Day 15, 20th Oct 2025
Chateau de Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, France
Deciding which amazing Chateau to visit next is hard as there are so many!
We chose the Chateau de Chambord because it is the most visited Chateau in France.
Work was started on it in 1519 and became a World Heritage site in 1981. And you can see why.
We were allowed to take Meg around the perimeter, called the canal walk but sadly not in the Chateau or its gardens. Though we are satisfied that the gardens weren’t a patch on those we saw yesterday in Villandry.
You still manage to get up close to the Chateau and, what can we say? The turrets and towers are just breathtaking. You find yourself asking, why? What was the thinking behind some of the structures and what purpose did they serve?
I’m sure if you took the guided tour all would be revealed. Until we do, we’ll just satisfy ourselves with the idea that it just makes it prettier 
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Also, a memory surfaced of the liqueur Chambord, a bottle of which I was gifted by my lovely sister and Brother-in-Law a few years ago. Yes, this is related to the Loire region though there does appear to be some dispute about whether it was introduced by Louis 14th. I’ll make sure to sample some on our return 
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To get around the Chateau we walked the canal path, a 4km amble in nature with the occassional rental buggy passing by – kids loving driving them on parent’s laps – and naughtily we let Meg off lead.
I know I’ve already mentioned this previously but the colours of nature at the moment are just so pleasing to the eye. I always wonder if, when trees are planted, do the gardeners know how the colours will show up next to each other in different seasons?
Just as we reached the end of our walk, the sky started to cloud over. Perfect timing.
We had one more village, just up the road to visit but the heavens opened when we were in the van and so we decided not to attempt it on this occasion.
Choosing a free spot tonight next to the Canal de Berry in the village of Mehun-Sur-Yevre. It’s rained on and off this evening and we are the only van in the Aire.
Once you start delving into Chateaux and Castles along the Loire you find yourself planning a route to see them all!
Well, even though it sounds a great idea there are a few things to consider.
Firstly, we have a dog. Sometimes they are allowed into the building, but mostly only the outside areas and sometimes not at all.
Secondly, there’s a danger of assaulting your senses, overloading what you see so that you do not appreciate the beauty right in front of you.
So, after having a word with ourselves, we dismissed our FOMO and have decided to go in search of the sun, leaving the map of amazing Chateaux in the cupboard for when we return this way.
Not sure where we will end up, but I’ll let you know when we get there.
Apologies for not grouping pics, I think you’ll appreciate being able to zoom in 
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