Le Chateau Chenonceau

This very French building is a must see if you are ever in the Loire region. It's not on the Loire it is on the Cher but only 6 miles South of the Loire. It is absolutely packed with history and visited by Kings of England.This place was run by women sometimes wives sometimes mistresses.It's conception is from around the 1500's but based on the foundations of a former castle and mill. It's in stunning condition and although sparsely furnished its walls are covered in Renaissance paintings and tapestries including The Three Graces, The Coming of the Magi. Most interesting is the building on the left hand side which was originally built as a bridge to the far bank but soon became The Great Hall. This bridge was on the line between occupied and free France and allowed the then and current owners ,the Menier family of chocolate fame, to help escaping prisoners and French Jews. Each room in the house has a spectacular floral display with the flowers provided by the kitchen gardens. N.B Mrs UE only had to wait an hour on a convenient bench for me to complete my audio tour! I then had to wait two hours for her to visit the gardens, kitchen gardens and maze ( only joking) Back to base for an afternoon's cycling.