Waking up in Blois, France was a great feeling today, as we had finally been able to ground our feet, and rest for an evening. This was great not being pressured too much today. It allowed us to drive to the town of Tours (which was about 3 hours away) without the stress of driving fast or getting lost. This meant we could explore more along the way, but our goal was to head to the Chateau Chenenceau, and do the paid walking tour.
We all grabbed a cup of free coffee at our hotel, and almost walked out of the building without paying for the county tax. I had learned this morning that we were to pay on the way out, instead of on the initial bill, and it had to be in cash or debit card. Either way we were stopped and graciously paid.
PROTIP– Bring Cash with you in Europe, as small fees and cover charges are usually required in establishments for dining at restaurants, or taxes for hotels. These usually wont be billed by Credit card as the charges tend to be too small to process. Many small restaurants in Europe still run a cahs only business, so when you’re exploring the countryside, it is good to have it incase.
We took our coffee, and decided to tour the top of Blois France, as well as the churches, and the gardens. The gardens were a fabulous start to this early morning as the sun came up and warmed the earth. These were located in the city center, and featured many different trees, and hedges maintained around old churches, and government buildings. I highly recommend this to start your day in this town.
We decided to head to the top of the town, where we could access the cathedral and the terraced gardens outside. The inside of the cathedral was like any regular cathedral, however the outside area was elevated over the city, with expansive views of the Loire River, and the countryside surrounding us. During sunrise this was a great way to utilize the early morning. We walked for about an hour and decided we needed to head to the Chateau. The drive to our destination was enjoyable as well, as the Loire Valley is known for its massive Chanteaus and residences, however this one was its most iconic.
The Chateau Chenenceau was a place I found along the Disney showcase, similar to how I found Chateau De Chambord as well.. being a pianist, it came to my surprise was actually the residency for Claude Debussy to perform and write much of his music for the residents of this castle in the past. The chateau itself is an iconic structure, built on the Loire River. This place required an entrance fee of 42EU, which was reasonable, as this was for 3 people. We had to play for parking as well however! The entrance has a designate check in, and a built ticket booth, but did not require a reservation. The walk into the structure, however, was amazing. One starts to see through the tunnel of massive birch trees, the Chateau. This walk was reminiscent of the Bregagh Road in Ireland, or many other tree lines residences in France. We thoroughly enjoyed the crisp morning air during this walk. I personally was at peace in the moment, about to explore one of the most beautiful parts of France, and cross an item off the bucket list.
As we approached the chateau, it was about 9am, and since one must head through the garden area first, we toured these grounds before entering the building. This was a nice relaxing stroll, and the ground themselves, had been laid out in a manner of patterns of fleur d’elise arrangements of flowers, which was a great touch. There were two sections to this, about an acre each, of squared land, with terraced gardens, walkways, benches, and wildlife as well. If we had more time, I could easily see one spending a half day in meditation of these gardens, however it was time to access the building now.
In order to access this building, we had to take the only entrance, which one must cross a draw bridge to enter. This was obviously for protection in the past, as one could see how high above the river this building was structured on. If one fell into the river below, there would be no way to get back on that side of the river. The building itself was built across the river, almost straddling the river, with 3 flowing ports for boats to cross under. It was also comprised of 3 levels. The lower chambers were for cooking, and prepping for servants. The second level was a large hall comprised of viewpoints of the beautiful river, and entertainment areas for dining, and musical performance. The third level was the bedroom and guest-room areas, where the kings and dukes would stay. It didn’t take us long to tour the facility, as the crowds were long, and we really just wanted to marvel at the structure, which by that goal, we were successful! It was time to head back to the car, and head towards Tours, as our final destination for the day, and where our hotel was located.
When we started to drive away, I can distinctly remember the small cottages, and beautiful countryside driving. This was sublime, and once again, a way to fully absorb the beauty and culture of Western France. As we headed towards Tours, we came through a town called Amboise, which to my surprise I found out was the birthplace of Leonardo Da Vince! Talk about a great surprise to find out, without planning for it. The town itself was centered around a medieval castle, ad while we didn’t tour the castle, we decided to stop in this historic town. Once again, this was not on the agenda, but it gave us a great opportunity and location to have lunch. We ate in the town square, under the castle shadows, and bought some local marscapone along the trip for dessert. This was a great stop, but now it was mid afternoon and we still had to get to tour, which was only 30 minutes from Amboise.
PROTIP– When Traveling the countryside of France and other European countries, take time to see the smaller towns away from Metro areas. The tourists are fewer, and the local knowledge can inspire you to take yourself to places few will ever hear of. This is where adventure can be achieved, and you create a trip worth remembering for unique experiences.
The hotel we checked into (Le Skippy) was not the best part of this trip, admittedly. Upon checking in, it took almost 30 minutes to find the person, and then took another 20 for us to get our reservation confirmed. As far as the room went, The beds were old, the toilet hardly flushed, and the ac was broken. However, for the price, we took it in stride, and decided to explore the town.
Tours, is the largest city in the Loire region of France, and has many attributes. The main attraction was the shopping area, which didn’t interest us much, but the old town district of Tours was great. The old town is the primary heart of the city, and features old wooden buildings similar to a German cottage. Definitely a different look than French design. The entire town square was surrounded by these buildings and it almost felt like we were in a Beauty and the Beast setting. The food in the area, you cannot go wrong with, as duck, and lamb are the local specialties. We had both for dinner, split among us three. We decided to have dinner in the old town square, and soak up the local camaraderie. This was a great idea, as we were able to have my favorite beer once again (Kronenbourg Blanc), and I particularly enjoyed it, as it was brewed in France! I enjoyed this inside a pub, while mom and Ashley finished dinner.
Upon walking through various cathedrals (St. Martin in particular), and smaller sections of this city, it was time to head back to the hotel. however, since we had a very big day of travel, we decided to get dessert in the hotel lobby, and eat in the room. It was time to get ready for tomorrow, and clean up for a longer than usual drive around the Country, to the city of Dijon!
EXPENSES-
42 Chateau Chenenceau
2 coffee
5 lunch
16.90 pharmacy/grocery
29.40 lunch Amboise
14.11 candy
1.98 hotel tax
3 parking
3.50 Gelato in Tours
10.60 drinks in town square
3.30 beer
24 dinner
Total- 153.88 EU
- 73.12 prepaid hotel