Blois and Amboise

Last Saturday we took the train to Blois and Amboise. We left at 10 and it was about a 40 minute ride to get to Blois which is farther than Amboise. Basically these are really big houses that people used to actually live in. There is one of the chateaus that is still owned and lived in by the original family. Pretty cool, right? 


So our day started in Blois, lived in by Louis XII. This chateau was interesting because most of the major archetecture typed used for bulding the chateaus are all part of its construction, gothic, classique, renissance, and ... There was a really big court yard in the middle and it has the famous outside stairs.

 One of the Churches in town

Our first view of the chateau from the side.

 The Front of the house

Kelsey, Zach, and Wendy reppin Carolina

 One of the family symbols 

 Inside the court yard

 Morgan, Jess, and I

There was a whole room of extra busts and gargoyles that were no longer a part of the chateau. It was also an example of the building rooms that the chateaus would have.

 It's a big ol' fireplace

This is one of the largest court rooms in France.

 The Kings bed.

 View from the far side of the chateau. That is the cathedral Saint Louis

After the chateau, we headed into town to find some lunch. There were originally just 5 of us eating together, but then Dr. Persels, Cathy and Erica D. all found us and decided to join. It was probably one of the best meals I've had here so far. I had duck with cheese risotto and goat cheese whipped cream. Right outside of the chateau is the house of the magi which has salamanders that come out at the top of every hour. Also at lunch, we ran into a man who used to be a professor at USC and who lived near Dr. Persels. Small world?

After lunch, we hopped back on the train and headed to Amboise. This is the chateau that Leonardo Da Vinci lived near durring the last few years of his life, and he is burried at the chateau. Amboise sits on the top of a hill, overlooking the surrounding city. This medieval fortress made way for the royal residence of King Charles VIII and Francois I. The Chateau is known for its collection of Gothic and Renaissance furnature and "artistic fineries".

 Amboise

Some music festival in town

 Heading up to the chateau

 Da Vinci is burried here

 There were some vines growing grapes here.

 There was a lot of intricate sculpting

 My future home

After Amboise, we walked to Clos-Luce, where Da Vinci actually lived. But this post is already getting really long, so I will save that for next time.

Tomorrow we are heading to Chinon to see the chateau and do a wine tasting!