By French tradition, this is the castle that the writer Charles Perrault had in mind when he wrote the French version of the classic fairy tale. Behind the castle you see that edge of the immense Chinon Forest, which contributes to the French name of the tale, La Belle au Bois Dormant (Sleeping Beauty of the Forest). The current owners of the castle have paid recognition to the tale by including scenes from the story along with the other tableaus showing actual life in the castle throughout the six centuries since its construction. Here we have the poignant scene of Prince Charming arriving at the end of Aurora's 100-year sleep.
The front yard, while not quite so sumptuous as some castles', still met Anita's standards as a yard she could live with. Of course, I'm not quite the gardener for that assignment.
For more on this marvelous chateau, see Chateau d'Ussé.
We got kind of a late start on castles today, due to a combination of weather and a visit to the local tourism office to chart our plan. The only other chateau we were able to fit in was Azay le Rideau.
Situated on a tiny island in a slightly less tiny lake in the middle of the town, the chateau seemed quite out of place. I'm guessing the town grew up around it over the centuries.
The interior is well kept, showing life in the castle from the 16th century to the 19th. Here, for instance, is how you might have dined a couple hundred years ago, or last night maybe, if you pick your hostess well!
The weather cleared this afternoon, and if it holds out tomorrow, we should have a royal chateau, Leonardo da Vinci's last home, and the famous Chenonceau, all of which are less than half an hour from our cave.
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