This is the Château d'Amboise, formerly home to many a different King Louis, King Charles, King François, King Henry and just a single King Jean (and I though jeans usually come in pairs). Pictured on the side is the original layout of the castle, the red sections no longer exist. It was stunning to stroll around the castle courtyard leisurely, all the while trying to imagine that over 600 years ago there were castle guards patrolling the area on foot. I couldn't help but think of Link's first mission to Hyrule Castle in Ocarina of Time (loads of guards walking around, protecting the princess from medieval danger, etc.)
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| Remember dodging these buffoons? |
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Unfortunately, my camera died in the middle of the trip, and I wasn't able to snap any photos of the Mediterranean-inspired gardens behind the castle. There was a beautiful cedar next to a fountain, and a small vineyard. I inched over the fence to steal a couple grapes. They were sour.
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| The main section of what's left of the château |
The inside of le Château d'Amboise was filled with a bunch of old stuff not unlike the things I saw in the other castle.. Old furniture, ornate fireplaces, portraits of monarchs and their friends, old armor... since my camera's battery expired, I couldn't properly photo-document this portion of my visit, but to me the aspect of Amboise that I'll remember is the view from the castle-top. It's strategically and aesthetically advantageous to build your château on top of a hill in the middle of a lush valley.
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| Looking out from the castle's cliff |
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Gargoyles that spew water when it rains
Irrigation made awesome |
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| Looking out from the castle's cliff |
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| Looking out from the castle's cliff |
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| The eternal resting place of da Vinci |
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| Stairs are cool |
I'll be back to write about the last stop in our day trip to the Loire Valley, the house of Leonardo da Vinci soon. Also there's something to be said about Brussels and I ought to tell you what happened on my birthday. Thanks for reading!
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The view from the castle cliff is stupendous. I could see the whole Loire Valley
and its wealth of rivers, mountains and luxurious real estate |
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