The weather here has been beautiful with warm sunny days, just perfect for wandering round chateaux and gardens. We ended our day in Chinon, at the Hotel Diderot, which proved to be just what I’d hoped, my idea of a perfect small hotel in France! Our room had jasmine climbing the wall outside which fragranced the air …
… and inside was so pretty and cool due to the thick stone walls.
The terrace proved a perfect spot for breakfast, with thick slices of toasted brioche as light as love and homemade preserves that were especially delicious.
The Chateau de Chinon is high above the town, overlooking the river Vivienne and extensive vineyards and comprises a restored fortress, built by King Henry II of England in the C12th.
As we walked through the pretty medieval town …
… we noticed several references to Joan of Arc, and one suggested she may have dismounted her horse in that very spot!
Having checked, we found that after her vision that she must free Orleans from the English, she came to Chinon in 1429 for her first meeting with Charles VII who was living in the chateau.
The day ended with another creperie …
… and another sunset!
It was so hard to choose which of the chateaux to visit as there are so many, but our next choice was Chateau D’Azay-le-Rideau, one of the loveliest, with soaring turrets right out of a fairytale.
We walked round the garden first and waited to see if the water would settle to give a good reflection. I was out of luck, but was rewarded instead by a chorus from tiny frogs sitting on the lilies!
The interior was less interesting, although since it was built during the reign of Francis I, there were more salamanders to spot.
Chateau de Villandry was just close by, another C16th building, with a redesigned C18th interior, including some fine tapestries and very pretty fabrics.
As the tour took us to the first floor, we got the best views of the garden which were recreated in the C16th style starting in 1908. The shapes of these box beds are picked out with tulips in spring and begonias in the summer.
The ornamental kitchen garden is carefully planned with around 40 species in crop rotation as necessary, maintained organically with underground watering.
Together with the 1000 lime trees and 30km of box which all need pruning, it is managed by just 10 gardeners!
We were very much looking forward to our dinner at La Table Jeanne with traditional homemade cuisine and local specialities especially when they confirmed that they would be pleased to offer a vegetarian menu. The reality unfortunately fell a little short and when asked for details of the vegetarian choice, we were told it would be up to the kitchen! Even my lemon tart proved a disappointment …
Having said all that, we met Dalus and Karen who were on an extended trip to Europe from Auckland and had a lovely evening chatting about life and travels.
As we checked out of Hotel Diderot, we were told about the monthly brocante down by the river and couldn’t miss the chance to join in this very French activity! We parked in Place de Jeanne of Arc …
… then browsed the stalls of vintage offerings …
… similar to a car boot, but so French and so much more classy! I was delighted to buy a selection of vintage lace and mother of pearl buttons from this lovely lady!
But we had dallied too long and it was time to get back on the road so we crossed the river Vienne and waved goodbye to Chinon.
Off Travelling Together 