I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this yet but the Loire Valley is known for the many world famous castles situated in this Gallic region, which is sometimes referred to as the garden of France. Here a castle, there a castle everywhere you look a castle! That’s the Loire Valley.

Well, today my agenda is full of castles from Château dAmboise, the gossip riddled royal playground of Renaissance kings, to the Chateau Clos du Luce, the last home of Leonardo Da Vinci, to the Chateau de Chenonceaux, where a great queen would take her ultimate revenge on her royal husband’s mistress. My, oh my, history can be fun, can it not?

First stop: Chateau d’Amboise.
A staggering structure that overlooks the Loire River. A favorite of French kings, one of the most impressive aspects of this 15th Century castle is the intricate Chapel Saint Hubert, located on the grounds of the chateau, which is said to be the burial place of Leonardo Da Vinci. It’s also quite intriguing to explore the rooms of the Chateau d’Amboise because in them are stories about how King Charles VIII died after hitting his head on a low door frame, how the calculating Catherine de Medici raised her children in the rooms of the chateau, and the childhood playground of the infamously revolutionary Mary Stuart, who would later become Mary Queen of Scots. It all made me wish that I had paid closer attention to these goings on in my history classes. They are so fascinating to me today.

The other spectacular thing about the Chateau d’Amboise are the views of Tours. From this chateau’s vantage point, there can be little wonder why this slice of France is called le jardin de la France.

Next: Chateau de Clos Luce.
The next stop on this day of chateau hopping is the Chateau de Clos Luce, given to Leonardo Da Vinci in the early 16th Century by King Francois I as a place to live and work. Today, the Chateau de Clos Luce houses a museum where many of Da Vinci’s models for inventions that would come to revolutionize the world are on display. The museum is swarming with interesting titbits, but next time I think I’ll choose to discover them without the help of a Disneyland-esque guide who has, for some reason been told that tourists will be amused by her Renaissance schtick.

Again, I am left wishing I had paid more attention in history class, but then again, I am reminded that the great result of travel is that it opens up our consciousness to new vistas we might be interested in discovering.

After the tour, my group and I took in the surrounding parks, which are quite expansive, and then enjoyed a Renaissance style lunch, the highlight of which was a deliciously, cinnamon-y mulled wine served from clay jugs. Actually, I can’t remember the lunch because I was too busy enjoying the wine, but I can tell you that I left lunch quite full and not the least bit annoyed by the Renaissance styled characters there.

Last, but not least: Chateau de Chenonceaux
I was still feeling the ecstasy of that mulled wine we arrived at the Chateau de Chenonceaux, which I had been dying to visit. Drama queen that I am, I was intrigued by the history of this famed castle which King Henri II had given to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers, who turned the Chateau into one of the loveliest in all of France, much to the dismay of King Henri II’s wife, Catherine de Medici.

Though Diane de Poitiers managed to maintain ownership of the chateau while Henri II was alive, after his death, Catherine de Medici exacted her revenge on the other woman in her late husband’s life by forcing her into a much less distinguished chateau, the Chateau de Chaumont, and taking up residence in the palatial home herself. And you thought there was drama on Desperate Housewives!

It is difficult to imagine the Chateau de Chenonceaux until you see it sitting there, regally residing over the River Cher, which runs beneath it. Two sets of gardens frame Chenonceaux – one commissioned by Diane de Poitiers (probably the loveliest) and the other by Catherine de Medici – and while both are grand, they say a great deal about the differences between the two women. I could have studied the rooms where this historical soap opera played out for hours, but it was time to change hotels and then have a bit of dinner.

The hotel we moved to on this out third day was the gay owned Le Manoir Les Minimes, which sits on the banks of the Loire River just below the Chateau d’Amboise. This is an outstanding, luxurious property where every detail has been well thought out, from the luxe robes in the bathroom to the elegant country estate feel of the décor... right down to the grand communal areas which feel oh-so-very sophisticated.
 
Built in the 18th century, this lovingly restored hotel is the premiere place to stay if you are visiting the Loire Valley (just be sure to book early as this soignée establishment has only 13 rooms and two suites. Oh, and did I mention that the service is extraordinary? Things just magically appear and reappear at this four star property. My luggage appeared in my room while I was out perusing chateaus just as a note informing me of the weather appeared on my pillow when I arrived back at the hotel for dinner. How very darling is that?

Speaking of dinner that night, my party and I dined at the exquisite Pavillon des Lys, a restaurant/hotel located about ten minutes from the Le Manoir Les Minimes. One of those places possessed of an easy elegance, Pavillon des Lys is at once tres sophisticated while simultaneously relaxed. The food is experimental, but deliciously so, and the best part is that all of this luxe only costs about 38€ (about $54). If that doesn’t put America’s high-priced, impossible to get a reservation eateries to shame, I don’t know what will.

Or at least that’s what I think as I waddle through the streets of Amboise en route to my lovely chambre at the Manoir! Tomorrow it’s off to Paris. Who would have ever thought I’d be saying that this part of my itinerary would be a hard act to follow.

Read part one and part two our Loire Valley Love Affair series.


Find out all the latest gay travel information by buying the 2007 Spartacus International Gay Guide. Get it online and save some money to put towards the other Bruno Gmunder guides - Hotel and Restaurant Guide and Sauna Guide.

© 2007 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved. Article provided by GayLinkContent.com