Château de Chambord

Thursday morning as we prepared to leave the cottage, Cindy's mom discovered she was not feeling well and decided she would remain at the cottage recuperating rather than go to Château de Chambord with us. I was a little uneasy about leaving her alone while Cindy and I were 90 minutes away, so we left one of our cell phones with her and called a few times while we were gone to check in on her.

So much so that she probably got tired of us calling her, lol.

Chambord is the largest of the Loire Valley castles, but it was never more than a hunting lodge. King François I (remember him from Château de Amboise?) built the castle in the style of French Renaissance architecture that blends traditional French medieval forms with classical Italian structures and design input by the great Leonardo da Vinci.

Riders display their equine skills around the castle and in special shows each day.

Cindy in front of Château de Chambord.

Leonardo da Vinci designed this very special staircase in the shape of what we recognize today as the double-helix of human DNA. The fact that it is double allows you to see someone else on the other staircase, but without ever meeting him. Some speculate that this allowed the king to go up and down without meeting his servants.

Looking up the inside of the double staircase.

Cindy and I, each on a different staircase, taking photos of each other.

One of the outside courtyards.

Water drain spouts shaped like gargoyles.

Intricate ceiling design in one of the hallways. Aren't you glad you didn't have to dust that?

Here we are on the uppermost floor after walking up the spiral staircase.

Looking out over the grounds and the hunting forest.

Cindy with the horse field in the background.

Cindy with the hunting grounds in the background.

Walking back downstairs in another section of the castle, we found the room where they bring parts of the castle that are deteriorating from age and weather and attempt to restore them. It was a pretty cool section and I'm still not entirely sure we were supposed to be there, but it was fun to see.

As we were leaving I spotted another drain spout on the ground floor with the gargoyle design.

After leaving the castle, we enjoyed a nice lunch at an outdoor cafe at the entrance and did a little shopping at the outdoor market that was also nearby.

I couldn't leave without taking a giant leap into the air above the castle to get this aerial shot.

We drove back to the cottage to find Cindy's mom feeling much better and enjoyed a nice dinner out later in the evening.

Next post: Château de Villandry and Château d' Azay-le-Rideau