Versailles

The houses of the super wealthy, sometimes clueless monarchs do make great tourist stops later, despite the unfortunate ends of the monarchs themselves.

Louis XIV is the most famous king in part because he was king for a long time and did many good deeds.
Clare, Joëlle and Marc, in the plaza in front of Versailles
You cannot help but stare at the gold gate.
Louis XIV was known as the sun king, perhaps explaining some of the gold emblems.

Versailles is a magnificent palace, so exuberant that one gets a bit tired of the brilliant gold by the end of the tour.

This room, adjacent to the bedrooms, had these golden children all around the edge of the ceiling.
These beautiful pieces featuring a crown above fleur-de-lis adorned the corners of this room.
The Hall of Mirrors is probably the most popular attraction, and I think you could never get tired of coming to see it.
The chapel is the tallest building in the palace.
Queen’s bedroom, King’s bedroom and King’s other bedroom.
Brian and Clare in the Hall of Mirrors
Military gallery of paintings
Most famous painting of Louis XIV

Chenonceau, Loire Valley

What fun to build a castle over the water, on top of a bridge.

What this castle is famous for is the women who maintained it, changed the decorations and made it what it is today.

Marques Tower, built before the rest of the castle and separate from it
The classic looking castle is known for its gardens and hunting grounds.
It is protected by statues reminiscent of ancient Egypt.
We wandered the hallways, reading about the five powerful women who influenced the designs of the castle, some queens, some mistresses.
The kitchens were well stocked with tools from many eras and stocked with fresh herbs. Note the many fancy molds for desserts.
The designs on furniture in many of the rooms was intricate and beautifully kept.

This is Joëlle’s favorite castle because of how many fresh flowers are placed in many rooms and hallways. These are chosen from the gardens daily. I suppose that makes sense because the castle is nick-named the Women’s Castle!

Lucky for the castle, the Le Cher River is calm here.
Fountain outside the castle
Joëlle’s hat is barely visible in the labyrinth outside the castle.

Clos Luce and Leonardo da Vinci, Amboise

Leonardo arrived here in 1516 and only lived around 3 years in this house before his death, but he left a lot of his works there. He owned the house, and enjoyed using a secret passageway between it and the royal residence.

Image of Leonardo in the passage to Amboise castle
Inventions
Natural curiosities
Kitchen and lab area
Inventions and curiosities
Newer buildings on the property had more information on Leonardo da Vinci and his many inventions.
Amboise castle is connected to Leonardo’s home by a tunnel.
Older tourism sign designating the Amboise wine region

Château de Chambord, Blois

The spiral staircase is the centerpiece of this chateau, one of the most “awe inspiring Renaissance constructions” a collaborative effort by French and Italian artists. The outer walls each have a smaller spiral staircase in the corners, as well as four on the corners of the inner sanctuary. Here we learned about famous men from 1515 to 1883, each with their contribution to the chateau. Four of the famous men had their own emblems, a porcupine, an ermine, a swan with an arrow going through it and a salamander.

We did not explore the gardens much, because it was too hot.

The bell towers were being renovated, part of a Covid funding package.
Spiral staircases! We became very good at walking up and down these. The third photo is a ceramic stove for heat.
The ornate workings on the top of the chateau are extraordinary.
Crown and Throne
An artist was asked to put some works in the château, adding much visual interest and (sometimes) confusion.
Spiral staircase from the outside.
Contemplating our next move
Fleur-de-lis in the gardens was beautiful from the third floor.