We seem to talk alot about food, and why not?...after all we are in France where food is to be enjoyed and relaxed over.,,and cycling does raise our appetite. Breakfast in the hotel exceeded our expectations and off we went for an easy 25 km ride on a velo route to Chambord. Chambord, the jewel of the French renaissance is an impressive place to visit when cycling the Loire, but as well, the protected wildlife reserve of 5440 hectares surrounding it is also worth the visit. It is the largest enclosed forest park in Europe. The signs warning us to watch for wild boar and large deer came true as we were lucky to see a wild boar in the forest as we rode away from the chateau. But back to the chateau, we spent several hours walking and climbing stairs, listening to our audioguides and were completely overwhelmed and fascinated by the incredible history we experienced. The dual staircase up the centre of the castle was an architectural highlight and we later learned, was most likely inspired or designed by Leonardo da Vinci, a visitor and nearby resident of the castle. The chateau was filled with beautiful paintings of the time depicting the royalty who resided there and the lives they lived. Plus, there were chambers decorated in the style of the period to give us a sense of the quality of life they enjoyed. There are 4500 works of art, including tapestries, paintings and furniture throughout the 90 rooms. The chateau was originally built for Francois !st as a hunting lodge and an escape from Court. It represented the wealth and power of its owner. Basically this magnificent edifice and property was used as a getaway and rarely as a full time residence. This could be partly due to its damp location which in the summer was plagued with mosquitoes and in the winter was very damp and cold. It surprised us both, that the beautiful limestone walls and staircases had been defaced by visitors who had carved into the surface their names - at no time, did we see any staff who monitored the security of the building. As well as the typical tourist shops, there was a market of local produce, cheese and bread available. Lunch of fresh strawberries, goat cheese and baguette by the canal overlooking the chateau was a memorable break. We highly recommend the 30 km detour that takes a cyclist off the Loire and to Chambord. It was an easy 6 km to return to the Loire (Muides-sur-Loire) and to a municipal campground along the river. A good day.
Mary Ellen enjoying the street view from our hotel in Blois.
A tight fit getting the bike into the hotel. The size of our bike made storage a bit of a challenge as it wouldn't fit in their usual area. The manager was really helpful and put it in the bar instead.
