Sun 25 May 2014 Cumulative distance 980km
The weatherman's promise of a cool but sunny day was quickly dissolved in the first downpour as we were loading our bikes outside our hotel. After some unkind words directed towards the heavens we dragged out our wet weather gear again and prepared for a damp day visiting some of the châteaux in the area.
We headed first to Beauregarde, about 20km to the south of Blois. Along the way we encountered a large group of veteran cars - obviously a club on a day's outing. There were some delightful old vehicles amongst them and their owners were clearly pleased at our enthusiastic waving as they passed by.
Although we knew that the Château Beauregarde itself did not open till 1030 (too late for us) we had hoped to view the buildings and the grounds as we passed by. Unfortunately, the entrance was so arranged that no views were possible without paying the entry fee so we scratched Beauregarde from our list and, after a warming coffee in the next village, we headed on to Cheverny.
The bike path to Cheverny wound through some delightful countryside and when the sun occasionally broke through the clouds our spirits were lifted. We stopped briefly in Cheverny village to buy some bread, cheese and fruit for a picnic lunch somewhere and were surprised to see long queues at each of the bakeries in the town. Later it became apparent why - today was the national Mother's Day and many people were on their way to a family lunch and were all buying bread and pastries to take along.
Château de Cheverny is one of the most visited châteaux in the Loire Valley and is admired for its elegant symmetrical lines. It is surrounded by a large park and various well preserved outer buildings. The interior furnishings are very impressive, if somewhat too ornate and cluttered for our taste. After an hour or so viewing the interiors we wandered the gardens and found a convenient bench for our picnic lunch.
We then headed towards Chenonceaux following some of the major roads to improve our speed as there was very little traffic (Sunday afternoon). However the rain returned with a vengeance and on reaching Montrichard we reassessed the situation and decided to seek accommodation there, and put off our visit to Château Chenonceaux till tomorrow. We soon found a hotel near the railway station and were glad to have a hot shower and change into some dry clothes.
Heading to Cheverny
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Château de Cheverny
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Towards Chenonceaux
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Blois
Sat 24 May 2014 Cumulative distance 930km (no change)
A rest day - time for a sleep-in, some washing, a stroll through the Saturday market, a spot of shopping, a light lunch, a planning session for the next few days and a visit to the Château Royal de Blois.
The Château was the residence of several French kings and was also the place where Joan of Arc went in 1429 to be blessed by the Archbishop of Reims before departing with her army to drive the English from Orléans. Built in the middle of the town that it effectively controlled, the Château of Blois comprises several buildings constructed from the 13th to the 17th century around the main courtyard. It has 564 rooms and 75 staircases although only 23 were used frequently. There is a fireplace in each room and there are 100 bedrooms. (Wikipedia)
Blois market
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Château Royal de Blois
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Blois
Fri 23 May 2014 Cumulative distance 930km
The rainy conditions continued throughout the day, with occasional glimmers of sunshine, stimulating some hope (typically forlorn) that the conditions were improving. Fortunately the wind was moderate and although occasionally chilly, we made very good progress. After a lunch break in a creperie in Bracieux we continued on to Château de Chambord, located in massive forested grounds that were, and still are, a hunting reserve.
The royal Château de Chambord is one of the most recognizable châteaux in the world because of its very distinctive French Renaissance architecture which blends traditional French medieval forms with classical Renaissance structures. The building, which was never completed, was constructed by King François I. Chambord is the largest château in the Loire Valley; it was built to serve as a hunting lodge for François I, who maintained his royal residences at the châteaux of Blois and Amboise, but grew to massive proportions with 440 rooms, 365 fireplaces and 84 staircases. Ironically François found the place too draughty and apparently only stayed 42 days during his 32 year reign. The château is now open to the public, receiving 700,000 visitors in 2007. (Wikipedia/Lonely Planet)
Despite its grand reputation we were all underwhelmed, preferring the simpler, more elegant lines of the château at Sully-sur-Loire. After an icecream to celebrate a short sunny break we continued on to Blois and soon found rooms in a centrally-located hotel. We had to lug all our gear up to the third floor but the rooms were large and bright and we considered the effort worthwhile as we will enjoy a rest day here tomorrow.
Lamotte-Beuvron to Chambord
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Château de Chambord
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Blois
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