reflect the architecture from each period. The tower on the left, Clocher Neuf, is Flamboyant Gothic and stands at 116 metres. It was started in the 12th century, but didn’t reach this final stage until 1513. You can pay to climb the nearly 400 steps to the top, but you have to catch it when it is open. The other tower, Clocher Vieux, is Romanesque and stands at 106 metres, the tallest in existence. This one was completed in the 12th century.

The stained glass windows in Chartres Cathedral cover a surface are of over 28,000 square feet. It is a world-renowned collection of over 150 windows of stained-glass. Most good guide books will have a guide to the collection. If not, pick one up before you go in. It is most helpful to have something that can tell you what you are looking at. There were some unusual windows that I enjoyed such as the Zodiac window on the south side, the Tree of Jesse on Western façade, the Redemption window on the NW side and the three rose windows.

The stained glass is definitely the best part about the church, but don’t let the stained glass distract you from the other gems in the cathedral. Take a look at the portals on the west and south sides. The portal on the south side has a New Testament relief dating from 1197-1209. The 13th century labyrinth inlaid into the floor is a common feature on old cathedrals. I didn’t get a good look at it as it was covered with chairs (which I read that it commonly is!). Pilgrims would take the route on their knees across 851-920 feet (depending on where you read into) of ground. It is located towards the western entrance and is a symbol of the path leading us from the earth towards God. Lastly, make sure you take a good look at the vaulted ceiling which supports the wide Gothic nave that reaches 121 feet.

The Veil of the Virgin relic is found at Chartres Cathedral. It is thought that the Byzantine Empress Irene gave Charlemagne a piece of fabric from the East. It was supposed to be the tunic or veil that Mary wore when it was announced that she was to be the mother of Jesus. In 876, Charles the Bald gave this to Chartres. It is only on display at certain times, it was something like Saturday from 2-3 or something totally inconvenient. If you hope to see this, check times before you go.

Near the city of Amboise you will find an unusual sight—a pagoda. The pagoda of Chanteloup is all that remains of the Château de Chanteloup, also known as "little Versailles." The pagoda was built by the Duke of Choiseul in 1775. It is 44 metres high and combines typical French style with Chinese style. A small outbuilding displays the history of Chanteloup with its pagoda and the destruction of the château and gardens in 1823.

On your way into the pagoda you pay your entrance fee way down by the car park—€6 per person to see it. Not worth it if you ask me. After you purchase your ticket, you walk down the long path that leads to the pagoda. You are routed through the gift shop and out into a medieval games area. This was the fun part for us. We felt like kids again playing with all of the games in the yard. Our two favourite games were "le labyrinthe vertical" and le "jeux de croquet". You could also rent a small boat to paddle around in the lake surrounding the pagoda (€4 for half and hour and €6 for one hour).

The views from the top of the pagoda are outstanding, that is if you can make it up there. It is about 150 steps to the top and it feels a little bit rickety on the terraces, enough that my husband made it to the top, but would not go out onto the terrace. From the top you can see how the grounds are intricately laid out with wide promenades and a beautiful half-moon lake. This is definitely not for the person scared of heights, I even started to feel a bit nervous out on the terrace and I am not scared of heights.

Overall, I would recommend seeing this if you have extra time, but if it is between seeing this and seeing something else, go see another château. We had a good time visiting the pagoda, but felt that €6 was asking a little much especially when you can see a place like Chenonceau for only two more Euros.

Admission: €7

First stop: Château de Chambord, the largest of the Loire châteaux. We stayed in Rouen the night before and we decided that we wanted to see Chambord before we started in the direction of our cottage. It was a good place to start because it was one of the most beautiful châteaux we would see on our journey. This large estate, over 13000 acres, is the largest enclosed forest park in Europe with a 31-kilometre enclosing wall that surrounds it. There are walking areas for the pubic, but most of it is off-limits to the public, most of it is for the animals. The château sits on the lazy river Cosson.

Francis I built this elegant and very symmetrical Renaissance château starting in 1519 after the death of Leonardo da Vinci in nearby Clos-Lucé. Francis I wanted the elements of Italian Renaissance fused with those of the French tradition all in one—Chambord was the final result.

The château has many interesting features, one being the famous double-helix staircase that leads up the hollow centre and serves the different floors of the central keep. It has two flights so that one going up and one coming down (or both going up) would not meet the other along the way, but there were windows cut out so you could see one another—very unique! It is not certain, but it is thought that Leonardo da Vinci is the one who designed this.

The top of the staircase led you out to the terraces on top of the château. From here you can walk among the towers, chimneys, gables domes and spires that grace the rooftop and they also give outstanding views over the entire Chambord estate.

Trying to see the entire château without getting lost can be quite a challenge. There are 440 rooms and 85 staircases, many of them not accessible to you. The keep is located on the interior. With the building being symmetrical, you tend to get confused when you come out of some of the rooms and when trying to navigate between the rooms.

You will notice that there are salamanders and F’s everywhere in the château. Francois I chose the salamander as his enigmatic emblem. Watch for the salamander, you really can’t miss it as it is located over 800 times throughout the Château. The F’s are surrounded with a knot, the knot of the Order of La Cordelière, the emblem of Louise de Savoie, his mother.

You will also find many paintings and tapestries with the subject of hunting. Then again, if it weren’t for hunting, Chambord would not exist as it was built for that very purpose, a hunting lodge for Francois I.

Other must-sees at the château are the vaulted guardrooms and the state apartments. On the outside of the château you will find a picnic area, restaurants, toilets, bookshops, gift shops, and a police station with horses.

Admission: €8 for castle and gardens

Chenonceau is one of the loveliest châteaux in the Loire Valley. Its interesting design, spanning the river Cher, and the magnificent gardens make it a must-see in the Loire Valley.

Six woman left their mark on this château—Katherine Briçonnet, Diane de Poitiers, Catherine de Medici, Louise de Lorraine, Madame Dupin and Madame Pelouze. Each one did their part to make the château what it is today. Most remarkable was the addition of the arched bridge over the river and formal gardens by Diane de Poitiers, and the turreted pavilion built by Katherine Briçonnet, wife of the first owner, Thomas Bohier.

We started our visit with the Catherine de Medici garden and continued with a walk along the river promenade and then ventured back to the entrance of the château to start our tour. The Catherine de Medici garden, the smaller of the two, uses about 130,000 bedded plants each year. It has a central pool and fountain and was blooming with pink tulips when we visited.

I will not expand on the history of the château as it is extensive and there are plenty of books and websites out there that will tell you everything you need to know.

We started in the Guards’ Room where you will find Flemish tapestries and the famous 16th-century oak door with the words, "S’il vient à point, me sowiendra" meaning, "If I manage to build, I will be remembered"—words spoken by Thomas Bohier and his wife Katherine Briçonnet.

From here we continued on to the tiny chapel with stained glass windows dating from 1954 since the originals were bombed out during the war. You will visit Diane de Poitiers’ bedroom, a study and the library before coming to the long gallery.

Catherine de Medici built this gallery on the bridge built by Diane de Poitiers. The gallery is a ballroom with dimensions of 60 metres by 6 metres and lit by arched windows down its length. An interesting fact about the gallery is that during WWII the gallery’s southern door, leading to the left bank of the Cher River, provided access to the free zone while the entrance was in the occupied zone.

Francois I’s bedroom contains a few masterpieces. The Renaissance chimney is supposed to be one of the most beautiful. The 16th-century Italian cabinet with mother-of-pearl and ivory and the Van Loo painting beside it are worth extra time.

The next notable room is the Five Queens’ Bedroom named for Catherine De Medici’s two daughters and three daughters-in-law. The ceiling displays the Five Queens’ coats-of-arm.

On the way out, take some time to visit the larger garden, Diane de Poitiers’ garden. It is overlooked by the steward’s house, La Chancellerie, built in the 16th century. The house was covered in purple wisteria when we were there—beautiful! We watched tiny lizards basking in the sunshine and scurrying along the walls as we walked along the sides.

Since our holiday coincided with the British bank holiday, we booked early on the Hoverspeed. Things tend to get extremely busy and sold-out during this time. We chose the Hoverspeed service because of its price and speed. It was the same price as the ferry and took over half an hour less time to get from England to France. We paid £93.10 for the crossing when we made the booking back in January.

We love taking the Hoverspeed. It takes almost exactly one hour to get from Dover, England to Calais, France. The ferry is usually a little bit cheaper, but it takes longer to cross plus loading and unloading take longer because there are more cars getting on and off. The boats used by Hoverspeed aren’t actually hovercrafts like they used to be, they are catamarans—really big ones!!

From London, you follow the M20 down towards Dover. All along the way you will see signs for the ferries, it shows a boat with cars in the bottom of it. Once you get to Dover, you follow the signs to Hoverspeed. You check in with the agent who will also check your passport. They will give you your return documents and then you will go into whichever queue (line) they told you to go into.

You are supposed to be there half and hour before departure at the very latest. Some people show up much earlier to get a better place in the queue but it really doesn’t mater. The boat is small enough that no matter when you get there, you will get a decent place. It takes no time at all to load everyone onto the boat whether you are first or last.

If you have time, you may want to do some shopping or use the toilet inside the duty-free shop. Since the catamaran doesn’t hold nearly as many cars as the ferries, it doesn’t take long to load up everyone on the boat. Once you have boarded, you lock your car and head up to the deck.

Up on deck there are three different sitting areas: First-Class which you would have made an advance purchase, the lower/outer seats and the upper/middle seats. I prefer to sit in the lower seats if the seas are calm—this way you can watch out the window—not that there is much to see between England and France. On one crossing the boat rocked so much you couldn’t even walk. It was so bad that you had to hold on while walking and even then you appeared to have been at the bottle a little too much. You can also go out onto the outside deck and stand in the wind which can be interesting to watch as you are leaving port or coming into port. If you go stand at the front of the boat you can see the controllers and all of the radar equipment they use.

Of course, the first thing you want to do is find your seat and then have one person rush up to the bar for drinks. If you don’t get up there right away, you will be standing there waiting for some time because the bar is very busy during the channel crossings. There are sandwiches and snacks available for purchase, too. Of course, duty-free is available on-board, so pick up your cigarettes and alcohol. You can get these at the duty-free counter, but most of the time someone will come around and take your order, too.

They will announce when it is time to start heading down to the car. Don’t sit around and have one last beer because you might hold up a whole line of cars upon departure. Once you get down to your car you can take a few minutes to get yourself organized because off of the boat you go straight onto the Autoroute. Most importantly, DON’T START YOUR CAR until it is time for your row to go. Most people aren’t going to care for the fumes or the carbon monoxide poisoning.

Remember when you come off of the boat that you will now be driving on the other side of the road. This can be confusing for a couple of minutes. You would think that this is basic common sense, but it takes your brain a few seconds to switch over.

Remember that when you are driving in France that you need to have some necessities in the car such as spare bulbs, warning triangle, etc. If you are in a rental, these things should be already supplied. If it is your own car, you will have to do like us and run out to Halford’s after about your fifth crossing because your company car didn’t have anything in the boot and you didn’t know you needed all of these things. Don’t forget that you need to have a GB sticker on the back of your car if your car is registered in GB. If it is registered elsewhere, you should have the appropriate country sticker on the back of the car.

Happy Sailing!

As we drove along the Indre River one afternoon, we came across a donjon, a castle keep, in Montbazon, just south of Tours. We paid €3 each to get into Le Faucon Noir, the black falcon, the oldest surviving castle keep in Europe. At the entrance, a woman was taking the money and selling a few items, a sort of mini gift shop.

We wandered down into the castle keep. It was of massive proportions with thick walls, and a beautiful copper Statue of the Virgin sat above us. We studied it and looked out over the city of Montbazon and when we were done we started wandering out. As we came to the ticket office, a man came out and walked towards us and said, "Did you take a look at the gem?" OK, do we look that obvious that he spoke English to us? We didn’t speak English when we came in—maybe he saw our car parked outside!?

This man started chatting with us about this project and we ended up standing there in the rain chatting with this guy for some time. This couple, Jacqueline and Harry Atterton, are the owners of Faucon Noir. He is an interesting man being from England (and was actually one of the guards at the royal palaces in London some years ago), but living in Canada and making his life as a journalist and aviation deregulation expert. His wife comes from New Caledonia, a French island in the South Pacific, and together they make their life restoring castles in France. They purchased and restored another castle in France (château Bouesse in Berry County in the heart of France) to a château-hotel which they sold and then took over this ten-year restoration some years ago.

It is so interesting to meet people and find out their stories. What a small world. Harry had actually been an invited speaker at the University of North Dakota where my husband and I both graduated. Being a deregulation expert, he gave lectures at the world-renowned aviation school. It isn’t everyday that you run into someone in France who has actually heard of, let alone been to, the town where I was born in North Dakota.

We learned that this was only the first phase in development. It had only been opened to the public since August 2003. This will allow additional funding to continue the project. They have plans to open museums, medieval games, underground passages, a history classroom and several other projects. They were enthusiastic about this project and were very friendly with all of the people coming into and going out of the castle keep.

The castle keep is the work of the Count of Anjou, Foulque Nerra and dates back to the end of the 10th century. He is most remembered as one of the first builders of stone castles in France. He also founded a number of other abbeys and monasteries.

The building had been struck by lightning which caused the huge crack down the middle of one wall (see picture). You can also see where they had to add a concrete stabilizer around the inside of the top of the keep.

William Perry Dudley, an American officer during WWI is accredited with saving the keep 75 years ago. He fell in love with the castle keep and purchased it when it became known that it would be demolished. After the war, Dudley returned to make a life for himself in France, becoming an architect and landscape gardener. This provided him with the funds to continue work on the keep. He is the one who reinforced the interior with the band of concrete. He is somewhat of a legend in the area and they even named a street after him in Montbazon.

Although the castle keep has a long way to go, we truly enjoyed our visit to Faucon Noir in Montbazon, France. If you are in the area, please stop to see the castle keep and help Harry and Jacqueline in their quest to complete their newest adventure in castle-saving—I know they will appreciate your business.