Loire Valley Tour (Day 3) - West of Tours

The morning favoured us again with glorious sunshine and a blue sky blemished only by a criss cross of aircraft vapour trails.  Mark took us to Villandry first so we could beat any crowds.  We spent the first part of our visit walking around the chateau.  Although built in the 16^th century, the interior reflects the style and tastes of the Carvallo family who bought and refurbished the chateau in 1906.  The chateau is still owned by the family and has the personal touches – portraits and photographs – of a home.

Chateau de Villandry

The true magnificence of Villandry however, and the main draw for me, lies in its gardens and these did not disappoint.  While the sky had rapidly clouded over, the brilliant geometry, sharp design and flawless planting produced a feast of colour and textures across the gardens.  It soothed the soul to see such beautiful symmetry and order achieved with nothing more than ornamentals, herbs, vegetables and fruits. Indulge me - there are a few photos here of the gardens but I couldn't help myself.  It was just so beautiful.  I could spend days of quiet contemplation here and still find new wonders.

Gardens of Villandry (in the foreground the ornamental garden portraying love in its four guises (clockwise from top left: 'Tender Love', 'Passionate Love', 'Fickle Love' and 'Tragic Love'), and vegetable garden behind)

The Vegetable Garden

Water gently cascading down from the Water Garden

Colours of Villandry

After stopping in Azay-le-Rideau for a sandwich by the river, Mark took us to the Troglodyte village in the Goupillieres Valley where we benefited again from a Mark-tour around some of the troglodyte dwellings.  

Azay-le-Rideau

A giant contrast from the clean white stone of Villandry castle, here we got to look inside some of the dark, damp, cold little 'rooms' cut into the rock where most peasant families spent their lives from the Middle Ages up to the last century.  Not only did they have to cut the rock for their masters but farm for their own survival.  All this in poor living conditions while fending off cold, disease, rats and violent raids by bandits.  It was very sobering.

“Many families have lived within these walls.  They are walls of poverty and walls of conviviality, where simplicity and spontaneity accompanied days of happiness and times of sorrow.  These walls have seen intense fatigue and backbreaking labour.  They are brimming with memories that can benefit each and every one of us.  Their memory will not be lost, since it has been handed down from person to person, and each of you will carry a little piece of it home to share with others.”

(Louis-Marie Chardon – site owner who discovered the troglodytic dwellings and has preserved and opened the site to the public)

Troglodyte dwellings

Mark then drove us through picturesque countryside for a quick view of the ‘Sleeping Beauty’ chateau at Rigny-Usse - so called because it inspired the author of the tale, Charles Perrault (not Walt Disney).

Chateau d'Usse

Our final stop was at the Royal Fortress of Chinon.  A medieval fortress, it is famous for its links with the Plantagenet kings (Henry II and Richard the Lionheart) as well as Joan of Arc who journeyed to the castle to meet Charles VII in 1429.  The castle also happened to be hosting an exhibition of dragons which added some whimsy to the visit.  And so it was that we got to see Smaug, Tolkien’s dragon atop the clock tower – famous in its own right for having chimed the hour since the 14^th century – the Jabberwocky and Harry Potter’s dragon. 

Fortress of Chinon - and that's Smaug perched on top of the clock tower

View from the top of the clocktower - looking down at the Vienne River and Chinon

We followed in the footsteps of Joan as we walked the steep cobbled path separating the fortress from the village of Chinon and indulged in a coffee by the little square. 

Chinon

It was our last stop before heading back to the B+B and our final outing to the local trattoria in St Nicolas de Bourgueil for dinner.  It was more simple fare but in fairness, nothing was really going to top yesterday’s meal at La Rose de Pindare – so the moral is: if you’re in the area and need a place to eat, this has got to be it!