And the winner is Kees from The Netherlands followed by Timothy from Australia! This little-known château opened to the public in 2010 is just down the road from Azay-le-Rideau, one of my favourites. It’s construction was completed in 1530. Camille Claudel and Rodin stayed there several times around 1890 and there are many letters and …
Category Archives: Castles
Under the Vines – Sous Les vignes
Château de Villandry is famous for its gardens, the interior of the castle being of little interest. This photo is taken from the shady terrace along one side. Le château de Villandry est connu pour ses jardins, le château ayant peu d’intérêt aujourd’hui . Cette photo est prise de la terrasse ombragée en face.
Water lilies – Nénuphars
We cycled to Château de Chaumont this morning and I took this photo of my favourite pond. By the time we left at midday, the crowds had started to arrive. The gardens at Chaumont are one of my main sources of inspiration but they don’t seem to have slugs. Our main after-dinner activity at the …
The Bower Bird – L’oiseau jardinier
You may remember a blue garden exhibit at Château de Chaumont inspired by the bower bird’s nest that I posted a few days ago. Chad Addison, an amateur photographer living in Canberra just happens to have a bower bird in his garden. Since retiring he has conducted various workshops as part of a U3A photography …
Then the sun came out – Puis le soleil a brillé
Our yearly passes to Château de Chaumont have been waiting for us since New Year! But at last the grounds are open. The rhododendrons did not disappoint. Nos passes pour le château de Chaumont nous attendaient depuis le 1er janvier mais le parc est enfin ouvert. Les rhododendrons ne nous ont pas déçus.
Houses in Mennetou – Maisons de Mennetou
This was one of the first houses we saw in the mediaeval town of Mennetou-sur-Cher. The painting shows the old grain market and castle. The following photos are of typical 15th and 16th century houses. Voici l’une des premières maisons que nous avons vues dans la cité médiévale de Mennetou-sur-Cher. Le tableau représente la halle …
Le Lude: Another Remarkable Garden – Un autre jardin remarquable
Now that we have visited the remarkable garden of Aprémont, we want to discover others. We cycled for an hour and a half in intermittent drizzle today (not the weather predicted) from Château-sur-Loir to visit Château du Lude but it was worth it. The gardens are more formal than Aprémont. We were not expecting the …
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Postcard Summer 2020 #11 Schwangau & Füssen
Schwangau is known for Neuschwanstein Castle, a 19th century hilltop palace for King Ludwig II. We cycled up to the top and over the next steep hill before descending to Füssen for a well-deserved lunch. Schwangau est connue pour le château de Neuschwanstein, un palais haut perché construit pour le roi Ludwig II. Nous sommes …
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Touraine-Mesland Wine
Touraine-Mesland is the appellation controlée across the river from Chateau de Chaumont. The vineyards were planted by the monks of Marmoutier Abbey and were the first to introduce the gamay grape to the area in 1858. The purple grapes used in the area are gamay, cabernet franc et côt while the whites are chenin, sauvignon …
Covid Deconfinement Stage 2#2
Today we had our first meal out since 9th March in Crete. We had lunch at L’Orangerie opposite the castle in Blois. As you can see our table was right next to the French doors. It was most enjoyable! The Covid situation in Europe seems to be very positive so perhaps we’ll have a summer …