Adventures in the Loire Valley

We just got back from a very memorable, and eventful, few days in the Loire Valley.  This trip had originally been scheduled for the weekend before lockdown, back in March.  We decided to cancel it then when we saw that things were shutting down.  We weren't sure if we would be able to reschedule, but when traveling restrictions were lifted a few weeks ago, we jumped at the chance to do some of the trip we had originally planned.

What was so magical about this trip was how we seemed to have the entire Loire Valley - chateaus and hotels - all to ourselves.  With tourists from other countries still banned, it was easy to step into these places and imagine yourself once living there.  What was so impressive about these places, was not only the history attached to them, but also the amazing way they have adapted to the new COVID-19 restrictions.  Below, I will highlight not only what we saw, but the unique ways each place made it safe for us to be there.

Before I get to the Loire Valley, I want to quick highlight Jeff and Will's adventure to the D-Day beaches.  Will is preparing his own blog entry on exactly what they did.  Here I will just give you the back story.

Many of you know that Will has become obsessed with everything around WWII and WWI.  We have fostered this appreciation through books and travel, visiting many battle sights and cemeteries.  We even took a trip up to Normandy in December.  Will loved Normandy so much, he wanted to go back.  But then lockdown hit and we didn't think we could make it happen.

Last week, Will offhandedly mentioned that the 76th anniversary of D-Day (June 6) was coming up on Saturday.  He said that he felt bad that there probably wouldn't be any celebrations because the British and Americans couldn't come over for it.  That got us thinking.  We had already reserved a rental car for Sunday to go the the Loire Valley.  What if we surprised Will, rented the car a day early, and took him up to see the D-Day beaches of Normandy?

So while Will was still asleep on Saturday, Jeff took the train to Gare de Lyon to rent the car.  I got Will up and presented him with a fun day of cleaning.  Once I knew Jeff was close, I sent Will down to the post office box to mail a post card.  Once down there, I told him that Jeff was on his way with our rental car and that we should see what kind of car he rented for us.  Jeff then pulled up, got out of the car, and asked Will if he would like to spend the day seeing the Normandy beaches.  Will cried -  he was so excited!  Edy and I handed over a bag of snacks and all of Will's WWII books packed safely in his backpack and sent them off.

Will, how would you like to go to the D-Day beaches today?

Those are real tears of joy!

And they're off...

What a day they had, exploring four of the D-Day beaches (Sword, Juno, Gold, and Omaha).  They even saw military jets do a fly over three times - complete with the red, white, and blue smoke.  They ended the day in Bayeau seeing the Bayeau Tapestry, that Jeff has wanted to see for over 40 years.

Meanwhile, Edy and I had fun picking going to Galeries Lafayette to pick out a new Eastpak backpack for school next year, followed by lunch at a cafe on Rue Cler, before she went off to art class and a babysitting job for the evening.

My girl!

Safety Precautions:  At Cafe Central in Paris, instead of giving out menus which the staff would have to wipe down and clean, all the tables have a QR code to access the menu.  Also, they no longer put bottles of ketchup on the table, but have it already distributed in little containers.

On Sunday, Will went to his first in-person play practice since lockdown.  All through lockdown, his theater group had been practicing the play, "The Little Princess" over Zoom.  With all the new restrictions, they decided to still do that play, but record it instead of performing it live.  So each kid showed up in a mask for the recording.  They practiced their whole group numbers together several times with their masks on.  They then went to their seats, that were isolated from one another, put their masks in a zip-lock bag, and returned to stage for the recording.  After they would record, they would go back, get their mask, and return to stage to practice the next group number.  The directors will put this all together with some of the show being done via Zoom and some being recorded in small group sessions later this week.

Walking to play practice past a floral market.  The reason for the pink carpet
and all the balloons was that it was Mother's Day in France.

We picked Will up from his play practice at 1:30 and headed off to the Loire Valley.  We headed to the town of Angers to see the chateau there, which has the Apocalypse Tapestry.   This was something Jeff had seen years ago, and wanted to share with us.  I had no idea of the magnitude of this until I saw it.  It took up three entire walls.  There are six sections, each 78 feet by 20 feet, with 90 different scenes from the book of Revelation.  The amazing thing was that it was probably completed in just three years, from 1377-1380.  As with all the chateaus we say, there was magnificent flowers and gardens within and around each one.  This chateau actually had them up on the ramparts

With each chateau, we took note of what we liked.  If the person has three * by their name, this indicates that it was his/her favorite chateau of the trip.

What We Liked about Chateau d'Angers:  
Will - The black stonework
Edy - Vertical slate that made up the walls
Jeff*** - Apocalypse Tapestry, as well as the vegetable and fruit gardens on the ramparts
Betsy - The manicured gardens and view from the ramparts

Walking up to Chateau d'Angers and observing the manicured gardens in the moat.

The moat outside the chateau.

Inside the walls of the chateau.

Looking out at the old town of Angers from the ramparts of the chateau.

Some of the gardens and flowers of the chateau.

The chapel of the chateau.

Here is the Apocalypse Tapestry.

A close-up of one of the panels.

More views from inside the chateau.

At closing time, Will got to ring the bell announcing to guests it was closing.

Safety Precautions:  Chateau d'Angers encouraged you to buy tickets ahead of time so you could present them on your phone.  Once inside, they had signs directing the flow of traffic.  Masks were encouraged while inside and outside.

We explored part of the old town of Angers, before heading back to dinner near our hotel.  We ate outside at a creperie.  All the tables were spread out, allowing for enough space and distance between patrons.  It seemed that even in the part of France, which was not hit as hard with COVID-19, they were still following the same strict guidelines we were seeing in Paris.

Old Angers

A fire hydrant

Enjoying a cup of cider with our dinner.

After dinner we headed to our hotel for the night, Grand Hotel de la Gare.  We were one of three guests that were staying there.  Below are the safety precautions they followed.

Safety precautions:  Within the hotel, there was hand sanitizer readily available and guests were encouraged to wear their masks when not in their rooms.  For breakfast, instead of serving yourself at the buffet, a staff member asked you what you would like and brought the food over to you.  You stayed seated the entire time.

Waiting for our breakfast to be brought over to us.

The next day, we drove an hour to the town of Chinon to see the Chateau de Chinon.  This chateau is famous because it is where in 1429 Joan of Arc met Charles VII to ask if she could lead an army to help with the siege of Orleans.  Like Chateau d'Angers, it was very sparse.  As a result, they had Histopads for us to use, that not only gave us the history of the chateau but also showed us what the spaces would have looked like in the past.

What We Liked about Chateau d'Chinon:
Will - Histopad
Edy - Connection fo Joan of Arc and all the poppies
Jeff - Seeing where the Knights of Templar were held
Betsy*** - How we were the only ones there and could explore on our own

Approaching Chateau d'Chinon

Heading inside the walls of the chateau.

The sign welcoming us to the chateau.

Looking out at the VienneValley.

Learning through the Histopad.

The place where Joan of Arc met with Charles VII.

The town of Chinon.

More learning on the Histopad, with the poppies in the background.

Too bright for a selfie!

Wildflowers and unique butterflies everywhere!

In addition to chateaus, there were vineyards everywhere in the Loire Valley.

Here is an example of how the Histopad worked.  It showed you how
this now empty room, used to look as the kitchen of the chateau.

Just a girl and her dad.

Safety Precautions:  In addition to the path being very well marked for how to move around the chateau, there were new safety measures we encountered.  First one to note is that the iPads we used for the Histopad was wiped down before and after we used it.

Signs were posted reminding us to keep our distance.

Interactive boards and screens were closed to help stop germs from spreading.

In the bathrooms, there was sanitizer for you to use on the toilet seats.

After we explored the chateau, we walked into town to see part of the old city of Chinon.  As we approached the Vienne River, we saw a crew working to clear some limbs that had gathered over time, blocking part of the river.  We ended up spending a great deal of time watching them clear the logs.  We even had a picnic lunch along the river to see if we could watch more.

Clearing out the Vienne River.

They had a lot of work to do!

Recognizing the brave nurses and doctors helping fight COVID-19.

A final look up at Chateau de Chinon.

From there we drove to Langeais, where Jeff began his 12-9 work day.  I was excited about the Chateau de Langeais because online it seemed the most kid friendly, with people dressed in costume, an old tree house, and activities.  Unfortunately, the tree house was closed and all the extra activities weren't running.  As a result, the kids and I moved thorough the chateau really quickly.  The irony was that this was one of their favorites.  Unlike the other two we had seen, this was staged with furniture, so you could see how people used to live there.  

What We Liked About Chateau de Langeais:
Will - Fast and kid friendly, we got to do our own graffiti
Edy - Short and it had a fun garden
Betsy - The story of how Charles VII came to wed Anne of Brittany

Heading up the stairs into Chateau de Langeais.

This mirror reminded me of the mirror in the famous Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck. 

This scene shows the secret marriage that took place here in 1491
between Charles VII and Anne of Brittany, there-by uniting France and Brittany.  

Looking out at the town of Langeais.

On many of the walls of the chateaus, you see carvings people have done.
Here they actually gave you a place to carve your name so you wouldn't mark up the chateau.

Edy 2020

Will 2020

We thought this tapestry depicted Chewy from Star Wars.

Outside of the chateau were the gardens.  

Looking out at the Loire River.

The tree house we couldn't climb.

The Chateau de Langeais

Once we were done with the chateau, we grabbed a tasty treat from a small cafe in the town of Langeais.

Making a garland with all the daisies she found.

No gelato.  I guess a brownie will do.

Yum!

This was a great spot to stop for a treat.

View of Chateau de Langeais from town.

Because we moved so quietly through this chateau, the kids and I decided to see one more before heading to our hotel for the night.  We drove to explore the famous gardens of Chateau de Villandry.  During the French Revolution, this property was confiscated.  Emperor Napoleon then gave it to his brother.  In 1906, it was purchased by Joachim Carvallo, who put a lot of money into creating the unique gardens.  It has a forest, Renaissance gardens, ornamental flower gardens, vegetable gardens, and a maze.

What We Liked about Chateau Villandry's Gardens:
Will - The maze
Edy - The forest
Betsy - The ornamental garden

Our first view of the extensive gardens as we entered the grounds of the chateau.

Below are the Renaissance gardens.

The forest

Looking out over the pond shaped like the Louis XV mirror.

The maze

Looking down on the vegetable gardens.

Using the map figure out what had been planted.

A final look at the chateau.

Outside of the chateau was one of the old stone distance markers. 

That night we stayed in a hotel that has rooms and a swimming pool set in caves - The Hotel Demeure de la Vignole.  I had arranged for us to stay here in March.  Luckily, they were open again to host us.

The parking lot.

Our room was actually two floors.

Here was where the kids slept on the first floor.

Heading upstairs to our room.

The bathroom.

A beautiful patio to enjoy a quick dinner before swimming.

View from the patio towards the neighboring vineyard.

Swimming in the cave. 

Edy

Will

More views of the hotel.

We were treated to a double rainbow that night.

I woke up to this view.

Breakfast

One last look back at the Hotel Demeure de la Vignole.

Safety Precautions:  Again, this hotel had impressive safety precautions.  In addition to wearing masks, you had to let the front desk know when you would like to use the pool and what time you would like to eat breakfast.  This meant that you were the only family in the pool and the only family going through the buffet line at breakfast.  All headboards in the rooms were covered with a sheet, that was then taken off with the bed linens and washed.  Like with other places, the flow of traffic was also controlled.

The next morning we woke up with plans to go to one of the most famous chateaus, Chateau de Clenonceaux, that stretches across the river.  Unfortunately, as we were driving there, I saw that it was open, but only on the weekends.  So we continued on, to the chateau we were planning on seeing that afternoon.  As we drove, Will looked out the window and saw two towers off to the left.  He said, "That looks cool."  Jeff asked if he wanted to see it, so we turned off the road into the tiny town of Cinq-Mars-la-Pile.  It was the smallest town, without a single storefront or restaurant.  We parked and walked up the road to the crumbling towers.

As we approached, we realized it was someone's home.  We met the owner outside, a man in his 80s, who invited us into see his home, as well as the ruins of the towers.  It appeared we were the first people to have visited the chateau since they were allowed to reopen the week before.  He walked us into the property and within minutes we met his wonderful wife.  She rushed off to get extra masks and rubber gloves for us to wear as we walked around the property.  We learned that the home had belonged most recently to his father, who had been the director of a famous art school in Paris for over 30 years.  He created an art studio inside, but only lived there a few years before he died.  He and his wife took it over and made it their home.  We got a very intimate view of what it was like to run a chateau, seeing the pride they exuded at sharing their home with others.  In addition sharing the history of the chateau with us, we also got to explore one of the towers and the 30 meter moat surrounding it.  This ended up being Edy and Will's favorite chateau of the trip.

What We Liked about Chateau Cine-Mars:
Will*** - The well and suit of armor
Edy*** - A unique home for the older couple, not super fancy, and the art studio
Jeff - The artist area
Betsy - The deep moat

On our drive, we ran across this stone plaque telling us we were near the prime meridian.  

Welcome to the Chateau de Cinq-Mars.

Walking in with the owner.

Incredibly picturesque.

The art studio!

Headed out to explore the tower and the grounds.

They took such pride in the presentation of artifacts.
You will notice the hand sanitizer and gloves on the table.  

The ceiling within the tower was beautiful.

Looking up at one of the two remaining towers.  Originally there were four.

The way they cut their bushes was so unique.

Down in the 30 meter moat.

A friendly companion.

The story goes that all the town could come and be in the towers and moat if they were invaded. 

They grew artichokes.

A spiral staircase within the ruins.

In the distance, next to the house, I caught the couple walking arm-and-arm.

Safety Precautions:  From this couple, we learned more about the strict safety precautions set by the government.  What was most impressive was that every place we visited seemed to be following them.  They all had the same government signs posted, and appeared to be taking all step necessary to do what was expected.  This was the only place, though, that we were given one glove to wear if we wanted to touch anything.

From Cinq-Mars-la-Pile, we drove through Tours, stopping only to see one church, Cathedral Saint-Gatien.  Will was quite taken with the stained glass windows, so I included a few below.  

The tape on the back of the chairs is where you are allowed to sit.
You must leave two empty seats between you and your neighbor.

We then drove to Amboise for the last chateaus of our trip.  Jeff toured the Chateau d'Amboise quickly then settled into work, while the kids and I took our time exploring the chateau.  Leonardo da Vinci was a good friend of King Francois I in 1516, who lived here at the time.  Leonardo da Vinci was paid a pension to be the "first painter, architect and engineer" of the king.  He lived nearby in the second chateau we visited in Amboise, Chateau du Clos Luce.  Leonardo da Vinci is buried within the chapel of the Chateau d'Amboise.

What We Liked About Chateau d'Amboise:
Will - View from the top, as well as the stain glass windows of the chapel where Leonardo da Vinci was buried
Edy - Robot lawn mower and chapel where Leonardo di Vinci was buried
Jeff - View from the first tower
Betsy - Tower to get horses up to the gardens

The chateau is up on a hill.  Here the kids are walking up into it.

The small chapel where Leonardo di Vinci is buried.  

Leonardo's final resting place.

The altar in the small chapel.

View from the chateau to the town of Amboise.

I tried to do a panoramic of the chateau.

I tried to do a panoramic of the view form the chateau of the Loire River.

It all came full circle when we came across Charles VII and Anne of Brittany again, who lived here.

Masked up, to be safe!

I loved this!  There were two fo these towers to get horses and carts up to the gardens of the chateau.

Here is a model of the two towers.  

Waiting for me to explore the grounds.

The gardens of the Chateau d'Amboise.

Posing as artists.

The Chateau

Hmmm...

I love a good boxwood!

Here you can see the robotic lawn mower moving across the grass.

A second view of the lawn mower.

A statue of Leonard di Vinci.

After a picnic lunch, the kids went an explored the Loire River.

A view of Chateau d'Amboise.

After lunch and time to play along the Loire River, we walked the one kilometer to Chateau du Clos Luce, where Leonardo da Vinci lived while in Amboise.  The house was furnished and impressive.  But what was particularly magical was the park surrounding the property.  Leonardo da Vinci's inventions were scattered all throughout.  It is easy to forget that in addition to being a great painter he was an architect and engineer.  There were examples of the bridges he designed, we saw the first tank, the first automobile, the paddle boat, the flying machine that later developed into the airplane, the parachute, and the helicopter, as well as many of his art creations set against the natural background of the park.  Wow!

What We Like about Chateau du Clos Luce:
Will - His inventions, artillery cannon
Edy - Interactive, the airplane
Betsy - The park with his inventions scattered throughout

Leonardo da Vinci's bedroom

His bedroom had a view of the Chateau d'Amboise.

His art studio

Cut-away model of the first tank

This was the underground passage that led to the Chateau d'Amboise.

His improvements to the printing press.

Models of two of his bridges he designed.

His invention of the ball bearing.

Leonardo da Vinci's garden

Entering the park

A recreation of the trestle bridge he invented.

He invented the first lock to help boats move through different levels of water.

You can see in the background how his art work was suspended on canvases throughout the park.

First helicopter.

Safety Precautions:  At both places the safety precautions were impressive.  There were lines on the ground reminding you to stay a safe distance from the people in front of you.  There was hand sanitizer throughout, including in the garden.  The benches were also clearly marked with where youc could and could not sit.  

We left Amboise exhausted, yet excited to see the chateau where we would be spending the night, Chateau de la Bourdaisiere.  I had found this amazing place back in March, and it recently opened up again after the lockdown.  We were one of the only three guests there.  In fact the whole time there, we didn't see anyone else, except a few staff members.  Right away, when we entered, we met the manager, Cyrille.  You could tell he took such pride in the place.  He told us how to get to our room and said he would be around for another hour if we had any questions.  We took a quick walk around the grounds before Jeff had to get back to work and I had to find something to eat for the kids and me.  

Looking up towards the chateau from the entrance below.

The chateau coming into view.

The kids room, with two twin beds and their own bathroom.

Our room.

Yes, our toilet was on a throne.

This chateau is known for growing tomatoes.  Edy and Will loved this water tower in the garden.

Safety Precautions:  The manager had us pick up our key from the board so as to not pass on germs. There was one way to enter the chateau and one way to exit.  To go up to our room, we took the elevator.  To come down from our room, we took the stairs.  We had to tell him what we wanted for breakfast so he could fill out the form for us.  We were not to touch the same papers.  

You might remember that my wallet was stolen back in December, while in London.  In February, I went to the US Embassy in Paris to notarize my form for getting a new one.  During lockdown, my neighbor informed me that my new license had arrived in Minnesota.  Since the mail was so slow at the time, and since I really saw no chance of us being able to travel again, I asked her to keep it in MN for us.  Since December, Jeff has done all of the driving, logging in at least 4,000 kilometers.

Since Jeff was working, and we weren't sure if there any places open to eat, we decided that I would take the car and drive the 1-2 kilometers into town.  The first place we found only served drinks.  We were on the way to the second place when I came to a stop sign.  I turned right, from one very narrow road to the next, and my tire went over the curb.  Unfortunately, it was not the kind of curb we have in the United States.  It was sharp and very high.  The car came down with a thud.  I quickly got out and saw that my tire was severely flattened.  Since we were only a half kilometer from the chateau, I slowly drove it back to the lot at the bottom of the hill, by the gate, and parked the car.

At this point, I didn't want to bother Jeff with all of this, since he was deep into work mode.  So Edy, Will, and I ran back up to the chateau hoping to catch Cyrille before he left.  Even though it was after 8:00 p.m., he was still there.  I quickly explained what had happened and asked for his help.  He asked if I had checked for a spare tire.  I had looked but didn't find anything promising.  So he said he would drive me back down to my car and have a look.  I sent the kids to find a spot to eat the remaining snacks we had and wait for me to return.  Once down at the car, Cyrille said I wasn't losing my mind, that there was indeed no spare tire.  Recently all rentals, and even all new cars in France, no longer come with a spare tire.  They only come with a patch kit.  As you can see below, there was no way to patch this hole.  

I drive 1 kilometer and this is what happens.

Without asking, Cyrille then took the car keys, my Hertz contract, and called the company on my behalf. He explained the situation.  Hertz agreed to send someone out to fix the tire.  The only problem was that they wouldn't send out a replacement vehicle until their repair person confirmed that it couldn't be fixed on site.  Well, Cyrille and I knew it couldn't be fixed on site but they wouldn't take our word for it.

I knew that we had to get back to Paris by 1:00 the next day.  We were at least 3.5 hours away.  I knew that if we waited for the repair vehicle to come, assess the car, then send us another car, we might not be back in time.  I then suggested that we don't necessarily need a car to get back to Paris, we could always take the train.  Hertz loved this idea, even offering to pay for the taxi to the train station, as well as the tickets home.

So Cyrille and I drove back up to the chateau.  At this point it is 9:00 and his two older children have arrived to spend some time with him.  I kept encouraging him to go, but he said my needs came first.  Once in his office, we looked up train times and ticket prices.  He then called Hertz back, gave all of our information regarding train times and tickets needed.  After he hung up, we then had a 30 minute wait for the repair company.  I left to check on the kids, who were happy as could be just being outside with their picnic of snacks.  I sent Edy in to grab a bottle of wine we were given at the last place we stayed, to give to Cyrille and his family, with strict instructions not to tell her dad what was happening until I got it all figured out.

Within 30 minutes, the repair vehicle came.  Cyrille again drove me down to meet him.  He immediately saw it couldn't be fixed on site.  We watched as he entered this information into his phone.  At that point, we were good to call Hertz back to book our train tickets.  So Cyrille and I drove back to the chateau, called Hertz and got everything arranged for the taxi and the train tickets.  It was 10:00 p.m.  I thanked Cyrille profusely, thinking I wouldn't see him again.

Once upstairs, I was able to finally fill Jeff in on what happened.  The irony of all of this was that because we would be taking the high speed TGV back to Paris, we would be able to sleep in, we would haven't have to get the rental car back to Gare de Lyon, and we could all relax on the quick one hour train ride back to Paris.  In some ways, it was a blessing.  Before I went to bed, I got one final call from Hertz saying that they were unable to book the tickets on their end.  They asked me to book them and they would reimburse me.

The next morning we woke up to this lovely view and the peaceful sounds of nature.  We got to explore more of the chateau before having a leisurely breakfast.  

The entry way

One of the living rooms

The dining room

Jeff took this photo of the back of the house.  We are waving to him from our room at the top right.

A close-up

Family photo

Jeff taking our photo.

We headed downstairs to meet our taxi at 10:00 for an 10:38 train departure.  Once down there, we quickly realized we couldn't all fit in the taxi.  While there were enough seats, new COVID-19 restrictions prohibited a passenger from riding in the front seat next to the driver.  Unfortunately, it would be another 10 minutes before a second taxi could get there.  This made it tight, seeing as the train station was about 20 minutes away.  As the driver was calling a second taxi, guess who showed back up?  Cryille!  I am not sure if he came early to check on us or if it was just a coincidence.  He immediately stepped into action, being his usual helpful self.  I sent Jeff on with the kids, since it was most important he get back to Paris for work.  I sat and nervously waited.

After waiting an anxious 15 minutes, I thanked Cryille again and decided to run down the hill to the bottom of the chateau, to wait for the taxi.  When it arrived, I had just 18 minutes until our train was to depart.  I encouraged the driver to be fast, as I had a train to catch.  I had heard, via text, that Jeff and the kids were there.  I don't know how it happened but we pulled into the train station 5 minutes before the train was due to depart.  I paid, jumped out of the taxi, and ran through the small train station. I got to the platform just as the conductor blew the whistle, indicating departure.  I ran, to what felt like the furthest car, jumping on just in time!

Running towards Jeff!

We left Saint-Pierre des-Corps at 10:38 and were back in our Paris apartment by 12:15, unpacking.  And guess who kept checking on me along the way?  Cryille.  He called and texted to make sure we arrived home.  I asked for owner's information so I could write him a note about all Cryille did for us.  Guess what?  The owner is a prince!  Wow.  

This year has been nothing short of adventurous!  It has also been a year of tremendous growth for me.  I was thinking back to our first trip from Paris that we took last July, when we went to Orleans.  It turned out that most of what we were planning to see was closed.  I remember sitting on a bench, along the Loire River, pouting and being so disappointed.  Meanwhile, the kids and Jeff were off exploring an island in the middle of the Loire River.  That has become one of their favorite memories and I missed it because I was feeling sorry for myself.  Fast forward 11 months and I have really changed.  I could have been disappointed that lots of things didn't go as planned this trip - chateaus closed, experiences lessened, a flat tire - but instead I adopted the approach of the three others in my family and was open to what new experiences might be on the horizon.  And boy were there many!

We have one more trip down south planned before we head home in three weeks. We continue to feel all of the emotions that this means.  But as we pack and begin to give things away, we can't help but be excited to return home changed but even closer as a family.

See you soon!
Betsy