Early last month, I was told that I was going to lose 12 days of vacation if I didn't take them before the end of March. There was no way I could schedule two and half weeks of holiday on such sort notice. So as to not lose it all, we decided to go for along weekend to the Loire Valley. Being only two hours away it was the perfect destination for a three day holiday.There are many things to do in the Loire Valley. Given our short amount of time, we decide to stick with the highlights: See a chateau (the most famous ones are Chateau Chambourg for its grand architecture and Chateau Chenonceau because part of it is built over the Cher river); Bike along the Loire river; and of course visit a winery. Surprisingly we were able to do most of the things on our list, and surprisingly Scout was even able to join us for a few of them.
CHATEAUX
It seems like every small town is within driving distance from a chateau. We've been to many since moving to France, but the chateaus of Loire Valley has some of the most extravagant.
We decided to pick castles with remarkable gardens since we brought Scout along with us. Small dogs are allowed in the chateau if they fit in your bag, but Scout is a bit too big to fit in our back pack. Most chateaux let dogs on a leash in the parks adjacent to the main building. That said, we skipped Chambourg and instead headed to Chateau Chenonceau and Chateau Villandry.
Chateau Chenonceau was built in the 1500s. It is also known as “Château des Dames” since many strong women, including Catherine de' Medici, have protected and cared for the castle for most of its history. The gallery of the chateau that spans the river Cher adds an unique architectural characteristic.
Chateau Villandry is known for its bright and colorful garden. We were a bit too early for the colorful blooms, but the intricate patterns of the sculpted boxwood can be enjoyed year round.
The original building on the site was fortress built in the 14th century. But only the keep tower remains and was incorporated into the renaissance style chateau which was built in the 16th century. The impressive gardens are thanks to Joachim Carvallo and his wife Anne Colemanu, who back in the early 1900s bought the chateau and made it their mission to restore the chateau and its gardens to its original splendor.
BIKING LOIRE
The Loire Valley has an 800 km of bike trail that follows the Loire River from the center of France to the Atlantic Ocean. It is well marked and well maintained. We would have been remiss if did not bike at least part of the trail while we were there.
The weather forecast was dodgy, but luckily the weather cooperated Friday morning and we were able to bike a few hours, and 20 km, on the trail. We biked through vineyards and small towns, past troglodyte houses, and along the Seine. The trees were blossoming and petals fell like snowflakes with each gust of wind. It was a lovely trip. I am ready to go back and finish the rest of the bike path.
WINERIES
The Loire Valley has 87 different appellations, with many small producers open for tastings. Our favorite AOC in Loire for reds is Chinon and we discovered a new AOC Montlouis-sur-Loire. One of the delights of discovering France is to stop and taste the selection of wines found in the wine area. We were lucky enough to also find a good wine maker who took take time to tell us about their production process and the history of their winery.
 |
| Chinon |
Winemaker who gave us a tour of his vineyard in Montlouis-sur-Loire
 |
| He gave us a taste of his moelleux wine (sweet wine). A wine that they only make when the conditions are right. Apparently, 2014 was a great year for the wine. |
Of course, the city of Amboise has some sites to see.
Chateau d' Amobise
Pedestrian market street
Amboise from the other side of the river.