The first time we stayed in Vouvray, in October 2000, we spent time wandering around the little town and taking photos, but we also spent a lot (too much?) time on the road, driving from château to château and village to village. Our first stop was at the château that is probably most emblematic of the Loire Valley castles — Chenonceau. It's the château that has a long gallery that spans the Cher river. It's just 15 or so miles from Vouvray (and also about 15 miles from Saint-Aignan).
2004
Actually, these are not photos I took in the year 2000 or 2001. I did take some then, but I think these are better. I took some of them in 2004 and some in 2005. I'm trying to remember the last time I went to Chenonceau. It was probably years ago. That's what happens when you live near famous sites and attractions. Above is Chenonceau reflected in the waters of the Cher.
2005
My most memorable visit to Chenonceau was in 2004. A good friend in California told me about a friend of hers who was in France and finishing up a stay down in the Pyrenees mountains. Walt and I didn't know her at all. She was headed back to Paris for her flight home and had a few days extra. Could she come and stay with Walt and me for two or three nights? Could we show her some Loire Valley sights?
2005
We said yes. We had only been here a year and we were trying to figure out what to expect next. The friend of a friend wanted to see Chenonceau. It was mid-July. Tourists were everywhere. The weather was beautiful. The visitor and I drove over to Chenonceau one afternoon. It was so crowded and the lines to get in were so long that I told the visitor I just couldn't face it. The parking lot was full of tour buses. I didn't want to go inside and shuffle along with the hundreds or thousands of other visitors.
2004
Our visitor was understandably very disappointed. I told her, by way of apology, that we would drive back over to Chenonceau the next morning and try to be there by 9:00, before all the tour buses pulled into the parking lot. So that's what we did. And it was fantastic. We were almost the only people there. Again, the weather was beautiful, and it wasn't nearly as hot early in the morning as it had been the afternoon before. Not only were there no crowds, but there also was no wind. The river was glassy and the reflections were spectacular. I took a lot of photos.
2004
A year later, in mid-July, other friends from California came to visit. We also went to Chenonceau — you just have to when you have visitors from the U.S. — but we didn't actually pay to go onto the château grounds and into the building. There's a path along the south bank of the Cher river that most people don't know about. You can park your car and walk a few hundred yards right up to the château and get good views of it. There's no admission charge and there's no crowd. At least there wasn't any charge or crowd back then. I wonder if things have changed...
P.S. A search of my blog leads me to believe that my latest visit to Chenonceau dates back to 2013. I was also there in 2012, 2011, and 2010 (twice). I guess it's time for another visit.
I went with you to Chenonceau on 24 June 2009. First we went to Francueil where I bought a Betz-le-Chateau fromage de chèvre. Then we walked on the south (left) bank of the Cher river to the chateau. I had never seen it that way. I enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI was somewhat confused because I thought It was also around that time that "we" made a delicious brandade de morue. It was as good, if not better than the one I had in Montpellier at friends half a century before! In fact, the brandade was in late July 2010, a year later! Ageing process?
Do you mean that the brandade had aged for year, or that you have? I remember (our) making it, but I couldn't tell you what year that was. I do remember the Betz-le-Château goat cheese. We bought it at a winery in Francueil, as you say, very close to Chenonceau. The winery was hosting some kind of event featuring regional products.
DeleteLOL, Ken. How could the brandade age for a year since it was so good there was nothing left?
DeleteThe date stamps on my June 2009 photos show that we went to Chenonceau on June 20. And I posted photos on the blog on June 21.
DeleteWhen we went in June, 3 years ago, we were bracing for huge crowds, but it was not crowded at all, and I was very pleasantly surprised. We were there in the morning, too, but not as early as 9:00. I guess the European school kids are still in school at that point. It was a wonderful visit :)
ReplyDeleteThe tour buses usually pull into the parking lot at Chenonceau by about 11, in my experience.
DeleteThat first picture is pretty amazing. I think it's my favorite of the Loire chateaux. Aesthetic perfection. Someone told me that during WWII, one side of the river was French territory and the other German occupied.
ReplyDeleteFor a short time in the 1940s, the "demarcation line" between German-occupied France and free France was the Cher River in this part of the country, from east of Saint-Aignan over to west of Chenonceau, I believe.
DeleteYou've kindly taken me twice--once with Tony, and I think the next time with Barbara. Memorable days!
ReplyDeleteI have identified photos of Chenonceau with you and Barbara. I don't know what year it was that Tony was here with you.
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