Tour De France - Paris July 25, 2010

Caught the 7:45 am train from Blois, Fr to Paris.  Arrive in Paris and at our hotel in the Latin Quarter at 10:30 am.   After lunch it is time to find a place to watch the Tour De France.  We cross over to the right bank and walk the Rue D'Rivoli.  I buy the required Tour De France t-shirt for $15 Euro and find a good spot across from the Westin Hotel along the wall of the Garden of Tulleries at 12:30 pm.  Excellent place to sit on the wall and view the race. 



Norwegian Fans are out in force!!

 We wait another 3.5 hours before we see a parade of advertisers.  People going crazy taking pictures of the Team cars for Radio Shack - Lance Armstrong.

Advertisement for LCL

At last we finally see the racers.  They speed by so far it is hard to team to see the yellow jersey leader and Tour De France 2010 winner Alberto Contado.   If you miss something.... they are back again and again as they circle the city.

Chaumont Sur Loire

Started off to Chaumont but hit Blois Market day .. Had a slight detour and we were on our way around 9:20 am.

Blois Market Day

 After going over the bridge in Blois and through the town we get on a bike path for most of the way and then through some towns. We miss the turn off and end off cycling an addition 3 km further and had to come back to the town of Cande Sur Bievre. We meet a French couple who explains we have to go back and that the signage is bad. They are going there also. We discuss route with another lady who was on going to Chenonceau. We decide to go back and cannot find the bike route so we end on D751 which is 6 km on a lesser highway.

Sunflowers along the cycle path

Cornstalks along the cycle path

Chaumont Sur Loire

Lunch

Garden at Chaumont

Great Hall in Chaumont

View of Loire River

Chaumont Courtyard

Chaumont Sur Loire

We arrive in Chaumont around 11:30 am.  We eat lunch at the café and have the Ham and Tomato Spread Baguette $4.00 Euro and Coke/Coke Light was $2.50. We visit Chaumont. The castle still needs to be refurbished. Some rooms are furnished but not all. We leave Chaumont and decide to go down towards the river to find the bike route. We immediately find it and it is a nice paved path back to Cande Sur Bievre and then the route we originally start on. Dropped off our bike after 3:00 pm.

Amboise













Quiet Road to Chenonceau



We have an early start and catch the train to Amboise. We rent a bike for $14 Euro and buy Chateau Amboise and Chateau Du Clos Luce combination ticket for $20 Euro at the Tourist Information Bureau.

 

Train Station at Chenonceau

Chateau Chenonceau

The cycle to Chenonceau was quite hilly. 

Entramce into Chenonceau

The chateau is located on the river.  It takes slightly over 1 hour for the 13 km cycle. Rooms were furnished. There was a lot more people then we’ve seen at the other castles. Lunch was at Clemenceau - Cheese Hamburger and fries for $7.00 Euro plus Limonade for $3.20. After lunch we explored the gardens and tried out the little labyrinth maze. 

Labryinth at Chenoceau

We next cycle back to Amboise and visit the Chateau Du Clos Luce (Home of Leonard Da Vinci in 1516 during his final year).  Cycling back to Amboise is easier and faster. 

Chateau Du Clos Luce

Chateau Du Clos Luce

Pictures were not allowed inside. Visit Leonardo’s apartment and his study. It was quite large. There is also a chapel, kitchen and a Renaissance Great Hall where Leonardo entertained the King and other important people. The garden was quite tranquil.  There are many models of Leonardo's inventions in the garden.

Leonardo Da Vinci designed bridge in the garden.

We then cycled to Chateau Amboise. The chateau is up a hill and we access it by walking up a ramp which was used by guards on foot. Once inside there is a separate chapel - St. Hubert Chapel. Chateau D’Amboise is not fully furnished as some of the other chateau. But there are some rooms that are fully furnished. 

Rampart up to Chateau Amboise

Chateau Amboise

Chateau Amboise

View from Chateau Amboise

Cheverny and Beauregard

Left Blois at 8:30 am and cycled to Cheverny (arrive around 10:00 am) and then to Beauregard at 12:30 from Cheverny. It took 45 minutes to get to Beauregard and then back to Blois.

Cheverney - Owned by same family for 6 centuries. Beautiful home with all the rooms furnished. They have 100 French Hound Dogs that is used for hunting. The dogs are shorn with the V for Vibraye.




Cheverny



One of many tapestries in Cheverny

Guards Room

Nursery

Hounds of Cheverny

Cheverny Kitchen Garden

Beauregard - Cost of admission at Beauregard $8.00 Euro. It is a smaller home and is famous for the 327 portraits of kings, Queen, Popes, Political Figures, etc.

Beauregard

We were a little uncertain at first going to Cheverny but once we picked up the correct route marker it was smooth sailing to and from Cheverny, Beauregard, Blois.

Chateau Chambord

We pick up our bikes from Traineurs de Loire in Blois.  The rental of 2 bikes and baskets for 4 days cost us a total of $94 Euro.

With some directions from the bike shop we are off to Chateau Chambord.  In a couple of minutes we are out of the town Blois.  We follow the bike route markers to Chambord.   It seems quite easy until we realize we haven't seen a marker for a long time.    Mmmm what to do??  We decide to continue as the road signs for cars indicate that we are going in the direction of Chambord.   As we got closer to Chambord the bike signs appear again.  I think we took a slight detour but who cares.

Quiet Road to Chateau Chambord

We arrive at Chateau Chambord at 11:30 am and decide to have our lunch in the picnic area. 

Entrance of Chateau Chambord

Chambord is huge with many nooks and cranny to visit. We visited the four floors and the nearby church.

Roof top of Chambord

We leave Chambord around 3:30 pm and follow bike route marker #9.  In error, we end up taking the long route home instead of retracing our step.

Bike Path in Chambord Forest

We arrive back to hotel around 6:30 pm.

Start of the Loire Valley Trip

Due to a late flight we spend the first night at the Ibis Paris Charles De Gaulle Hotel ($80.80 Euro plus free Wifi).   Hotel was basic and clean.   

Ibis Paris Charles De Gaule

We catch the RER B to St. Michel station, then the Metro M10 to the Gare d'Austerlitz.    Purchased a snack and drink (Pain de Raisins 1.80 Euro and a Oasis Tropical Drink 2.90 Euro).  We catch the 9:30 am train from Gare d'Austerlitz to Blois and arrive at 11:00 am.

Gare D'Austerlitz

Our hotel and base for our stay in the Loire Valley is Hotel de France et Guise ($65 Euro/night).  It is at a great location with a view of Chateau Blois.  Our decision to stay here are the good reviews from Tripadvisor and the private garage they have for storing bikes.

 

Hotel de France et Guise


The room at the hotel was decent, it had 2 twin beds, coffee making facilities, and private bathroom.  If I had to nitpick, the only complaint I would have is that the bathroom is very small and because of lack of ventilation there is a lingering odor which they try to mask with a liquid freshner.     The owners and staff are very friendly and helpful.

Twin Room