April 24
"Chambord"
Nice leisurely ride today, stopped for a several hour tour of Chambord. Worth the 8.50 Euro entrance fee. Francois I really identified with salamanders for some reason. As impressive as this building is, it was only intended as a hunting lodge and Francois I only spent a total of seven weeks there. An interesting feature borrowed from Italian Renaissance architecture is its gigantic double-helix staircase that allows two people to descend at the same time and never cross paths.
"The royal Château de Chambord at Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, France is one of the most recognizable châteaux in the world because of its very distinct French Renaissance architecture that blends traditional French medieval forms with classical Italian structures." - Wikipedia
At Chambord, a guy from NJ struck up a conversation with me because of my gear and he explained to me about the massacre at Virginia Tech. He was a mathematician and knew one of the professors personally. Saw a really cool tapestry set on the theme of Scipio vs Hannibal, from a pro-Roman point of view, of course. Francois I had them commissioned from some Flemish tapestry makers. At one time, 25% of Brussels residents were involved in the tapestry industry. Found a nice campground and it rained a few drops. Dinner at a great Italian restaurant in Cheverny.
2 tuna cans 1.30
baguette 1
Chambord 8.50
ice cream 2
campground 10.40 (Saules)
dinner 25 (small chicken salad, spicy olive oil on bread, spaghetti bolognaise, mango, passion fruit, and lime ice cream - red wine goes without saying)