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Mark & Robyn's Travels
Today we leave Lyon, I have enjoyed this city but now it is time travel to the Loire river valley for some chateau visiting (oh boy can't wait). Our day started early with an 8 am train to Marne-la-Vallee just outside of Paris where Euro Disney is, the train station has and entry into the park. At Marne-la-Vallee we then caught a train to Tours, where we rented a car to drive to Amboise. Getting on the train at Lyon was much more sedate and easier than when we travelled to Lyon on Friday, it was even calmer at Mane-la-Vallee, no pushing or shoving or panic. On our train from Marne-la-Vallee there was a young French mother with twin probably 8 year old boys. She had identical clothes and video games for them, one red and the other blue I assume to keep them straight. She was very patient with them and they were fairly well behaved for 8 year olds. It was interesting watching them and how she would quietly calm the boys down when they got a little loud, she was tooo damn organized. We got to Tours on time, found the Hertz counter and I was able to negotiate the car out of the lot and on the road to Amboise.
When we got to Amboise we were able to park our car at the hotel and then walk over to the Amboise Chateau which was only about 200 yards away. Our plan was to do this chateau and then visit Clos Luce which was the house Leonardo da Vinci lived in for the last three years of his life, so much for plans. To get into the Amboise Chateau it is a long walk up a steep (at least steep for us) ramp. One thing that has happened to us continually throughout this trip, is no matter where we go a local school is having a field trip to the same site. It is happened over and over again, and you know what I say it doesn't matter the country or culture teenagers have an innate sense to be obnoxious in any language; English, French, Italian, German, Dutch, we have seen and heard it all. This visit was not different as a group of adolescent school kids went racing by (actually they could have walked and passed us) to get into the chateau. The chateau is starkly beautiful and sits on the highest point in Amboise overlooking the Loire River and the town of Amboise. It has a more impressive history than I was aware of. Some of the chateau was constructed as early as 1214, it came into royal hands in 1431, it is one of the chateaus built as also a defensive castle. Charles VIII of France became the first king to live in the chateau as he and his wife Anne of Brithany made this their royal residence in 1493. Most of the chateau that exists today was constructed during his short reign, he died in a freak accident just five years later. During the reign of Henry II he would stay short periods at the chateau when traveling around France to visit other parts of his realm (including his mistress Diane de Portiers but that is a story for tomorrow). After he died (in a freak accident - seems to be a problem) his son Francis II and his wife Mary Queen of Scots (there she is again) often came to the chateau. During Francis's short reign there was a failed attempt to kidnap the newly crowned king, some of the conspirators were tried and hung from the balcony of the chateau in front of Queen Mary and her mother-in-law Catherine di Medici. The balcony is now called the Conspirators Balcony. The chateau also contains the remains of Leonardo da Vinci. One of the more interesting rooms is a room called the cup bearers room, this was where the wine was tasted to make sure it was not poisoned before giving it to the king. That's job has a great job description. In the garden is a bust of Leonardo da Vinci and behind it a Lebanon Cedar tree which at one time was an endangered species of tree due to the civil war in Lebanon. I had hoped as we finished the Amboise Chateau we would get over to Clos Luce where da Vinci lived, however it is a half-mile walk uphill (both ways) and our legs are two tired. We spent the rest of the day window shopping and drinking beer, guess who was shopping and guess who was drinking. Tomorrow we will attempt three chateaus but that is based on finding them and if there any are closed due to flooding.
When we got to Amboise we were able to park our car at the hotel and then walk over to the Amboise Chateau which was only about 200 yards away. Our plan was to do this chateau and then visit Clos Luce which was the house Leonardo da Vinci lived in for the last three years of his life, so much for plans. To get into the Amboise Chateau it is a long walk up a steep (at least steep for us) ramp. One thing that has happened to us continually throughout this trip, is no matter where we go a local school is having a field trip to the same site. It is happened over and over again, and you know what I say it doesn't matter the country or culture teenagers have an innate sense to be obnoxious in any language; English, French, Italian, German, Dutch, we have seen and heard it all. This visit was not different as a group of adolescent school kids went racing by (actually they could have walked and passed us) to get into the chateau. The chateau is starkly beautiful and sits on the highest point in Amboise overlooking the Loire River and the town of Amboise. It has a more impressive history than I was aware of. Some of the chateau was constructed as early as 1214, it came into royal hands in 1431, it is one of the chateaus built as also a defensive castle. Charles VIII of France became the first king to live in the chateau as he and his wife Anne of Brithany made this their royal residence in 1493. Most of the chateau that exists today was constructed during his short reign, he died in a freak accident just five years later. During the reign of Henry II he would stay short periods at the chateau when traveling around France to visit other parts of his realm (including his mistress Diane de Portiers but that is a story for tomorrow). After he died (in a freak accident - seems to be a problem) his son Francis II and his wife Mary Queen of Scots (there she is again) often came to the chateau. During Francis's short reign there was a failed attempt to kidnap the newly crowned king, some of the conspirators were tried and hung from the balcony of the chateau in front of Queen Mary and her mother-in-law Catherine di Medici. The balcony is now called the Conspirators Balcony. The chateau also contains the remains of Leonardo da Vinci. One of the more interesting rooms is a room called the cup bearers room, this was where the wine was tasted to make sure it was not poisoned before giving it to the king. That's job has a great job description. In the garden is a bust of Leonardo da Vinci and behind it a Lebanon Cedar tree which at one time was an endangered species of tree due to the civil war in Lebanon. I had hoped as we finished the Amboise Chateau we would get over to Clos Luce where da Vinci lived, however it is a half-mile walk uphill (both ways) and our legs are two tired. We spent the rest of the day window shopping and drinking beer, guess who was shopping and guess who was drinking. Tomorrow we will attempt three chateaus but that is based on finding them and if there any are closed due to flooding.
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