Friday (Amboise)…

After an early breakfast of croissants and jus d’orange, hopped in our tiny Citröen Picasso for a day visiting chateaux along the Loire and Cher rivers. First stop was the Chateau de Chenonceau, which shines brilliantly in the early morning light. This chateau actually straddles the Cher River and has beautiful formal gardens. Left Chenonceau and took a winding 30-minute drive through the Loire countryside skirting Blois. Arrived at the Chateau de Chambord, an enormous 426-room “hunting lodge” built for Francois I. Ate croque monsieurs and frites before hitting the road for Chateau de Cheverny with its well furnished rooms and manicured lawns. Visited with the 70+ hunting dogs at Cheverny and then drove along the Loire River to our final destination…Chaumont-sur-Loire, built in the 15th and 16th centuries. This chateau is perched high above its town, and has classic pointed towers and a working draw bridge. This chateau also has an amazing stable built in the 19th century. The horses were better housed than most people at that time. Headed back to Amboise with tired feet for a relaxing dinner of pastas, Chinon wine, cappucinos, and crepes. Four chateaux in one day is fun, but exhausting!