Blanca & Ian's Travels

France

Photo Report - 1999

 

Living Like a King

Loire Valley


This trip was a mix of business & pleasure.  I work for a distributor of several French consumer electronics products & this was a 'factory tour' trip with a vacation thrown in.  

5 nights   Elsewhere in France
2 nights   Loire Valley -
Château Chissay

The Loire Valley part of this trip was for some R & R.  We took the TGV from Gare Montparnesse to Tour - St Pierre des Corps.  Avis supplied the car - a rental thru AutoEurope.  Driving was a breeze.

 


 



Chateau de Chissay

The Loire Valley

 

Château  de Chissay          http://www.chateaudechissay.com/

Located in a small village southeast of Chenonceau & about a mile from Montrichard.  The hotel is in an old château steeped with history, of course.  Charles VII, Louis XI & Charles de Gaulle (who only thought he was a king) have visited or stayed over the years.  Staying in a château makes you feel like royalty somehow.  You start gesturing at people & speak only with the 'royal' we.  Not really, but it is très cool.  Both nights, just after dusk, an owl loudly swooped & howled around outside our window.  Pretty eerie.  I also managed to scare up some deer on an early morning walk on the path above the château.

Accommodations:  We had a large room which looked to the courtyard behind the hotel.  Nice 'period' furniture & a modern bathroom in the turret!  The stone walls were covered in fabric.

Restaurant:  The château's restaurant is highly rated & was very good.  We also had dinner in a good restaurant in nearby Montichard that was suggested by a friend.  Trois Soeur or something about 3 Sisters was the name . . .

The Negatives:   None.  It was spectacular.

The Positives:   A big room with atmosphere.  You can live like a King for a day or two.

Nearby:   Chissay is a tiny village with only one 'family' restaurant.  Nearby Montrichard is a small town with several choices.  The Cher River bisects Montrichard with the old town on the north bank.  Caves Monmousseau has wine caves & a store in the west end of the town.  Their Vouvray is very good & worth aging.

 


A staircase


Château de Chissay's 'tunnel'


The entrance

 


Our room with turret


Courtyard



Our Chissay turret bathroom

 


Loire Images


Village of Chissay


Montrichard


Montrichard from across the Cher

 


Château de Chenonceau


Château de Chenonceau


A fireplace in Chenonceau

 


Strange sphinx at  Chenonceau


A village
window box


Sunflowers

 



Conclusion

Splurge & stay in a château if you go to this peaceful area.  Driving around the area is easy & château hopping is fun . . . to a point.  We went to Chenonceau first, which was a bit of a mistake.  Save it for last . . .  The area is also dotted with wineries, many of which receive visitors for simple tours & tastings.


 

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