Loire Valley

A storm that chased
me all the way to the
Loire Valley.
It was very fast and
I could barely outrun it.








The rain caught up
to me by the time
I got to Saumur.








I stopped for coffee
and after about half
an hour the sun came
out and all was right
with the world again.





This was my first
Loire Valley castle.
Château de Saumur
dates from the 10th cent.

I'm told that this castle
inspired Walt Disney.





The castle at Langeais
is right in the middle
of town. This one was
built between 1465
and 1469.
Try doing that today!







They had tapestries
for sale. This one was
about 600 euros.










One of the bedrooms.









Chateau d'Amboise
is an imposing sight
as you ride along
the river.








In 1429 Joan of Arc
passed through the town
on her way to defeat the
English at Orleans.









The Loire river
as seen from the
ramparts.









Leonardo da Vinci
is buried in this
small chapel of
Saint-Hubert.










As a guest of the King,
Leonardo da Vinci came
to Château Amboise in
December 1515.
He died in 1519.









One of the bedrooms.










The chateau at Blois.










Not surprisingly,
Blois was also
having a music
festival.









The cathedral as
seen through the
window of my
hotel room.









The house of
magic, with some
dragons poking
their heads out.









A detail of the
entrance to the
chateau.