Cheverny & Chambord

We were excited to have a rain-free day to explore two of the most famous chateaus in the Loire Valley. Our first destination was Chateau de Chambord. We thought the parking situation was a bit strange as it seemed the lots were closed, but we couldn't read the French signs and we decided to join the couple of other vehicles in the parking lot and head out from there. Unfortunately, as we approached this magnificent chateaux, we learned that it was closed on this particular day due to flooding it had experienced the day before. This was unfortunate as we'd saved our visit to this castle for a nice day, and had driven over an hour to get here. Being that there was nothing we could do, we walked around it and took some photos before moving on.

We called Chateau de Cheverny before heading there to make sure that they were open and upon confirming that they were, we started out again. The exterior of this chateaux is famous because it was a model for the castle in the popular Tintin comic. Behind the main chateaux is the Orangerie, originally a hall where the orange trees were moved during the cooler months, but used as a place to store famous art works, including the Mona Lisa, during WWII. This chateaux also has a kennel for the hunting dogs that are still used today by the castle's owners. We enjoyed the random tidbits of information that we learned as we toured this chateaux, such as in the medieval times people slept sitting up so that they didn't swallow their tongues!

Chateaux de Cheverny, used as a model for the Tintin comics

The nursery decorated with Napoleon III - era toys

We found it humorous that one of the richly decorated sitting rooms filled with many portraits, but the main one was the owner's daughter-in-law!

Walkway to the Orangerie, where famous paintings, including the Mona Lisa, were stored during WWII.

The kennels with the owner's hunting dogs all branded with their crest.

After touring the beautiful garden area, we called it a day and returned to our cottage. After dinner the boys continued their ongoing poker tournament and Dad joined in while instructing them on the history of rock music.

Playing poker, one way to keep occupied in the Loire Valley during unpleasant weather

The rain held off the following day and so we decided to try our luck again and had to Chateau de Chambord. We were thrilled upon arrival to learn that it was open to visitors. The construction for this stunning French Renaissance chateaux began in 1519 with the purpose of it to be a weekend hunting lodge for Francois I; however he would only end up staying here for 42 days during his 32 year reign. This castle is significant because one could say that France went from a monarchy to a republic within these walls. This is the largest chateaux in the Loire Valley and has over 440 rooms, 365 fireplaces, and 84 staircases! Being so massive, we opted to get the kids 3D iPad audio tours to keep them more engaged as they were getting a bit castled-out. While they had fun wandering the chateaux, competing to find the invisible coins to complete their collection, they were also able to visualize what the castle looked like during its days of use and learn some of the history of it. We found it interesting that the king's bathroom area, located off of his bedroom, was not only the place where the king used a wooden box for a toilet, but also his wardrobe and the place where politics were discussed in addition the location where those who attended the king would sleep on cots at night. The king's bedroom, or bed chamber as it was referred to back in the day, was not just for sleeping but also for eating at a small table and for entertaining his guests while he reclined on his bed. After our tour we rented bikes and tried to explore the 54 sq km hunting ground that surrounds the chateaux, the largest in Europe and reserved solely for high-ranking French government personalities; however due to the flooding and Dad pulling SJ in a trailer, we opted to just stay on the paths (after trying the woods of course) and circle the chateaux before heading home.