Friday, September 28, 2012

One of the most beautiful in the Loire Valley



It was about a 20 mile drive from our gite in the Loire Valley.  I was told by several people not to miss Chenonceau.  I can see why.  This chateau is truly one of the most beautiful and well kept in the Loire Valley.  Try to picture the pastoral setting for this chateau.  As I took the image of the stately plane trees  directly above I was facing away from the chateau so directly behind me was the chateau.  What a nice site to see when after a hard day's work, returning home down the tree lined lane to the cozy little cottage know as Chenonceau!  Cozy and cottage ....NOT!  It was a magnificent remnant of how the privileged few lived during this time period in France....15 to 1600's.  Within these walls were stories of mistresses, assassinations, elegant parties for the nobility, kings and queens and future kings and queens of France.

More about the "plane trees" when we visit Provence as our trip progresses.

Dan

3 comments:

DawnTreader said...

Except for all the modern tourists coming and going it looks like a fairy tale illustration... I like the contrasts between the two worlds though.

J Cosmo Newbery said...

The stuff of fairytales.

Dan Felstead said...

Dawn Treader and J....This IS the land of fairytales! So many movies, novels, legends and folklore got it's beginnings in this Valley of France. There is a chateaux here (Chateau D'Usee) that inspired the writer to pen Sleeping Beauty.

Dan