France by Car '96
The Loire Valley

Our original intention was to travel to Normandy, and then on down to the Dordogne, and finally back to the Loire. In looking at the map, we realized that the chateau at Angers was really on our route to the south and would make an easy stop for us. Angers gave us our first lesson in the difficulty of parking in France. We wasted about an hour of our tour time in trying to find a place to park that was somewhere near the chateau. Finally, we found an underground parking garage, but when we emerged we were so turned around, we couldn't find the chateau. The irony of this is that it's so huge that you see nothing but it as you drive into town. Finally, after about thirty minutes of wandering, we found ourselves at the gate and were able to get on with our plans. Angers
Chambord The only one of the Loire Chateaux we had visited in the past was Chenonceau, and it is still our favorite, but Chambord certainly ranks a close second. One of the things I like about Chambord is its location: you are driving along on a small road through a forest when Chambord suddenly leaps into view. Although the crowds at Chambord are pretty large, the guides seems to handle things well, and you never feel lost in a crowd. It's a great place to wander around after the guided tour is over.
By the time we reached Amboise, we were ready for something a little different and we got it. We decided to skip the chateau and concentrate the time we had alloted for Amboise at the Close Luce, the home of Leonardo da Vinci. This museum is one of the best small museums we have seen. Even the presence of hundreds of Italian teenagers couldn't ruin it for us. Many of the rooms have been kept just as they were at the time Da Vinci lived there, and in the basement there is a small collection of reproductions of some of his inventions.  The streets of Amboise
Bloix The chateau at Blois is one of the better ones to visit simply because of all that is on display. But even more interesting is the history associated with Blois. One of the reasons we enjoyed our visit there so much is that we had both recently read the story of the assassination of the Duke of Guise by King Henri III who felt that the Duke was a threat to him. The decorations at Blois were lavish at the time the kings favored this royal residence, and many of those lavish decorations remain. In addition, the spiral staircase is a highlight that should not be missed.
By the time we reached Villandry, the heat wave had set in full blast, and we were very uncomfortable. We decided to skip the visit to the inside of the chateau (all the guidebooks told us that the gardens were the stars at this site), and concentrate on the outside. The gardens are truly magnificent, and I hope that I can return to visit them someday when the temperature is more accommodating.  Villandry Gardens

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