Autumn leaves at Chenonceau

One of the places we visited on Monday, the last really nice day this week, was the Château de Chenonceau. We didn't go in through the main entrance into the park that surrounds the château. Instead we took a walk along the river on the opposite bank of the Cher.

Le château de Chenonceau au 1er novembre 2010

On that side, you can walk right up to the château. It's free — there is no entrance fee on this side. And there are no crowds to wade through, no lines to wait in.

Color through the arches

With our friends Chrissoup and her husband, we had tried to do the Chenonceau river walk the last time they visited, in 2006. Problem was, that year — it was in March — the Cher River was at flood stage. We drove over to Chenonceau, 15 miles from Saint-Aignan, only to find that the river walk was under water. We didn't see Chenonceau on that trip.

Restoration work is ongoing at Chenonceau.

Going to see it this time was part of the plan. It was a nice sunny day, just before noon, when we were there. Despite my sprained ankle, I did the walk as well. The ground was soft from rain, but we walked on a carpet of autumn leaves and it wasn't especially muddy or rutted. My ankle was up to the challenge.

The Cher River as it flows through the park at Chenonceau

The château is undergoing some restoration work, and part of it is covered in scaffolding. That's not unusual, with these old monuments. They have to be maintained. Old buildings always need some sort of repair, n'est-ce pas ?

A parting glance

It's November and the leaves on the trees are pretty colorful right now, as you see. It's been rainy — drizzly — for a couple of days now, and leaves are falling fast. It was nice to catch them at just the right moment.