"Don't anger the dolls"-A France and DLP Trip, June '18-COMPLETED (4/22-ride comparisons)

[Lesley Wake]

Day 7, Part 1: Au Revoir Paris

Today we all woke up and made sure everything was packed up. For breakfast, Mom and I went downstairs to get some pastries from Angelina.

Angelina is known for their Mont-Blanc pastry, which is meringue, whipped cream, and chestnut cream vermicelli. I wasn’t sure if I would like it, because I’m not a fan of chestnuts, but I was curious, so mom and I decided to share a mini version (they have a large cake, medium individual pastry, and mini bite-size - you can see the large and minis in the first photo above and the mediums on the top of the second photo). It was actually super delicious and I wish I had tried it earlier, because the mini had the perfect amount of everything for me to love it! The chestnut vermicelli was an interesting texture because it was soft but still a bit grainy (in a good way). I was at a bakery in LA recently and saw they had these, so I got one, but it wasn't nearly as good as Angelina's!

We got a bunch of croissants for everyone, as well as the hot chocolate to go. Croissant was super yum, but the hot chocolate was too rich to have more than a couple mouthfuls! I’d recommend sharing it!

Croissants: 4 Crepes: 6

We still had time, so went over to show mom the Grand Epicerie (I don’t think she had actually been in it).

So, apparently in the USA we eat cookies, make pancakes, and our favorite candy is nerds…

And they had the cutest sugar cubes! So many different shapes and designs and they had these little displays on the shelves. We ended up not getting any though…

I got another pastry, because of course, another Sainte Honore. Sooooo good! Loved the vanilla cream and whipped cream and puffs!

Finally, around noon, we “checked out” of the Airbnb. Our host came over because he was waiting for a delivery, and we said our goodbyes to Luna (I didn't get one last photo though because the host's teen daughter came over too and she was cuddling her kitty, so I thought that would be rude). Originally we had planned on taking a train from Paris to Tours, and picking up a rental car in Tours for us to use over the next week, before returning it to the airport. Well, then I checked the train strike schedule and realized it was going to be a strike day, which was not going to work! Dad checked into changing up the reservation, and turns out it saved him over $500 to do pickup and return from the Paris airport! So, after leaving the Airbnb we took a SuperShuttle back to the airport and headed to the rental car facility.

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[Lesley Wake]

Day 7, Part 2 – Bonjour Amboise

When we got to the facility, it took a long time at the check-in and then also we had to wait for them to clean the car, which was rather annoying. Lauren and I also were signed up as drivers on the car since we aren’t exactly fans of my dad’s driving! He still did a lot of the long hauls, but we took over for shorter drives on super narrow roadways, which our mom very much appreciated.

Eventually, after using my tetris skills to fit all of our suitcases and people into the car (we had a minivan, but even their minivans are teeny tiny), we were on our way. A map of relevant places (though we wouldn’t be heading up to Normandy for a few days):

Anyways, the traffic wasn’t too bad. I mean, not wonderful around the city, but that’s to be expected. We completely avoided the main streets, sticking to the highways. We definitely learned then how much the tolls were, and it cost probably 20-30 euros to get to the Loire Valley. But at least the roads are kept in good condition, so I guess it’s worth it!

We made a brief detour to Orleans, to meet up with someone Dad knew from high school. (Well, actually turns out the woman was more of a friend of a friend, and her husband had studied abroad for a year or two and was good friends with a bunch of my dad’s friends.) It actually was a lovely visit, and the couple was so friendly, with the wife being especially adorable (jumping up and down when she saw our car and pointing out how to get down their driveway). Their daughters all live in the San Diego area, so they spend a bunch of time out here, and hopefully we will meet up again next time they visit!

We finally got to Amboise later that afternoon/early evening. It was a bit hard to negotiate with super narrow streets, plus there was some sort of outdoor concert on the main street, so we weren’t able to drive up the widest road. But anyways, we made our way and got to our Airbnb.

Oh, and Amboise – I found out about this thru Disney Tourist Blog and their associated travel blog – Travel Caffeine. I was trying to figure out where we would go after Paris. My mom wanted something a bit quieter, and I had loved the Loire Valley when I had visited in high school. I saw it pop up on their twitter feed and when I started doing the research, it just seemed perfect for our needs – good food, close to places, historical feel, low-key rather than go-go-go. It was definitely interesting because it is sort-of a tourist town, but more for French tourists (so families from other areas of France coming to see the Loire Valley). So, overall it was a great choice!

Overall it was a pretty good place – a three bedroom with 2 bathrooms, so while Anthony and I had to share a room, we each had our own bed. All of the rooms actually had multiple beds, and lots of toys and games, so our host said often lots of families stay there. It was the 3rd floor of the building (the host family lived on the lower two levels). And we had our own little garden out front.

I had to use panorama to get a view of all the rooms but they were pretty big. And they had decorated in themes, so Lauren and Joey had the Royalty room (the red walls), Anthony and I had the Revolution room (some books and games related to the revolution), and Mom and Dad had the Republic room (with the French flag). I forgot to take a photo of the kitchen and living room, but it was big enough for us.

But, more importantly was this location – basically against the Amboise Chateau! This was the view out my window!

And it was an easy walk down the street to the main street with restaurants and shops and the chateau.

After we dropped off our suitcases, we were pretty hungry for dinner, so decided to find a restaurant. Unfortunately all of the places we tried to get in were way too busy with all the concert people, so we kept getting turned around and were starting to get hangry! It was pretty frustrating seeing these rooms with lots of empty tables, which I guess had been reserved for other people.

Finally we found a place, Hippeau, which let us in. I think we shared a charcuterie plate, but again forgot to take photos of it! And I think some of the others got the asparagus appetizer, which they liked (I was starting to train mom in the TR ways as she took that photo).

I ended up getting the Duck, which came in a honey and rosemary sauce. I don’t completely remember what the side was – maybe some sort of potatoes? – but it was all delicious!

I think a bunch of the others got veal for dinner. Anthony took a bite and liked it, but apparently he didn't know what it was. Because after everyone was done, he was complaining about veal on the menu, and we all looked at him and said he had eaten some... (For the record, I've eaten it once when it was the only meal offered at a wedding; I wasn't the biggest fan, so I don't feel a need to get it again. Though I do enjoy lamb, so just try to forget what I'm eating.)

I also got crème brulee for dessert and for some reason they brought out 2! Fine by me because it was yummy!

After dinner we walked across the street to admire the sunset over the Loire River (it was even prettier while we were eating dinner).

And I made sure to take this photo for @AMusicLifeForMe

And another night-time view from my room

Coming up - A Sunday in a market town.​

 

[wishiwasindisneyjen]

Your report just keeps getting better and better. Can't wait till you reach Normandy (I'll be there next year).

 

[missjackiemcg]

You amaze me with figuring out all the transport stuff--I would be so stressed about getting from here to there!!

What an amazing location for your place to stay! Love that picture of the chateau so close by!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Your report just keeps getting better and better. Can't wait till you reach Normandy (I'll be there next year).

Aw, thanks! Normandy was great - do you know where you guys are staying?

You amaze me with figuring out all the transport stuff--I would be so stressed about getting from here to there!!

What an amazing location for your place to stay! Love that picture of the chateau so close by!

I think my mom appreciated my Type A planning style in that respect! That I was able to figure it all out and just give her options to decide from, rather than her needing to do the initial legwork!

 

[Dugette]

So many familiar sights! We had one of those signature Angelina's pastries too. It was really good, even Izzy liked it! Love your view in Amboise. And isn't it so pretty walking along the river at sunset? We did that too. Great memory.

 

[thumper*]

We made a brief detour to Orleans,

I was born in Orleans.

I ended up getting the Duck, which came in a honey and rosemary sauce

Oh yum

GOrgeous view and picture

 

[Lesley Wake]

So many familiar sights! We had one of those signature Angelina's pastries too. It was really good, even Izzy liked it! Love your view in Amboise. And isn't it so pretty walking along the river at sunset? We did that too. Great memory.

Yes, we really ended up liking Amboise!

I was born in Orleans.

Oh yum

GOrgeous view and picture

I remember you mentioning that! We didn't get to see much of it since we needed to get to Amboise, but it seemed like a lovely town!

 

[Lesley Wake]

So many familiar sights! We had one of those signature Angelina's pastries too. It was really good, even Izzy liked it! Love your view in Amboise. And isn't it so pretty walking along the river at sunset? We did that too. Great memory.

Yes, we really ended up liking Amboise!

I was born in Orleans.

Oh yum

GOrgeous view and picture

I remember you mentioning that! We didn't get to see much of it since we needed to get to Amboise, but it seemed like a lovely town!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Day 8, Part 1: Amboise Sunday Market

The map for today. (This was all on foot – we didn’t need to use the car that day.)

We started this morning by heading down to the Amboise Sunday Market, which is one of the most popular markets in the Loire Valley.

Lauren, Mom and I went down “early”, around 9:20. We stopped at a patisserie along the way, Bigot Patisserie, for breakfast so we weren’t shopping on empty tummy.

Though since we were eating on the go, we ended up just getting croissants for now. But we would be back multiple times.

Croissants: 5 Crepes: 6

The market itself was nice with lots of local food booths with produce, meats, seafood, bread, etc. I had expected to see more in the way of crafts, but the non-food booths were pretty junky. Like a lot of stuff I would expect to see at a dollar store. So, skipped all those. (Mom did end up getting some pretty hanging baskets though). Also, there was a band who marched through the market, which was fun!

We had decided to get some food to make at the Airbnb that night for dinner, getting some strawberries, bread/croissants, charcuterie, cheese, peas and carrots (they looked yummy), and pasta. After a loop through the market, Anthony showed up, and he and I ended up taking most of the early purchases back to the house (had to wait for Joey and Dad to show up though since they had the keys).

On the way back, we saw this statue, which totally reminded me of the Nebula torture scene in Avengers Infinity Wars!

We rested for a bit while waiting for everyone else…and I ate another croissant! Though it ended up being my least favorite croissant in France, as it didn’t have the appropriate buttery sweetness!

Croissants: 6 Crepes: 6

After everyone got back we ended up randomly finding The Middle with French dubbing, which was hilarious!

Eventually we headed out again for our actual sightseeing, which was going to focus on local Amboise places. First we needed to grab some lunch, so just went to a bar which had some sandwiches you could get grilled. I ended up getting the hotdog, which in France, tends to be on a proper baguette with melted cheese!

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[Lesley Wake]

Day 8, Part 2: Chateau d’Amboise

We headed across the street to the focal point of Amboise:

Chateau d’Amboise

This chateau actually used to be a royal residence and home of the royal court. It was built on the top of a hill, giving it a very strategic location. It was originally a home of some nobility, but was later seized by the monarchy and expanded upon.

King Francis I was raised at the chateau, and ended up forming a strong friendship with Leonardo da Vinci. They built an underground passage between the chateau and the nearby Chateau de Clos Luce, where Leonardo spent his final years (we would visit there later in the day).

King Henry II and his wife, Catherine de Medici raised their children in the chateau, as well as Mary Queen of Scots, as she was promised to their eldest son. I didn’t realize it was the place she grew up, which I found particularly interesting as I had binged the CW show Reign in the previous year. (The show itself isn’t particularly historically accurate, but at least spurred me to learning more about her and the Valois dynasty; plus it was full of very handsome actors…always ok in my book!)

The chateau was often the place the King and Queen would leave their children to be raised while they travelled and ruled the country (the actual building where the kids lived has been demolished).

In 1560 there was a conspiracy against the monarchy, but it was uncovered and the culprits were hanged over a period of a month. In all 1200 Protestants were killed, and in order to deter others, they hung the bodies from the edges of the ramparts, causing the Royal Court to need to leave town due to the smell of corpses!

Over the decades and centuries, the chateau fell out of royal favor (likely when they moved more permanently to Paris), and a large part was demolished during the French Revolution. It was later restored by King Louis-Philippe (who you may remember also helped restore Versailles and some other locations around Paris and France in general).

In 1848 it actually became the prison of Emir Abd Al-Qadir, who resisted the French colonization of Algeria. The chateau itself was in disrepair and led to deteriorating health and morale. There is actually a small garden/memorial to his time there, including to the members of his family who died during their imprisonment (including one wife, one brother, and two children). He was released in 1852 by Napoleon.

It now is controlled by the comte de Paris, a descendant of Louis-Philippe. There was some further damage during WWII and we could see the evidence of bullet holes and bombs along the exterior walls.

Now, back to our visit.

We all got the audio guide, which was very informative. I did end up skipping some numbers so I could get ahead of a tour group, but I was able to go back through and listen to everything while waiting for everyone else to finish. (I also did discover a Christmas tour, so they must do special Christmas activities.)

The Saint Hubert chapel, with a hunting motif, and also the burial place of Leonardo da Vinci

The chateau interiors. I don’t quite remember what everything was, so you can just get an idea of what it’s like!

I think this was upstairs and depicted a different time period

Painting of Leonardo da Vinci’s death

Out on the turret there were some more great views

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[Lesley Wake]

Day 8, part 3: Chateau d’Amboise cont…

The gardens

And our home, where I realized you could totally see right into my room (it’s the top center window).

The garden and memorial for the Emir

A bust of Leonardo da vinci in a place of honor in the gardens

At the gift shop I ended up getting an ornament of the chateau; I think I may have also gotten one of Leonardo da Vinci so I wouldn’t have to bother at Chateau du Clos Luce (hopefully at the end of this TR I’ll be able to find all my souvenirs and can include a photo!)
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[Lesley Wake]

Day 8, Part 4: Chateau du Clos Luce

After everyone was done at the chateau, we all headed up the road a bit (about a 15 minute walk, though most of it is uphill, but it would be easier to walk than try to find parking) to the Chateau du Clos Luce

Chateau du Clos Luce

The Chateau du Close Luce is most known for being the official residence of Leonardo da Vinci between 1516 – 1519 and is also the place where he died.

It was originally purchased by King Charles VIII for his wife Anne of Brittany. Francis I later used it, as did his sister. When Francis I invited da Vinci to come stay in Amboise, he let him use the chateau to stay and work. When he arrived he brought three paintings: Sainte Anne, Saint Jean Baptiste, and the Mona Lisa!

It is now a museum for his life and inventions.

The upstairs is primarily recreations of the rooms as he would have laid them out.

Da Vinci’s view of the Chateau Amboise

The first floor is a recreation of his studios, including a digital projection to try and bring you into the moment.

And in the basement there are smaller models of lots of his inventions, divided up into different areas based on their subject (so like transportation, water, power, etc). They also had great signage indicating what everything was (though we did notice that while they obviously spent a bunch of money on all the exhibits, they still had silly grammar errors on the signs, so it seemed weird they hadn’t gotten a native English speaker to double check).

The underground tunnel to the chateau. You can’t use it anymore obviously!

Outside they have a simple Renaissance garden, mostly roses, though of the Mona Lisa variety – fitting!

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[Lesley Wake]

Day 8, Part 5: Da Vinci’s Inventions

Down below there was a smaller garden, plus some woods, which included full-scale replicas of some of his inventions that you could manipulate and try out!

Double decker bridge

A mill

Swinging bridge (though you couldn’t make it actually swing)

A portable bridge (you can sort of see the wheels down under it)

Some sort of water pump (the shadoof)

Peddle boats

Treadmill

They also had various art pieces throughout the grounds

The Golden Horn Bridge – this became an international project and there are versions all over the world.

Movable tank that you could get inside and spin around

And some sort of spinner that I think was designed as a method of flight

After walking all over, I ended up back up at the garden where I found my family (minus Anthony who was still exploring) just in time to order an ice cream!

I think we closed out the museum, before heading back down the road to the Airbnb. The curtains in this house were so detailed and gorgeous! My mom considered knocking on their door to find out about them…but decided not to be that creepy!

We cooked up our purchases and had a fun, relatively relaxing evening. (The red stuff is actually a tomato sauce made just from olive oil, garlic, and tomatoes basically stewed up, that an Italian foreign exchange student taught us).

For dessert, I had another croissant…

Croissants: 7, Crepes: 6

Coming up: Chateaus..​

 

[olafLover]

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[DLo]

Wow . I have been following along but behind so haven’t been commenting. Amboise looks amazing. I will have to add it to my ever growing trip bucket list. The DaVinvi museum looks very interesting. Well ,all of it looks intriguing.

 

[Dugette]

Loving the updates. As much as we were near the chateau in Amboise, we never went inside - cool to see your pics! We did go through Da Vinci's home and the gardens full of inventions and that was great - Izzy loved the spinny things.

 

[missangelalexis]

Great updates! Lots of awesome pics!

 

[missjackiemcg]

Those gardens and chateaus are lovely. I love that you bought some fresh foods and made your own dinner; I love eating out but it's so nice to stay in, too! Makes it feel homey!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Ambrosia looks charming and what a great view you have from your room!