Loving the Loire Valley

The blog has been a bit quiet but the last ten days in France were definitely something to write home about.  Well, right home is an expression as I was with my family in husband in Paris for both weekends but in between we spent the last six days and five nights in the Loire Valley. Over the past 30 years I have been to many other places in France but this was my first visit to this region.

We biked a great amount of the Loire river county visiting countless small towns, more fields than I’ve ever seen, and a number of chateaus.  With over 200 miles of biking (237 to be exact) we saw so much and here are some of my favorites shots and you will certainly notice a common theme of châteaus in the photos below: 

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Stopping for lunch but first, a photo outside of the 16th century Château de Chambord

Cows in a small field along the La Loire à Vélo, a 500-mile-long network of cycling routes

Biking through one of countless quiet scenic small towns (I love the roses).

King Louis XIV’s ceremonial bedroom at Château de Chambord

With Mark in-front of the 15th century Château Royal d’Amboise

The gardens of Chateau de Villandry where we stopped for lunch on our first day

Biking towards the Sleeping Beauty castle, Le Château d’Ussé

Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings in his workshop at Château du Clos, his residence in Amboise

The French Renaissance tower at Château de Chambord

In the gardens of the Château de Chenonceau, which spans the River Cher

One of the hotels we stayed at, The Domaine des Hauts de Loire, a 19th Century Hunting Lodge

Have you been to the Loire Valley?