Tuesday 5th October 2021
It rained a lot in the night and it was still raining in the morning. We tried to take on water at the Marboue aire service point but when the machine had swallowed our 2 euro piece not a drop of water came out of the tap! We set off south and soon crossed the Loire - seen here.
After stopping to take on diesel and do a supermarket shop we visited Chateau de Chambard. This is the biggest chateau in the Loire Valley. It was build by King Francois1 as a hunting lodge. It is surrounded by the largest game reserve in Europe. The main "game" are Wild boar and Red Deer.
It was quite a palaver getting into the chateau. We had to show our digital Covid vaccination certificates and to begin with they didn't scan correctly but when the person tried again they worked.
Visiting here is quite expensive. 14 euros 50 each!
The chateau's enormous rooms were notoriously hard to heat in winter so not surprisingly King Francois spent very little time here. Here is one of the coal burning heaters which were used.
There are numerous old tapestries on display in the chateau.
An amazing double spiral staircase runs up the centre of the chateau. Reminiscent of the DNA molecule's structure!
There is plenty of more modern art on display.
A holy deer perhaps?
At the top of the spiral staircases are the roof terraces.
There are marvellous views from up here.
We took a turn around the chateau gardens.
Ann reckons I never put photos of myself on this blog.
We made our way back to the car park where the ticket machine extracted another 11 euros for parking fee.
We have stopped for the night at the municipal aire in the village of Tour En Sologne. It a very pleasant place. As time went by a few other vans turned up.
Today we travelled 59 miles (95 kilometres). We are at: N47.5379 E1.4996
2 comments:
What an incredible building Chambord is. Some say Leonardo da Vinci May have had an input into the design. The deer with the cross probably relates to the legend of St. Eustace, a very saint in medieval times. He was a pagan hunter who following a deer into a forest was suddenly confronted by him appearing before him with a cross between his antlers. He subsequently converted to Christianity and suffered martyrdom as a result. There is a similar legend relating to St. Hubert. I wonder if you remember Roger, a painting that hung above the piano in the hall in EFF which depicted that exact legend ? I think either Giles or Colin took it after Eleanor’s died and the house was sold.
Anne-Marie
Many thanks for your comment Anne Marie. Yes I well remember the painting in the hall at the Fruit Farm. Great story about the pagan hunters!
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