Day 7, Chambord-Chaumont-Chenonceau-Chartres

Castles and rain, rain, rain...

At day break, very early in the morning I wake up. From my attic window I look down on the entrance road to the castle lined with gnarled sycamore trees. Nobody is around, but both martins and pigeons are noisily greeting the new day and very busy indeed. Everything smells fresh and green. No petrol fumes, or smells from the kitchen. Just a very pure and clean morning.

Chambord. View from my attic window

A few hours later, when it is time to get up, it starts raining. First tentatively, but gradually it gets worse and worse never to stop that day.

Breakfast is good and as expected elegantly served. So after a last walk and a last look at Chateau de Chambord, we go on our way. No pilgrimage this time, but a day to visit a few more castles in the Loire Valley. I had never seen any and never been in this part of France before, so after yesterday's experience I am looking forward to savour some more historic decadence.

Chaumont

. Above: from the other side of the river. Below: entrance gate to the castle.

We aim for Chaumont, a fortified castle high over the river Loire. The road towards Chaumont is rather uninteresting and not very picturesque, even along the minor roads. But perhaps it is the rain which is really pelting down. We pass Beauregard, a hunting "lodge" in the form of a castle, and try to get a glimpse of it. This is only possible if we buy a ticket at the entrance gate for both gardens and castle, which is a 12 minute walk away from the gate. And it is very wet indeed. So we drive on, leaving Beauregard to some hardier folk, only to stop in a village with an interesting 11th century church. It is open. Inside it is very dark as the windows are narrow and positioned high up in the walls. People attending church can't see what is happening outside. One side aisle was added in the 16^th century and the other one opposite as late as the 19^th century. The glass is mainly 16^th century. It is too dark to take pictures.

 Treasures from Chaumont:

 coloured glass

 tiled floors depicting  a hunting scene

 very ornate ceilings

 tapestries

eye catching pillars

Opposite the church is the Mairie with Liberté, Egalité and Fraternité painted over the doors. The village would be attractive if it weren't so wet. A young woman clad in a bright pink raincoat and pink high heels dashes out under an umbrella to post a letter and just as quickly runs back on tiptoe to her house, she the only splash of colour in this grey and wet market place, like an exotic bird.

Once at Chaumont we park at the entrance near the river, alongside a busy road. A mistake, we realise later. For we have to walk up a steep path towards the castle. The view of the Loire is glorious from here, provided the weather is bright and clear. We get very wet. If we had driven on to the top we would have found the main entrance gate with a parking lot and a restaurant. But little did we know. There is a garden festival, but the gardens are far too wet to enjoy them so we take refuge in the castle which is truly worth visiting. It is a defence castle, but still very opulent and beautifully furbished inside. The painted and decorated ceilings, the elaborately tiled floors, the priceless Flemish tapestries on the walls, the spiral stone staircases and carved capitals of the pillars, the ancient glass, they are all wonderful. I am briefed about the history of the castle, its inhabitants, its use, etc. That is the advantage of travelling with a historian. Kings, queens, dukes, French and English, so many have passed through this place or are connected with it.

 some more examples of sculpted decorations

 A bautiful ceiling

 All three pictures were taken in the chaple at Chenonceau

We spend quite some time here, partly because there is a lot to see, partly because it is still pouring down. On the top floor, in the attics, is an interesting exhibition. Interesting because here the myriad rooms and corridors are totally in neglect and haven't been restored at all. It must have been a gigantic effort the restore the rest of the castle to its former glory. From the rain splashed attic windows which are also very draughty we can look down on the river where a few typical river boats are moored.

 The river Loire with boats.

Above: taken through the attic windows

The castle has only a minute coffee shop and the weather doesn't really invite us to walk through the gardens in search of the restaurant so we go down to our car and have something to eat in a tiny pizzeria opposite the lower entrance gate. In order to have a better view of the castle, we cross the river and take a picture from there. It must be glorious in nice weather. Now it just looks imposing and a bit threatening in the gloom.

 Chenonceau

Our next stop is Chenonceau. We try to drive there following minor country roads but lose our way again. However, we get there in the end. Although this is not the day to admire the gardens, we still have to buy a combination ticket. Chenonceau is well-known, with its characteristic arches built over the river Cher. I had imagined that all the main rooms would be there and that the place would be huge. In fact, the main part of the castle is a rather modest square building. The long arched part across the river is one huge hall or ballroom. 

 The Kitchens

The lower parts of the arches house the kitchens, a good idea as the food undoubtedly could be kept rather cool near the flowing stream. The castle is crowded, probably because the gardens haven't got much to offer in this weather. I am so glad I am not camping or on a cycling trip, the favourite pastime of many a Dutch tourist! The gardens seem magnificent, but the paths look like small lakes and as it is late we decide to head for Chartres, our last stop on this pilgrimage. Although everybody knows the photos of Chenonceau taken from the gardens where one has a good view of the arches across the river, I don't bother to take one. My shoes are soaked already.

 Very elaborate and colourful beds, tapetries, ceilings, cornices, etc.

At 4 o'clock we leave and head for Chartres. Again we have some false turns on the minor roads, especially after we refuel and get a bit confused about our direction. But we make it to Chartres. Here I try to find a hotel in the centre, but the traffic is busier than expected, even at this early evening hour, because of a cycle tour. In the end we turn back to the entrance road into Chartres and find a hotel there on a strip. It could be anywhere in the world, the USA or Canada, even more so when we have a meal in the adjoining Buffalo Burger( oh horror!), frequented by young French people but not my first choice when I am on holiday in the land of good food. Of course we discover the hotel we were looking for the next day plus the best place to park – after we have parked in an underground parking garage. My mistake, as I get nervous about driving around this unknown town which is busier than either of us ever remembered.  I should have used the satnav, as that would have guided us straight to our destination, and we could have stayed in the heart of Chartres near local restaurants.

This was the best I could do. Usually the photos are taken from the other side, the end of one of the gardens, as the castle looks much nicer that way.