After breakfast, we drove to Château Chenonceau, a beautiful château stretching across the Cher River. We had all morning to leisurely explore the château, have some tea, and do a little shopping in the gift shop.
We arrived back in Amboise around noon and had the whole rest of the day to do as we pleased. Our family chose to start by going to the local market across the street and buying some picnic foods for a scenic picnic by the Loire River.
Following lunch, we decided to follow Antoine on the optional visit to Clos-Lucé, da Vinci's home, and then on an optional bicycle ride along the river.
We ended our day with dinner at Anne de Bretagne, joining some of our fellow tour memers.
Miles Walked: 8.97 Steps Walked: 21,646
Château Chenonceau
The majestic Château Chenonceau was home to several ladies, three of which oversaw the design of part of it -- Katherine Briconnet, whose husband was away often when the construction began, made most of the main château's design decisions. Diane de Poitiers, King Henry II's mistress, added the arched bridge to access the hunting grounds across the river. And, lastly, Catherine d'Medici, King Henry II's wife, took over and added the three story building on the bridge, making Chenonceau the most stunning of the Loire Valley Châteaux! We enjoyed following the provided audio tour as we walked around the chateau. The rooms were open to explore as we wanted. We also had time to have tea and a snack at the cafe on the grounds and do a little shopping in the gift shop.
Clos Lucé Leonardo da Vinci's Home
Clos Lucé was the home of Leonardo da Vinci in his final years 1516 - 1519. This was an optional tour, but with three engineering-minded guys, it was a must-see, so we followed Antoine and a portion of our group up the street to this Renaissance home. About 40 models and sketches of da Vinci's inventions are in the basement, and were of great interest to our family!
A Bike Ride Along the Loire River
Later in the afternoon was an optional bike ride along the Loire River and through some vineyards. This was a highlight for the guys, who enjoyed this very active option! Many of the group came along for this this scenic ride, some rode an hour or two, but our smaller group continued with Antoine for the whole 3 hour round trip. We started along the river, then headed up through a vineyard and a wheat field. The pictures above show our journey.
If an optional bike ride is not included on your tour, you can always rent bikes on your own from the bike shop near the hotel. There is a very nice and easy to follow path along the river.
Dinner in Amboise
Amboise is a charming town, filled with shops and cafes, like this one that where we ate, Anne de Bretagne. We met some fellow tour members there and shared dinner with them. We tried Escargot for the first time! Also pictured above is a galette and a salad with lardons.
If you are looking for beautiful scarves, there is a wonderful shop in Amboise, Le Comptoir des Reines.