Les Derniers Jours

 

Mention of the Loire Valley inevitably conjures up images of young couples biking by a romantic chateau with a wine glass balanced in their free hand. Now picture two sexagenerians madly racing through city streets in search of a free parking space, or racing ahead of a busload of septuagenarian tourists to avoid being trampled, or frantically searching for a public washroom after risking a bottle of our landlord's finest tap water.  To tell the truth, we actually enjoyed our time in the Loire. We did see chateaux, we did drink wine, and although we never climbed aboard a velo, we did do our fair share of hiking. So, sit back, pour a glass of Vouvray sparkling wine, and let le fleuve Loire roll by.

The Chateau de Chaumont overlooking the Loire

Among the many misconceptions you may harbour about the Loire, I expect one of them is that the Loire and the Loire valley are largely coterminous.  As it turns out, the Loire Valley refers to a section of the river, about 1/4 the length of the total river, which, I learned is the longest river in France. As you can see from the map below, it covers a large part of the country, which meant that in its day, it was a major transportation route. Imagine flat-bottomed boats carrying quarried stone for all those massive chateaux - 1000 of them! 

Loire Basin

Attribution: By Kmusser - Own work, Drainage basin from GTOPO [1], 

all other features from Vector Map or Natural Earth. 

National Geographic "Atlas of the World" (1992) used as reference., CC BY-SA 3.0,

 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15489346

Although you may not run into beautiful couples sipping wine, you will run into a whole host of dukes, duchesses, counts, countesses, kings and queens - at least on the walls. Historically, this area of the Loire - Anjou - figures a great deal in accounts of medieval France, as Anjou was a very powerful county (later Duchy). Yesterday I began to re-read a history of the Capetian dynasty, and was reminded that when Charlemagne created his empire, he appointed counts (comtes) to administer each region, and eventually these counts became hereditary feudal lords. Anjou was at times part of the royal domain, and therefore part of the Capetian dynasty, but would then be gifted to a second or later son of the king to control as Duke.  Oftentimes, dukes of Anjou would simultaneously have dominion over distant parts of Europe, including Naples, Sicily, Croatia and Hungary. Angers was the capital of Anjou, and that was where we first landed.

We were particularly drawn to Angers, not because of its historic power, but because our niece - the one who got married in Normandy - had recommended it to us as her favourite city in France. We only really had a day and a half to explore it, but could see how it would appeal to students, with a lively vibe, completely walkable, and without being overrun by tourists like us. Speaking of 'overrun', I did almost 'overrun' a cyclist in my haste to grab an available parking spot (which had to be abandoned because we never did find a parking meter), and we did 'overrun' the bridge as our eventual parking spot was miles from the city centre.  

What turned out to be the highlight for us in Angers was the 'Apocalypse Tapestry', which is displayed in the Chateau d'Angers. Just to be clear, there are chateaux, and then there are chateaux. For whatever reason, the French don't make a distinction between what we would call a castle - a fortified structure built for defensive purposes - and what we might call a palace or country manor. To the French, they are all chateaux (plural of chateau).  The Chateau d'Angers looks all the world to be a castle and not an oversized romantic country house. I can't even imagine sipping wine here (I could probably chug a beer, though). It has no fewer than 17 massive towers (originally 40 meters high) and walls 3 meters thick. Largely built under Louis IX (Saint Louis) in the early 13th century, it has never succumbed to an invading force (says Wikipedia). I got the willies every time I peered over the wall into the moat!

Three of the towers, and little ol' me

The entrance with bridge over the moat

One of those 'willies' moments

At day's end

Although the exterior of the castle is more than impressive, the interior of the castle wouldn't be featured in Chateau Life were it not for the amazing Apocalypse Tapestry. The tapestry was ordered by Louis, the second son of King John II (Jean le bon), in 1373.  As I have learned, the second half of the 14th century was the beginning of the rise of tapestry weaving, and was heavily patronized by the four sons of King John II. Between them they owned hundreds of tapestries; however, the Apocalypse Tapestry is supposedly the only surviving tapestry from this early period. The tapestry originally consisted of 90 scenes, representing the vision of St. John the Divine. Believe it or not, various panels ended up being used for everything from covering fruit trees to filling holes, such that by the 19th century when they were rediscovered, there were only 74 scenes remaining. Nevertheless, it is huge: 4.5 meters high and over 100 meters long! It is estimated that the team of weavers would have taken as much as 84 person years of labour to produce it (it was accomplished in 5 or so years). We spent more than an hour poring over it on the day we arrived, and then returned the next day so that Catherine could attend a 2 hour tour of it en français (while I practiced sleeping upright on a pew-like bench) . 

Seven heads are better than one, evidently

A stone's throw away from the chateau is the cathedral, which sits atop the hill, looking out over the river. We ducked inside for a quick visit and found that it was richly adorned with carved wooden furnishings, including the organ case and the pulpit.

18th century organ case

Organ: detail

19th century Pulpit

Pulpit: detail

We were running out of time on the Tuesday, so high-tailed it across the river (Angers is actually on a tributary of the Loire, the Maine, which is the confluence of three tributaries showing on the map above: Mayenne, Sarthe, and Loir) to get to the Museum of Tapestries before it closed. So glad we made it, as it displayed various artists' works, but especially the tapestries created by Jean Lurçat in the mid-20th century, including his cycle of works called 'Chant du Monde' . Having viewed a wonderful exhibit of tapestries by Saskatchewan artist, Kaija Sanelma Harris, at the Remai Modern Art Gallery in Saskatoon, we were delighted to encounter more tapestries of the modern era.  Lurçat's tapestries were massive, housed in what was a 12th century hospital. The 10 tapestries are a post-world war view of the 20th century in response to the Apocalypse Tapestry we had viewed at the chateau. What an imagination!

Inside the 11th-century Hôpital Saint-Jean

Conquête de l'espace

I especially liked this one (not part of the Chant du Monde cycle)

Catherine has already covered our trip up the Loire to Chinon, including our visit to the Abbaye de Fontevraud, but while we were staying in Chinon, we took the opportunity to take in Chateau d'Azay-Le-Rideau, a 16th century example of the romantic, palace sort of chateau. Nothing beats a chateau surrounded by water  . .

other than a chateaux, surrounded by water and beautiful women.

I think I have a picture of it from every point of the compass

Following our visit I found a hike on my hiking app that promised 4 chateaux, including the one we had just seen. I couldn't resist. It wasn't until we were about a third of the way round that I realized that starting a 13 kilometer hike at 3:30 in the afternoon without water bottles wasn't the best idea I'd had that day.  It didn't help to hear occasional gunshots in the woods, and signs warning that we were passing by hunting grounds. But we were undeterred (or at least, I was undeterred - Catherine would have happily caught a ride with the next vehicle of any description) and determined to reach the next chateau - after all, wasn't that why we'd ventured forth? My final mistake was thinking I could navigate a quicker way to the starting point by relying on the online map. Turns out, the map was including phantom trails that only mice could have discovered. `That is not a trail,` Catherine said as I started into a dense and tangled woods. `I think we can make it,` I said. Ten thorny meters later we ran into a canyon. Lesson learned: one more chateau will not in fact make you happy. Nevertheless, we have proof that we did see the other three chateaux.

Chateau de l'Islette

Chateau La Chatonniere

Chateau de Gerfaut

On the Sunday we left Chinon, we decided to attend the mass at the cathedral in Tours, which was on our way to our final destination, Chenonceau. A little last-minute research revealed that the city's art museum is free the first Sunday of the month, so, not ones to ever give up an offer of either a free lunch or free museum - we headed off early to take in the gallery before the 11:00 am service.  What a treat! The collection had lots of interesting and appealing works by artists unknown to me, and some very recognizable!

L'Archange Gabriel, a particularly fine work by 15th century artist, Antonio Vivarini

Diane au Bain - an allegory that was painted by someone in the school of François Clouet. We saw the original by Clouet at the Rouen art museum (which we also thoroughly enjoyed)

Rafael Delorme's Allégorie - Le Soir. It seems nude women make for good allegories

You may recognize this one - a 16th century copy. 

Coincidentally, da Vinci ended his days just up the river at Amboise

Enormous tree in front of the art museum - 

if you look closely, Catherine is standing in the middle 

Following the mass in the cathedral we took time to explore the beautiful interior, including magnificent rose windows in the north and south ends of the transept, two gisants of children, and a few modern stained glass windows.

The north rose window with a vertical stabilizing bar 

South rose window - the organ pipes were in the transept

The infant sons of Charles VIII - effigies sculpted in late 16th century

High on the west wall of the north transept

We left Tours and made our way to our gite, which was located a few kilometers from Chenonceau. After settling in, we took a late afternoon stroll down to the Cher river, a tributary of the Loire, where we went in search of the Chateau de Chenonceau.  We first spied it in the distance from the north side of the river . . .

Which led to a hurried hike along the northern bank of the river, only to discover that there was a forest and moat blocking our path.  We were not to be defeated. We made our way back to the bridge and crossed to the south bank and headed downstream, and, lo and behold, our efforts were amply rewarded . . .

View from upstream

View from downstream

I have the only picture of the chateau from this location . . . 

with this cute blonde!

The following day we headed north to meet up once again with the Loire river, and took in the town of Amboise, including its chateau and the Eglise St. Denis, and then continued upriver to Chaumont, where we circumnavigated the property around Chateau de Chaumont-sur-Loire. We weren't actually able to get a look at the chateau on our way around it, and had to settle for driving across the river to get a glimpse of it from afar.  We ran into this problem more than once. I expect that many people are like us, and really only want to pay to visit a few chateaux (definitely not 1000), but when it comes to taking pictures of the outside of chateaux, the sky's the limit. So, chateau owners are at pains to grow trees, build walls, create blinds, and do everything in their power to stop you from seeing the outside of the chateau, so you will fork over another 20-30 euros to take your own picture of it from within the grounds.

What would a St. Denis church be without a headless statue?

Like my wife, this lady was determined to read one more chapter before lights out

Nicely lit statue of the preparation of Christ

These heads along the side of the nave would be enough to keep me focused on the altar

Cutest capital in all France

St. Denis and me (carrying my hat, not my head)

Parts of the Chateau Royal d'Amboise, including the chapel above

Tower along the Amboise Chateau wall

A view of Chateau de Chaumont-sur-Loire from across the river

As you may remember - this post is long, but not that long - Catherine and I managed to get wonderful views of Chateau de Chenonceau by hiking up the south side of the Cher river. As we walked away from the beautiful site with the setting sun resting on our shoulders I turned to Catherine and declared 'We have seen Chenonceau - I don't need to see it again' That was Sunday.  By Tuesday, we had heard just enough people enthuse over the interior of the chateau to prompt me to eat my words.  And by the end of that day, I had 250 photos to prove they were right.  I have avoided making too many grandiose statements, but I am prepared to go out on a limb (preferably over the Cher river) and state that the Chateau de Chenonceau is the most worthwhile chateau to visit in France. It is the only chateau I know that extends over a bridge so that the water runs through it. It isn't so large (like Versailles) as to be unmanageable. The rooms are in good shape and full of incredible art (one of the rooms had three Tintorettos!), beautiful furnishings and fresh flower arrangements. The gardens are magnificent. Finally, they have done a good job of making the history of the place interesting, focusing on the women who lived there and took charge of the various expansions and renovations of the chateau and grounds. 

Built in the early 16th century, the chateau was taken over by King Francis I in 1535 to settle a debt owed to him. His son, Henry II gave it to his mistress, Diane of Poitiers, who had the bridge built across the river. She had to give up the chateau to Catherine de Medici, Henry's wife, after Henry died.  Ironically, in Diane's bedroom there is a large portrait of a glowering Catherine! Catherine's daughter-in-law, Louise, came to the Chateau from Chinon upon receiving news that her husband, Henry III, had been murdered. She remained in mourning (all in white as was the custom) within the chateau for most of the remainder of her life (seven years). It is suggested that her decision to do so was prompted by a note from her dying husband in which his last words were: 'Pray God for me and do not leave the place where you now are'. Another interesting historical note was that because the Cher river was the dividing line between occupied France and Free France (the Vichy regime), Chenonceau, with its galleys reaching across the river, was used to help Jews and others to escape Occupied France.  

Here are a few of the 250 shots:

From the Jardin that Catherine of Medici developed

From the Jardin that Diane de Poitiers developed

From upstream

The Marques Tower

Catherine de Medici had galleries built over the bridge where balls were held

Diane de Poitiers represented as Diane la chasseresse

The one that Diane didn't catch

Portrait of Catherine de Medici to give Diane nightmares

Sumptuous bedrooms, many with tapestries and flower arrangements

A well-stocked pharmacy

Two happy tourists

With Chateau de Chenonceau emblazoned in our minds, we bid au revoir to the Loire Valley and headed 4 hours north to Giverny, the home of Monet and his incredible gardens.  With the help of Google editing tools I have created below the impression of gardens uncluttered by tourists - you are not likely to find it so.

The famed lily pond

The most beautiful flower of all

What a contrast it was to leave Giverny and drive north of Paris to our final destination: Easyhotel, Aèroport Charles De Gaulle. We were left with one final challenge to end our trip - how to get from the car rental place to the hotel. As the crow flies, they couldn't be more than 1.5 kilometers apart. Surely we can walk it, we thought. Have you ever tried to walk in the vicinity of an airport? After dodging cars on the highway's off ramp, as mentioned in the last blog, we were fortunate enough to receive guidance from a very kind woman who found us a path alongside the highway that took us across a bridge after which we scrambled down a steep dirt embankment and then navigated our way through a massive shopping mall. 'Easyhotel' ? - I think not.

And so, if we were 'Innocents Abroad' when we began, we now feel like the 'Blessed At home'. Our trip has exceeded all expectations. We are incredibly thankful and have enjoyed sharing our experience with you and receiving your emails and comments in response.

And now for the final tally: 

Churches visited or attended: 55

Chateaux viewed (outside): 22, (inside): 8

Museums visited: 18

Jardins visited: 15

Photos taken: 8356

Sightings of Jeanne d'Arc: more than I could count - but as a bonus, I include my gallery of some of the representations of Jeanne d'Arc encountered across France: