Chenonceau

gardens of Villandry

more gardens of Villandry

weat

Chenonseau

flower in Villandry

view inVillandry

Stained glass in Chenanseau

We are now in the Loire valley. The first day we went biking, it was very scenic with fields of poppies and daisies. There were also groves of trees and rows of grape vines! The bikes we got were great with little racks on the back for our back packs! The only thing with the trees and flowers is that Ryan and Daddy got allergies from the pollen so we had to turn back, but at least we went 40 km! We stopped at this great place on the river that served cold drinks and we brought our own lunch of sausage, cheese and bread. It was great! The guy that sold us the drinks did not speak any English so I could use my French skills.

The place we are staying at is an old castle made entirely out of stone. It was built in the 15th century and is very old looking, but in our room it seems quite modern with lots of up to date furniture. The bathroom is in a turret and all the windows have bars on them for an old appearance. They also have a great big garden with a lot of different foods growing there. They own 6 acres of property and they have fields planted with growing wheat and grass fields with grazing sheep. There is also a donkey that they feed stale bread, it is very funny because he would have half a baguette sticking out of his mouth.

The next day we went to the grand Chinon chateau that Richard the Lion- Hearted stayed at, William the Conqueror lived and Joan of Ark made a grand appearance. It is a great stone fortress, expanded over the centuries and has stood strong against the 100 Years War, WWI and WWII! It has fantastically deep moats that have secret exits and large bridges towering above.

We then went to the Villandry chateau, it has many gardens with vegetables and flowers combined to make a beautiful display. My favourite part was the maze because Ryan and I could have races in it to the finish line! We then went to Chenonceaux, it was grand and famous because many French and English queens lived there. It is an architectural feat because it spans a rushing river with a banquet hall on top of the bridge.