Chateaux on the Loire
July 10, 2002

Chenonceau
The "Chateau des Dames", this chateau was designed by a woman
(so that it is much more sensibly laid out than many other chateaux,
which sometimes require going through one bedroom to get to the next one)
It was given by Henry II to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers.
But when Henry II died, his wife, Catherine de Medici,
moved in and forced Diane de Poitiers to move out.

Diane de Poiters' garden	We want sock drawers like these in our dressers!	Catherine de Medici's garden

Clos Lucé
François I invited Leonardo de Vinci to live here in Amboise
near the end of his life. In turn, de Vinci gave François the "Mona Lisa"
(a rather extravagent hostess gift, we thought!).

View of the castle of François I from the garden of Clos Lucé

Fourgès-sur-Bievre

This chateaux demonstrates the fortress-like character of the earlier chateaux, quite different from the lovely residences which were built later.

Cheverny
This chateau is unusual in the Loire in that it has been in
the Hurault family for 700 years. It's fun to see family photos
of the current owners on the antique dressers!

The hunting dogs (a cross between English foxhounds and Poitevins)

Trophy Room (2000 stag antlers, trophies of the Cheverny hunt over the past 150 years)

Chambord

This is the famous double helix staircase, two interlocking spirals around a hollow core. You can see people on the other staircase but not ever meet them as you ascend from floor to floor.