Two Chateaus’ in one day

The whole town was very quiet this morning. It seems the only sounds were the rare train trundling through the station and our Bus. The roads were almost still and very few people were on foot. All the shops were closed. It was a stroke of luck being so close to the station that we were able to stock up on supplies before we headed off through the Provincial French countryside to our first Chateau.
Chambord was built by a self centred French king who wanted to leave a lasting impression. He seemed to have managed to do this. It was fascinating to see how the building was designed (some say Leonardo had a hand in the central spiral staircase) and the succession of royal visitors over the years. We were not treated as royalty but we knew better. The girls have allocated their bedrooms and have grand plans for big parties once we move in.
Having plenty of time to kill, the girls hired a tandem bike/car thingy and took off for a circuit of the grounds whilst the more astute adults relaxed in the shade to consume a bottle of the local vino (which was purchased at the market someone had conveniently decided to run on this day – being the holiday) whilst watching the crowds mill around.
After more sitting around and nattering we jumped on the bus again to head to Castle Cheverny. This is located in the middle of a town which would have to take the prize for the best public flower boxes in the word. The Castle itself it still occupied by the original family. Through some clever negotiating skills they even managed to keep it through the Revolution.
So they now open it up to tourists and we suspect this pays for the upkeep and the lifestyles that they obviously enjoy. We spent some time wandering around the house, managed to get ourselves involved in the portrait room and then strolled the immaculately manicured grounds. Even the veggie patch had broken coloured glass walkways between the plant rows – very effective.
Ro and girls were a bit concerned about the overcrowding of the Hunting dogs. Threatening to call the local RSPCA until Louisa pointed out that the handouts even cover that angle and the Authorities have it all under control (so they say). Still, they do hunt twice week – the practice is still very strong. They didn’t actually say what they were hunting though. This, we suspect, is to keep the animal rights groups at bay.
Our trip back was through some provincial French suburbs – which look the same as any modern suburbs. Warehouses, shops, caryards etc. We did however take the scenic route along the river opposite the town centre which gave us some great views of the town. A walk and dinner in the main square (again) as every other option was closed to us and we’re now ready for a day of fewer activities and possibly a sleep in.