Amboise in The Loire Valley to Honfleur in Normandy

On the Loire River, walking to dinner in Amboise

Dinner outside with the Amboise Royal Chateau above us

The keys and gate opener to Chateau Belleroche, our B+B in Amboise

The spectacular grounds of Belleroche B+B

Looking down at the gates of Belleroche and our rental car

Belleroche grounds

Belleroche grounds

Belleroche!

Inside the little building in previous photo, at Belleroche

Belleroche

The chateau Belleroche

After breakfast at the lovely chateau Belleroche, B+B in Amboise, we explored the grounds. There is a large cliff running most of the length of the property and it is full of caves at ground level and below and some 40 feet off the ground. Steve would know what the cliffs consist of (limestone??). The owners of Belleroche, believe that the area was mined for the rocks to build the Royal Chateau of Amboise. There is a sketch of Belleroche dated 1790! It looks much the same. One of the eccentricities of Belleroche is the solid metal doors that open with a device much like a garage door opener which is required to enter with the car onto the grounds to park. We were given such device along with the instructions for use, in French by Antoine who speaks little English, along with two skeleton keys that are needed for various doors. The only direction in which to enter thru the doors with the car is from the uphill side of the road because it's on a blind curve, the doors are narrow and the car, though tiny, wouldn't clear when approached from the downhill side. When Linda and I returned from a day of visiting chateaux, I drove up the hill past Belleroche while Linda was to open the metal gates with the device. Well, it didn't work and we couldn't stop because a car was behind us, so we continued up the hill about 3/4 of a mile, until we could turn around and head back down the hill to Belleroche. This time we stopped just past Belleroche's gate while Linda, after a couple false starts opened the gate, but another car came up behind us and forced us to continue down the hill. The Loire River was straight ahead so we turned to the right onto the main road, where we had to drive until we could find a spot to turn around and then again head back towards Belleroche, head up the hill, past Belleroche with its open gate, turn around again to make our final downhill approach through the opened gates! In the driveway, Antoine was standing in the driving watching as the crazy American women came driving through his gate that had been wide open for 5 minutes! Linda and I walked into Amboise at dusk and had dinner at an outside table below the Royal Chateau. We had a hamburger which we both had been craving.

Nantes and then onward with a rental car

Linda getting some sun at B+B St. Ives in Nantes

Bri in Nantes with her new lavender bag I bought for her in Paris

Nantes

Dukes and Anne of Brittany chateau

Great to see Bri again in her new city

Bri and her new friend Annie in the park near the study abroad center

Bri, Annie (from Chicago), Lisa (from Boston), study abroad friends in Nantes

Looking for a restaurant for dinner with Bri, her two friends and Linda, Nantes

Amboise Royal Chateau, Loire Valley

View of royal chateau of Amboise, upon arrival after a climb up

The Royal Chateau of Amboise

The chapel at the Amboise chateau, where it is believed that Leonardo de Vinci is buried

View from chateau, Amboise

View of Royal Chateau of Amboise from the grounds

Chateau where Leonardo de Vinci lived which is very near the Royal Chateau

Entrance to the Chateau on the Cher River

The Chateau Chenonceau on the Cher River

Some of the gardens of the Chateau

More of the gardens

Linda pictured at the 16th C farm adjacent to Chateau Chenonceau

Wifi has been sporadic the last several days and then after typing up a post, it was lost while trying to get service; so here we go again! We arrived in Nantes last Friday afternoon with Brianna meeting us at the Nantes train station. It was so great to see her!!! It was nice to let her take over with French communication with getting the rental car at the station. With something similar to Disneyland's Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, we were able to make it safely to our hotel. Nantes is much larger than I imagined and thus there is a lot of traffic. They do have a tram system which Brianna uses to get to and from the University of Nantes, the study abroad program site and her host mom's house. Had a nice time catching up with Bri while sitting on the bed of my hotel room (really a B+B) while Linda soaked up some rays and read the insides of her eyelids in the B+B's garden. Then we all walked into town, saw some sights of the town, including an ancient cathedral and a chateau complete with a moat. Some of Bri's new friends met up with us and we all had dinner together at a creperie. Bri wanted to walk us part way back to the B+B and we wanted to walk her to her tram stop. Hmm. The tables are gradually turning: she's beginning to worry about me (us) now and I, as always, am concerned about her safetly. Saturday morning, Linda and I explored more of Nantes, while Bri and the other 69 students in her study abroad program left for a day trip to see Mont Saint Michel and Saint Malo. About noon, Linda and I left town to see some chateaux in the Loire Vally in the minuscule car with directions in hand from the very nice Frenchman who runs the Nantes B+B. Immediately, we were unable to locate the road numbers he had marked for us on the map, so we were winging it before we had exited Nantes. The GPS that I had ordered when I made my rental car reservation didn't compute across the Atlantic, I discovered when picking up the car thus an additional 7 euros a day was needed for me to have it. I did not want to pay twice for the GPS so I took the car without it. Time will tell if it was a mistake not to get it! Anyway, a trip that was supposed to have taken us 2 hours according to our Frenchman, took 4.5 hours. It was probably scenic, but I didn't do much looking around as my eyes were glued to the road and my hands were clenched on the steering wheel. We arrived in Amboise, in the Loire Valley in late afternoon. Now to find the B+B with just a street name. Luckily, Linda spotted a map of the town along side of the road and we were able to figure out how to find Belleroche, the B+B chateau built in the 16th, 17th and 18th Centuries on huge very picturesque grounds. The chateau is surrounded by a vast wall with a solid metal door for humans to enter and larger 2 solid metal door for the cars. We were admitted and shown to our rooms which were two rooms overlooking the Loire River. It's a 15 minute walk into Amboise. In the town, there is a chateau high on the hill that really didn't look all that impressive so the next morning when we walked up to see it, we were surprised and awed by the spectacular setting! The gardens were huge, with a large expanse of grass, not to mention the large chateau used by the Kings of France. I think it was built in the 1400's but I'll have to get back to you on that. Leonardo de Vinci was invited by the King who may have been Francois I, (let's go with that since I can't find my brochure and this isn't my favorite French history century -18th C) to come to Amboise to live. It is believed that Leonardo was buried in the church chapel of the chateau. After visiting the chateau and taking tons of photos, we walked up the street to a small chateau where Leonardo de Vinci lived called the Clos de Luce (accent aigu on the final "e"). It was built also in the 1400's, belonged to the Kings of France for 200 years and thus had huge grounds as well. In the garden, many of Leonardo's scientific inventions that were so ahead of his time were set up, for example: a flying machine, a bridge that pivoted so boats could pass and a catapult for throwing stones at the enemy. Next, we drove about 25 minutes, (we were told it would take 15 minutes) to another chateau that was set in the middle of the Cher River, Chateau de Chenonceau. This was built in the 16th C. for sure, because I found the brochure and it's in English! It too was very interesting, also used by the kings and Catherine de Medici, of France. The tree lined wide walkway leading the chateau was lovely, as were the gardens. There was also a maze on the grounds created at the request of Catherine de Medici as well as a farm. It was another very warm day and the chateaux were quite crowded. I think I'll stop for now but try to catch up with the posts in a few hours!!

Last Day in Paris

Linda hanging out a bedroom window at Paris apartment

Paris apartment

Linda outside the entry door to the apartment buildings

Remains of the wall that surrounded Paris

Mother and daughter who work in Atelier 16 in Montmartre. The daughter is an artist.

Linda and I in Atelier 16 on a hot day after buying some small works of art

Lively band playing in Montmartre Metro Station

In the Marais, a former private home

Paris apartment, master bedroom

Living room Paris apartment

Living room Paris apartment

View on the street side from the apartment, looking on to rue de Rosiers

Another view of Paris apartment. Thank you Steve for the very nice apartment!

2nd bedroom overlooking the courtyard

Today, Linda and I went back to the Carnavalet Museum to see the small artifacts that belonged to Marie Antoinette displayed in the cases covered with cloth to protect from light. There were a tiny, dainty pair of her shoes, a pair of scissors, a fragment of a dress, a miniature family portrait, a lace baby bonnet that belonged to the dauphin, and a large gold locket with the dauphin and MA's hair. She was quite blonde. There is a large very nice portrait of Louis XVI by Duplessis that I enjoyed seeing too. Next we walked to Place des Voges to see the Victor Hugo apartment. Did more walking around the neighborhood and back to Mouffletard street in the Latin Quarter to pick up a lavender small hand bag for Bri. We again, took the Metro out to Montmartre to Atelier 16 to look at the paintings and sculptures as my friend in Portland had actually called the owner of the gallery in France to check on the open hours of the shop for us. We wanted to get Debbie a small painting she had admired in the window and we found some small paintings for ourselves as well of Paris scenes. Back in the Marais, we joined the other Parisians for a biere pression and then back to the apartment for definitely a "clear the refrigerator out" dinner. Not so bad, as we had a fresh baguette and a little bit of cheese: the Roquefort and the creamy cheese from Burgundy with the brandy soaked raisins. Decided on a cab to the train station tomorrow rather than lugging our luggage up and down the stairs of the metro, enticing as that sounds. Plan on a croissant almande tomorrow with chocolate for breakfast, one last time before heading on the train to Nantes which will take 2 hours 15 minutes!

A Nice Day in the Marais

Place de Bastille

Rental bikes in the Marais

Place des Vosges, oldest square in Paris

Place des Vosges

Chateau near Place des Vosges that is being renovated

Old flooring in Musee Carnavalet

Gardens at Musee Carnavalet

Lunch a emporter (accents everywhere) Our takeout lunch!

Today was a low key pleasant day in our neighborhood. We visited the Cognacq-Jay Museum which I had seen last week and enjoyed immensely. This visit, we rented the audio so it was a lot more informative. We saw another 17th C mansion on our walk so we checked it out. It had a few old paintings in it and some very modern decorative arts including furniture. There was a small cafe in the building with petite tables set out in the cobblestone courtyard. We took a delicious sandwich with us to share back at our apartment but first we visited an old tea shop Marriage Freres from the mid 1800's that has more than 560 selections of tea. The men, and only men, who work there wear linen suits and use brass scales to measure out the tea from large metal cans. There is a menu to help make your selections and some small tins of the more popular tea to give a sniff to see if it might be to your liking. It was a step back in time with all the large tea tins and the wooden shelves and floors. I asked if I could take a photo but it was not allowed. Would have liked to have bought some tea but it was crowded and a little intimidating! We visited the Carnavalet Museum this afternoon which tells much of the history of Paris but the 18th C French area wasn't open so hope to pop back there tomorrow and see that small objects that belonged to Marie Antoinette. Tonight we walked out to Ile Saint Louis for a Berthillion ice cream cone then came back to pack up so we have a free day tomorrow; our last in Paris this trip.