A step back in time...castles, castles, and more castles

King Doug

I'm really a Renaissance woman at heart

 Last weekend we took Friday off and went to see the Chateaux de La Loire river valley for three days with our friends Doug and Pauline Todd. Absolutely amazing!

"Why won't they share with me?"

We saw seven castles, including Leonardo Da Vinci's home where he spent the last three years of his life. Pictures tell the story best, so here you go:

Chambord

Chambord

Chambord

Cheverny

Chaumont

Chenonceau

Chenonceau

Gorgoyles galore!

Glad someone (or something) is looking over the manicured gardens at Villandry:

The interiors of the castles were often as impressive as the outsides. 

Walls and walls of incredible tapestries--beautiful works of art that also served to help keep the castles warm

 

The abundance of orchids was incredible--this one is 50 years old

My knight in shining armour

Please join us for dinner!

Arrangement made with fresh vegetables

I was especially enamored of Leonardo da Vinci's chateau. He spent the last three years of his life here 500 years ago when the king of France invited him to move here from Italy. IBM undertook a project to convert his drawings and plans into actual models: a drawbridge, parachute, airplane, helicopter, car, and catapult are a few of his inventions. Roaming through his study and seeing his drawings, paintings, and quotes on the walls felt like being in sacred space to me.  

His actual notebooks and sketches of segments of his paintings.

Legend is that King Francis I of France was with him when he died in this bed. His last words were reported to have been: 


It makes me wonder if anyone is ever satisfied with what they accomplished in their life.

And now, "Adieu," from our castle to yours.