On our way to Paris we stopped WHERE?!
On Wednesday, we left Angouleme for good. We had been going back to there every night after our sight seeing and staying at the house where Mom and Dad had been living. It was really great because it saved us tons of money on hotel bills. We already had a house that we had rented for our days in Paris, but when I asked Dad where we were staying on Wednesday night while we were in route to Paris, he was very vague saying only "we've got it worked out." Very mysterious. Anyway, our plan for the day was to see some Chateaus on the way to Oradour Sur Glane. I covered that in the last post so now on to the Chateaus! The first place we stopped was Chateau de la Rochefoucauld and it was beautiful. We could not go inside, but we walked around the grounds and took pictures. Here are a few of the best ones.
Me and Chase and the back view of the Chateau
Here is a view of the front of the Chateau
Here we are in front of the doors, ready to move in.
According to legend, the castle is haunted by the spirit of Melusine, who was thrown from the top of the tower, or the souls of the founding family of La Rochefoucauld. Personally, I didn't see or hear any ghosts, but I also didn't actually go in, so . . .
After we went to Oradour we stopped at another Chateau in a very cute small town. It was called Chateau de Langeais and was built sometime in the 10th century. Under the Plantagenet kings, the chateau was fortified and expanded by Richard I of England (King Richard the Lionhearted). However, King Philippe II of France recaptured the château in 1206. Eventually though, during the Hundred Years' War, the English almost totally destroyed it. The chateau was rebuilt about 1465 during the reign of King Louis XI.
The great hall of the château was the scene of the marriage of Anne of Brittany to King Charles VIII on December 6, 1491 that made the permanent union of Brittany and France. However, the fifteen-year-old Duchesse Anne, not happy with the politically arranged marriage, arrived for her wedding with her entourage carrying two beds.
The outside walls
Sandra and Chase in the courtyard
We then started heading toward our final destination of the night. Everyone in the car was very curious and Mom and Dad were keeping mum about the whole thing, so we stayed quiet and enjoyed our drive through the French countryside.
At about 5:00 we arrived at a gate and Dad spoke through a little intercom. The gates opened and we drove through and into a forest. By now we knew that this was where we were staying for the night, but we didn't know what it was. We rounded the corner and this is what we saw.
Needless to say, pandemonium broke out in the car as we all exclaimed in delight over the chance to actually sleep in a chateau. More on that later. . . :)
Me and Chase and the back view of the Chateau
Here is a view of the front of the Chateau
Here we are in front of the doors, ready to move in.
According to legend, the castle is haunted by the spirit of Melusine, who was thrown from the top of the tower, or the souls of the founding family of La Rochefoucauld. Personally, I didn't see or hear any ghosts, but I also didn't actually go in, so . . .
After we went to Oradour we stopped at another Chateau in a very cute small town. It was called Chateau de Langeais and was built sometime in the 10th century. Under the Plantagenet kings, the chateau was fortified and expanded by Richard I of England (King Richard the Lionhearted). However, King Philippe II of France recaptured the château in 1206. Eventually though, during the Hundred Years' War, the English almost totally destroyed it. The chateau was rebuilt about 1465 during the reign of King Louis XI.
The great hall of the château was the scene of the marriage of Anne of Brittany to King Charles VIII on December 6, 1491 that made the permanent union of Brittany and France. However, the fifteen-year-old Duchesse Anne, not happy with the politically arranged marriage, arrived for her wedding with her entourage carrying two beds.
The outside walls
Sandra and Chase in the courtyard
We then started heading toward our final destination of the night. Everyone in the car was very curious and Mom and Dad were keeping mum about the whole thing, so we stayed quiet and enjoyed our drive through the French countryside.
At about 5:00 we arrived at a gate and Dad spoke through a little intercom. The gates opened and we drove through and into a forest. By now we knew that this was where we were staying for the night, but we didn't know what it was. We rounded the corner and this is what we saw.
Needless to say, pandemonium broke out in the car as we all exclaimed in delight over the chance to actually sleep in a chateau. More on that later. . . :)
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