This weekend, I officially felt like a parisian as I took a trip to the French countryside. As we drove through the countryside, I was in awe as we passed through fields of grapes, wheat, and sunflowers. Our final destination were three châteaus in the Loire Valley: Château de Chenonceau, Amboise, and Château de Clos Lucé. Chenonceau was built in 1547 and belonged to the women of France like Catherine da Medici. It was also used as a hospital during WWI…and I know the answer to question you are thinking about…yes they did have a Downton Abbey! The next château we visited was Amboise. Amboise was the home of the French kings until Versailles was built. It is also the final resting place for Leonardo da Vinci…who knew he was buried in France! The third and final château we visited was Clos Lucé. This is where da Vinci lived the last three years of his life. Here, he was able to think and invent freely under the protection of the French king. There was even a kitty cat on da Vinci’s bed!
Chenonceau
Amboise
da Vinci’s final resting place
Here is a video of the first chateau we visited, Chateau Chenonceau.