Ice-cream anyone? Une glace peut-être?

As soon as I closed the office for today at 4 pm, we left to go cycling. We had an ice-cream break in Chambord. How lucky we are to live in the Loire Valley! Dès que j’ai fermé mon bureau aujourd’hui à 16 heures, on est parti faire du vélo. On a fait une pause-glace …

Chenonceau from the Cher – Chenonceau depuis le Cher

This is my favourite view of Château de Chenonceau taken from the bike path. Of the “four C’s” – Chenonceau, Chambord, Chaumont and Cheverny, I think Chenonceau is the one I prefer, but the other three are not far behind! Voici ma vue préférée du château de Chenonceau prise depuis la piste cyclable. Des “quatre …

Molière in Chambord – Molière à Chambord

I shouldn’t have been surprised to see Molière in Chambord because he was a favourite of Louis XIV. In 1670, the Sun King invited France’s most popular playright of all times to stay in Chambord with his troup where he wrote the ballet comedy, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme known in English as The Bourgeois Gentleman). Je n’aurais pas …

Double spiral staircase in Chambord – Escalier double révolution à Chambord

This magnificent most famous staircase is believed to have been designed for François I by Leonardo da Vinci. It consists of two spirals which cross over each other and lead up to the roof terrace. The double ramp supported by eight square pillars seems to be a single ramp yet the two ramps never cross. …