Speaking of driving in France, today was "one of those days". First, remember that the last time I drove outside the USA was 46 years ago, before the standardization of roadsigns. But even with that development, consider this sign. For those of you who haven't actually encountered it, come on now, be honest--can you guess what it means?
Yeah, I couldn't either. And because of that, I found myself dead-ended at a picnic table where some very nice locals explained it to me in a combination of French and international sign language. It means "Yield to oncoming traffic", and was at each end of a one-lane bridge. As soon as the bridge cleared, it was my turn. So remember that the next time you rent a car outside the USA.
Oh, and one other thing--know when the holidays are and gas up beforehand. Today was Pentecost, a very important holiday to the predominantly Roman Catholic population, so many businesses were closed or operating shorthanded. Finding a gas station with a diesel pump and a clerk (to take the credit cards that don't work in the pay-at-the-pump facilities) was the work of about fifteen minutes of exploring with "Angela", our very faithful and patient GPS-based navigator. If you ever decide to drive abroad and don't bring a GPS with you, don't blame me for what you get yourself into!
The drive to Amboise took us near enough to Ste. Suzanne to justify stopping off for lunch at one of the "most beautiful villages in France", as our book suggested. This was well worth the time. After lunch on the town square (under the white marquee)
we strolled around town, first checking out the little church then winding our way through the picturesque alleys overlooking the marvelous countryside
and ending up at the chateau.
We finally pulled ourselves away to continue on to Amboise. Along the way we passed a wheat field with a manor house overlooking it that just took our breath away.
Amboise is in the Loire valley, with many chateaus for us to see over the next couple of days. But on the other end of the altitude scale from the typical hilltop chateau is the repurposed wine cellar (cave in French) where we are staying these three nights. Before you let your imagination get away from you, have a look:
The arched door on the left is the entrance from the gated courtyard into the main room with the chandelier, fireplace, and kitchenette. I'd say the life of the troglodyte isn't what it used to be.
Tomorrow we'll take you on a tour of some chateaus that you may recognize and some that may be new to you. See you then!
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