Castles

Here are the castles of Chambord and Chenonceaux. I wish the weather had been nicer but you really got the feeling of what it must've been like living in the castle on a cold, dreary day. The castles weren't heated, although both had fireplaces with a fire burning so you could warm up. Lee had nice warm hands at Chambord when I thought mine were going to freeze! Chambord has a double helix staircase that was designed by da Vinci. It was cool to walk up it! There were lots of rooms to visit, including a small chapel. Chenonceaux had rustic kitchens and special rooms for different needs (butchery, baking, herbs). It also had a hall with a black and white tiled floor that stretched across the river. The river was running high on this spring day! Although I wasn't there, I heard that some of the dancers found posing like the pictures and statues a fun adventure. Unfortunately, this wasn't looked upon as being respectful and I have to commend them for changing their ways for the rest of the trip. Chenonceaux had a hedge maze that the kids found real easy to solve. It wasn't hard as you could see over the top of the hedges. I also like chenonceaux because it was "Diane's Castle". I had a beautiful blue bed and room. I've included a picture of me over the mantle. (Looks nothing like me I know, but maybe in another life!) Once again, wish I had read about these two castles before visiting them. Also there are many other castles to see and visit in the Loir Valley. Erin's host family gave me a book telling about each one.

(Sorry about the order of the posts. I had been able to move them the other day, but its not working today.)

Diane