Today is our (Brent and Val's) anniversary.

Beautiful sunny skies and warmer today in Azay le Rideau. We checked out of the Biencourt hotel and got on the road at about 11:15. Our earliest start yet! But not before I made a few adjustments to Julie's rough shifting bike, which included lubricating the chain with some French butter. First stop was a bar/cafe in the town center for some ham and cheese baguette sandwiches for the road. We rode from Azay le Rideau 11 km to Brehemont where we rejoined ...

We awoke to sunshine at from our top floor room at the Le Domaine des Bidaudieres château in Vouvray. The kids had a quick breakfast and then were off to explore the buildings and grounds. Dylan gravitated toward the large pond to greet the fish and frogs. We all explored the buildings, some of which were built into the hillside with cavelike earthen walls and ceilings. In fact, the LK family's room had earthen walls and ceiling, the latter of which was covered...

While in Tours it became apparent that the kids were tired. So after a quick lunch in the square by the cathedral we headed to the train station to see if there was a train that the women and kids could take to Azay le Rideau. Luck was with us since there was a train leaving in 30 minutes, especially since this train did not even run every day. We put the Julie, Amy, and Val on the train with Maggie, Kat, Jane, Lawton, Jordan, and Dylan and 7 bikes and their a...

We awoke refreshed in Amboise and after breakfast made our way to the Clos de Lucé, a château once owned by King Francis I and at which he invited and paid Leonardo da Vinci to live during the remaining three years of his life. Aside from the lavish furnishings including the bed in which da Vinci slept (and died in), the Clos de Lucé was an interpretive center for his scientific drawings and inventions.