After a stroll in the sun around this town we have fallen in love with - Beaugency - we head to Chambord, not too far away. I am at the wheel this time. Connie, our GPS guru, points us in the right direction and we are off. Driving manual on the wrong side of the road in new territory doesn't spell easy but my left and right are swiftly sorted and gear changing on this car is easier than it was in my Fiat 850 or Mini 1000 back in the '70s and '80s!! Blinkers blink on cue and the windscreen wipers stay put. Connie pipes up when needed but BSD is not required. A handy watchdog and valuable radar nevertheless.
The sun is shining and, after filling up, we are soon in the grounds of the very stunning Chambord Chateau in the Loire valley. Our breath is taken away by the beauty before us.
The turrets and spires spin upwards with such intricacy and detail it is hard to work out where they begin and end. The pastel blue and grey hues of the place are appealing in every way. This place is elegant. Symmetrical and streamlined in a chaotic way. Vast yet compact. Simple yet infinitely complex. Mind-bogglingly beautiful.
We learn a little of the history of this most magnificent chateau and although the architect is not known, it does smack of Leonardo da Vinci, as they suggest. The architectural planning is nothing short of genius and the building of it is a different form of clever.
We wend our way through one magnificent room after another, up the clever double staircase, and up some more until we reach the terrace with its views across the 5,000 hectares of surrounding woods. It is astounding to learn how many times the place has fallen into a state of neglect over the centuries, and then been restored by a succession of kings and noble beings. Today, the castle is pure magnificence for all the people to enjoy. However, I have to say the grounds are a little underwhelming. Nice but not spectacular at all. I guess we were expecting mazes and topiaries and precision lawns. That comes with other chateaux. The beauty of this one is in the edifice itself.
Making your way around the labarynth of rooms and staircases and nooks and crannies in this place is like trying to solve the trickiest sudoku. The precision in the planning is apparent, and there is indeed a method, but navigating the road to solution requires some skill and patience. In all reality, from the first simple stone step to the final mind-bending turret, the place is exquisite.
Chambord, we love you!
We have a bite of lunch in its shadow before heading south to the Dordogne.
Back in the car, we hit the motorway. I love every moment of the drive. We switch towards the end, as it's a good few hours on the road, and Brett is driver for the final stint.
See separate blog on driving in France ...!
We approach Grolejac, a rather more rustic village than its distant cousin Beaugency. We find La Cachette, our home for the next five days, up behind the school, tucked into the hill. Our hosts John and Marion greet us. It is around 6.30pm.
See separate post 'France is in the air ... '. This covers our arrival and day 1 in Dordogne.
Day two covered in 'A picnic, two chateaux and three lovely towns'
Observation of the Day: Places like Chambord make the skyscrapers and landmarks of today look positively ordinary. Bring back the building of chateaux, I say! I want one in NZ. Sorry Chateau at the mountain ... You are rather lovely but you are not quite in the same league as the Chambords of this world!
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