Photogenic Amboise

We came to Amboise to relax a bit after Paris and have a few days to see chateaux. Amboise sits in the Loire Valley – site of the greatest concentration of chateaux in France. There are about 300 here and we are seeing 5. Today we saw the two that sit right in Amboise – Clos Luce and the Chateau d’Amboise.

This is Clos Luce, built in about 1471:

Here’s an interior hallway:

The coolest thing about Clos Luce is that Leonardo da Vinci spent his final years there and so the house and grounds pay homage to his legacy and inventions. There are about 40 sign boards and small models of inventions around the house as you tour – and I stared at them and (with the limited spatial perception I have mentioned to you previously) tried to imagine them in real life but I was wasting my time because once you exit the chateaux, you are deposited into these gorgeous gardens:

And then once you start walking the gardens, you enter the Park at Clos Luce and there are full size models of da Vinci creations scattered around. Like my favorite one – this tank:

For a long time, I stared at a working display of Archimedes screw, really pondering how that water moves up, but then I got hungry and it was time to move on to snack time. I’ve supplemented my Cheez Waffle stores. I made Ron try one and he turned up his nose in disgust and disdain – and this is from a man who is currently drinking French champagne from a juice cup and had a frank conversation with me earlier today about the difference between a smell and an odor in relation to the shoes he’s wearing each and every day for our 28 days in France.

The Chateaux d’Amboise was originally built in the 11th century. In 1434, it was seized by Charles VII of France and became a favorite of French royalty. It is actually connected to Clos Luce by an underground passage and Leonardo di Vinci is buried in the small chapel on the grounds. The chateaux was improved and embellished and looks like this today:

Amboise is easy to love. The pace is slow, the cafes are full of people relaxing with coffee and pastries (and maybe a cigarette or two or 50). Today, as we sat at a cafe on the tiny main square, a huge fire truck drove right into the square and parked. Four sturdy, manly firefighters in full uniform leapt out of the truck – and they walked over to Amorino Ice Cream. I’m thinking medical emergency? Fire inspection? Nope, this is Amboise, people. They each got a cone and left with a smile.

That’s how I feel about Amboise too. Relaxing and gracious, with architecture that makes my jaw drop. I’ll leave you with a few more pics. We have one more day of chateaux and then we’re off to Bordeaux to find Sam and Kris.