When considering traveling to France for our ten-year wedding anniversary, Ben and I naturally assumed we would visit Paris and all of its prized architectural contributions, from the Louvre to the Pompidou… and so we did, but we also knew walking 9 miles a day in Paris was not exactly a relaxing vacation - something we knew we were also in need of. In search of a place that was not too far from the city, but far enough to leave the urban hustle-and-bustle completely behind, we are happy to report that the Loire Valley was a perfect choice!
Châteaux were everywhere to be found, in all sizes (S,M,L,XL), and all made of brick and limestone with all the most beautiful flourishes. Small, winding roads connected their associated French villages together, all while hugging the banks of the Loire River.
We spotted this quaint chateau while riding our bikes from Noizay to Amboise. Tucked behind roadside hedges, I hit my brakes and peeked in to find an over-the-top patterned exterior facade, and took some photos by way of some light misdemeanor breaking-and-entering. During some later research over a bottle of wine, I discovered that this estate functions as a rentable vacation home. Maybe next time?!
Chateau de Noizay in Noizay, France
Our first day of bike riding took us east of Noizay to Vouvray. This was my favorite bike ride because of all the small towns we passed through on the way.
Château du Clos Lucé, Amboise, France
Built in 1471 for King Louis XI as a gift to Etienne le Loup, the King’s favorite kitchen hand, the residence became Leonardi da Vinci’s home in 1516. It was in Amboise, that da Vinci spent the last three years of his life. The grounds of this chateau held mock-ups of many of da Vinci’s inventions, as well as his working notebooks complete with his beautiful backwards lettering.
On day 2, we biked the longest stretch of our trip from Noizay to Chenonceaux and back. We stopped in Amboise on the way there and back to see Clos de Luce and Chateau Royal d’Amboise, and to eat dinner.
High above the town of Amboise are the garden and grounds of the Chateau Royal d’Amboise which was once the residence of the King of France during the Renaissance period.
Château de Chenonceau, Chenonceaux, France
Built in 1494 as a hunting lodge called “Logis Bohier”, named after Thomas Bohier, King Henri II gifted this extremely fancy chateau to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers, in 1499. Later, Queen Catherine de’Medici removed her former husband’s mistress from the grounds and expanded the chateau across the River Cher to complete the structure that stands today. In World War II, the mansion became a hospital for wounded soldiers, and had the uniquely handy asset of a service entry on the right bank of the River Cher, which happened to be a border between Occupied and Free France.