Paris and the Heart of France
Day 5 - Selles-sur-Cher to Chambord
Since we didn't have to leave Bourges until 11:00 a.m., we had lots of free time to enjoy our the medieval settings. After our included buffet breakfast, we enjoyed walking around Bourges to take pictures with sunshine and blue skies.
We revisited a number of places we seen the night before, including the cathedral, and just enjoyed walking through streets of half-timbered houses and shops.
We also were supposed to shop for our sack lunch. One of Antoine's recommendations was La Mie Câlinea (11 Rue Moyenne, 18000 Bourges, France). They had a pretty awesome ham and cheese on baguette sandwich, as was their chocolate éclair, which rivaled what we got in Paris.
Getting out of town was a bit of an adventure as they had closed off a number of streets and had set up concrete and plastic barricades for the race. We ended up moving one of those a bit so the bus could drive through.
We made our way to Chateaux Selles-sur-Cher where we had our private picnic lunch underneath a some 300 year old giant Cedar of Lebanon tree. You might recognize this tree as described in the Bible that was used for construction of the temple and Solomon's palace.
After lunch we were treated to a private wine and cheese tasting from the Chateau's winery. Our hosts talked about the role and importance of wine and cheese in French culture.
Each region of France has its own distinctive wines and cheeses. Just as the composition of soil and variety of grapes creates a unique flavor in wine, so too the diet of cows and goats, and the subtleties of the aging process create unique flavors and consistencies of cheeses. The best French cheese is unpasteurized, so it cannot be commercially exported to the United States. If our memory is correct, they served us 6 different wines and cheeses. Those in our group who really know wine and cheese, raved about both and said it was one of their favorite parts of the trip. Quite a few people bought wine or had it shipped home, so you know it was good.
Since I don't drink wine, even though it's French, and even when it's free, I slipped away and enjoyed exploring the Chateau. Phillip Berthume bought the ruined castle in 1604 and hired the architect who had designed Place de Vosges in Paris. Unfortunately, much of that construction has been lost or destroyed.
When visiting historic homes and castles, it is always hard to know what exactly to look at. Many times the original furnishings were sold or plundered, so they are filled with a mix of old and new, and/or real and reproduction. So normally I don't take a second look at obvious art reproductions. In this case, I recognized the style as the Italian master Caravaggio. Phillip Berthume apparently had good taste as he owned a pair of his paintings, The Incredulity of St. Thomas (the doubting one) from 1603 and The Last Supper. These two painting were rediscovered in an organ loft of Saint Antoines in the town of Loches (about an hour west). Unfortunately, the paintings are now regarded as copies, even though they likely were done in Caravaggio's own studio. C'est la vie.
After an hour bus ride, we arrived at Chambord, the grandest of all hunting lodges, home of some 440 rooms, over 200 chimneys and reportedly, a fireplace for every day of the year. Chambord was commissioned by François I in 1519, and it was clearly built to impress. While the chateau structure is largely symmetrical, the chimneys are an ornamental feast for the eyes.
Once inside the chateau, we were given free time to explore it and the grounds.
The chateau's design itself was heavily influenced by Leonardo da Vinci. François I had hired/invited Leonardo to move to France to be the "premier painter, architect and engineer of the king." The most obvious element of da Vinci is the massive central double helix staircase, that allows people entering from opposite sides of the staircase, to ascend simultaneously to each floor, without ever meeting. Apparently François I did not like sharing the stairs.
Schedule
The chateau itself was largely unfurnished and uninhabited most of the time. It was a hunting lodge after all, and the royal court brought their furniture with them. So none of the furnishings are original to Chambord beyond one table in the official apartment.
While my wife looked in the shops, I explored the grounds to take more pictures. Before long, I found myself running back to the bus and receiving the undesirable distinction of being the last to board, much to my and my wife's chagrin.
We continued on to Amboise driving through the very scenic Loire River Valley, which is dotted with chateaus owned by the rich and famous.
We checked into our centrally-located 3 star hotel, Hôtel Bellevue Amboise (12, Quai Charles Guinot - 37400 Amboise). Our guide Antoine then took us for a orientation walk around the neighborhood, pointing out various places (stores, pharmacies, ATMs, etc.) as well as good restaurant choices for the following day. We went back to the hotel where we had another of our included group dinners, which was excellent as always!