We've moved on to the second phase of our trip, a country house in Amboise in the heart of chateaux country. The house, La Vernelle, on the estate of Chateaux Ormeaux, couldn't be more castle-like to us. Built in the 1820's and renovated two years ago by the talented owner, Pascale Houdayer, the house is incredible and so is the setting.
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| La Vernelle's entrance on a spectacular day |
And the weather improved drastically, heightening the effect of arriving in a magical land where everything is beautiful and perfect in a French way.
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| The terrace is perfect for a snooze in the sun. |
Our closest neighbors live in a small pasture in front of the house. Gastron is a donkey, and Jean-Claude is the most sociable goat ever. Poor Gastron needed help shedding his winter coat so I scrubbed him with a curry comb for awhile. Jean-Claude is now Keith's buddy.
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| Jean-Claude est trés gentil et sympatique. He can escape from his pen but then comes right back. |
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| Donkeys have thick, four-inch long coats that generate great clouds of fur on the ground. |
Cycling is fantastic here, with plenty of flat, abandoned roads.
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| Free bikes, but no helmets. |
We rode to the market in Amboise which was absolutely packed and stretched for a mile (it seemed) along the river. This market was much larger than those we visited in Provence.
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| The piglet was not for sale, but was a fundraiser for animals . . . something something. |
Amboise is a beautiful town with a long and chequered medieval past -- there were kings and slaughtered protestants -- but anyway, the chateau makes a lovely photo opp from the other side of the Loire.
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| Taken from the island in the middle of the river. |
On Friday, we lucked into a table at La Fourcette, a tiny but highly acclaimed restaurant in Amboise.
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| Pork lardons, wine and tarte tartin -- the perfect lunch. |
Good stuff!
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