I have been missing Europe so badly lately. I am seriously craving it - just to go back and wander around a medieval village with cobbled streets would be my idea of heaven right now. Especially if I had a nutella crepe in hand... And lucky for him, but not so lucky for me - Mitch is back in Europe this week, enjoying one of my favourite countries; France... You could say I'm a teeny bit jealous so I thought I'd wander on back to one of the first French castles we visited in 2007 - Chateau de Chambord in the Loire Valley, France.
Chambord may not be quite as famous as nearby Versailles, but it is absolutely spectacular. When we arrived, there was a dressage competition on and (being a horsey girl from way back) I loved seeing the riders warming up in the chateau grounds.
Many castles in the Loire Valley allow you to wander the grounds for free and only charge if you wish to enter the castle, but Chambord isn't one of them. You pay the 11 euro entry fee to enter the entire property, but it's really a small fee given what this castle has to offer - it is after all, the largest chateau in the Loire Valley.
One of the things that really stood out to me about Chambord was the design of the double helix staircase - I vaguely remember reading at the time that it was thought to have been designed by Leonardo da Vinci.
It's from this staircase that Mitch snapped one of my favourite travel photos (which is now proudly displayed in our living room black & whites).
There are many castles in the Loire Valley, so many tourists only stick to Versailles as it can be reached by train from Paris but honestly - there is nothing quite like hiring a car and driving around this beautiful region in the summertime. We only spent a few short days here but have always planned on going back when we do another big France road trip.
Have you been through the Loire region?
Happy wanderings :-)

Chambord may not be quite as famous as nearby Versailles, but it is absolutely spectacular. When we arrived, there was a dressage competition on and (being a horsey girl from way back) I loved seeing the riders warming up in the chateau grounds.
Many castles in the Loire Valley allow you to wander the grounds for free and only charge if you wish to enter the castle, but Chambord isn't one of them. You pay the 11 euro entry fee to enter the entire property, but it's really a small fee given what this castle has to offer - it is after all, the largest chateau in the Loire Valley.
One of the things that really stood out to me about Chambord was the design of the double helix staircase - I vaguely remember reading at the time that it was thought to have been designed by Leonardo da Vinci.
It's from this staircase that Mitch snapped one of my favourite travel photos (which is now proudly displayed in our living room black & whites).
There are many castles in the Loire Valley, so many tourists only stick to Versailles as it can be reached by train from Paris but honestly - there is nothing quite like hiring a car and driving around this beautiful region in the summertime. We only spent a few short days here but have always planned on going back when we do another big France road trip.
Have you been through the Loire region?
Happy wanderings :-)
