The Loire valley is famed for its clustered concentration of elegant pleasure palaces built in the golden age of the French monarchy hundreds of years ago. It was our next stop after moving south from Normandy. There were so many chateaus to choose from, and we didn't want to burn out everybody by cramming multiple sites in one day, so we chose the most unique and idyllic of them all - Chenouceau.
Stretching gracefully over the River Cher and holding a dramatic history worthy of its own soap opera, we were instantly mesmerized. We wandered the gardens for a while before entering the main line to tour the house. Luckily for us, one of the wardens noticed Claire perched on top of Tyler's shoulders and considered her a 'baby' and let us cut the hour-long queue!
Tyler blitzed through with the kids while Laura was able to savor the visit more slowly with her audio guide. At the far end of the arched span crossing the river, Tyler and the kids exited the building and walked lazily along the river taking lots of photos and throwing pebbles and sticks in the river.
After Laura finished her tour we met up for some afternoon treats at the outdoor café and then rented a row boat for a wonderful half hour meandering under the castle and enjoying the views from every side.
Finally, we perused the lovely gardens on either side of the house that were installed by the two rival women of the estate - a wife and a mistress. The story goes that the lavish estate was a gift to a mistress of the king. But when he died, the widowed queen threw her out and outdid her in every way she could by building bigger gardens an claiming the bedroom above hers in the palace.
The day was magical in every way and we were very pleased with our choice of chateaus to visit. As we made our way south the next day we passed fields and fields of sunflowers just past their vibrant prime, but still lovely nonetheless.
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