We slept in a bit, as our plan for the day was to see the castle at Chenonceaux and the first train did not leave until the afternoon. We explored Tours a bit more in the morning, including checking out the local cathedral and the tourist office. The cathedral was in more of a state of ruin than some others we have seen, but was still very impressive.

We then caught the early afternoon train to Chenonceaux. We’ve all become a bit jaded about castles, but this one was something special. After getting our tickets, we walked along a cobblestone path flanked on both sides by huge sycamore trees. At the end of the path we emerged onto an open area where the castle stood.  Walking around to the side of it, you could see that it stretched all the way across the river from one side to the other. The castle was built from white stone, with lots of pretty arches and towers and formal gardens around it.

We explored the inside of the castle, which was very well preserved. Highlights included a little chapel, various bedrooms, and especially the kitchen area in the basement. This last included storage areas, a butcher area, as well as the stove room. Very cool. There was also a large ballroom that filled the space above the river itself.

After seeing the castle and some of the woods on the other side, we strolled through the formal gardens and then played hide and seek with the girls in a giant bush maze. After that, we walked through vegetable and flower gardens and saw the old farm houses. We then walked back to the train platform and took the train back to Tours. There we walked through some of the pedestrian zone and had dinner at another sidewalk cafe before turning in for the night.