Chateau de Chenonceau at the Loire

That I love castles and palaces is an understatement...I'm crazy about them! Poor husband of mine who has to bear with this madness but isn't it just wonderful to be in places which has preserved history and culture of those yesteryears. I was 5 months pregnant with my daughter Francesca when we went camping in France. Crazy as it may sound but we sure did had a great time. First stop was at the Loire Valley where all those world-famous Loire castles can be found. We camped on the village of Chenonceaux along the banks of the Cher river, a tributary of the Loire River. What a great camping area as it was almost just a stone's throw from Chenonceau Castle itself! At night, we were serenaded by the incredible music coming from the open air classic concert of the castle. My fascination with Chenonceau started while I was reading Catherine de Medici's biography by Leonie Frieda. Oh, those intrigues stemming from the dalliances of King Henry with his mistress, Diane de Poitiers and how this castle was a gift from him to her, were fascinating. Diane had this castle and its gardens customized to her taste which were really decadently beautiful.

After the king's untimely death, she was forced out by Catherine who wanted to get rid of the woman who rivalled her for the king's affection and time. She gave Diane Chaumont sur Loire in exchange which we also visited in our Loire Valley tour.

Catherine was so determined to wipe out her greatest rival's influence by having her own garden as well. Indeed, one can still see the imprints of these two women especially with the gardens that rival each other in beauty and appeal.