I don’t know how I managed to overlook this priceless shot from yesterday – we love it!  Made us do a ‘U’ turn to take the photo! 😉

  

We had a good overnight free stay in the village square Aire at Villaines les Rochers.

Today (another very hot day!) we drove to Azzay Le Rideau, but having seen the chateau before, we just had a walk in the town, called in for some patisserie, and I got Michael to take a photo of me, so’s you know I’m on this trip too!
 
Azzay Le Rideau

and this

 

the chateau – which we visited with the Talbot and found the grounds very limited and disappointing.   The building itself was worthy of a visit and we got some nice shots of it against it’s watery surround.

This time just a peek through trees!
 

The Renault 4 – Classic French! With s twist

and simply classic!

Chateau d’Ussé, Indre et Loire

This is one chateau we hadn’t achieved visiting, so today was the day. 

The exterior of chateaux interests me most, but invariably you can only buy a combined ticket that covers interior and exterior/gardens, as was today.

As my friend had said after she’d visited this one, the interior is a bit Disney’fied! – my word not hers!

Basically they should just ditch the rather tacky tableaux manequins with awful Sleeping Beauty theme.  If it’s trying to be geared up for children (which clearly it is!), I hope all visiting children aren’t phased by the life size Malefocent!!!

All that aside, a very charming chateau from the outside

 

      

Actually, the one aspect of the interior of the chateau at Ussé that intrigued me was the attic! – and great lighting!

  

      

  

Chateau de Langeais, Indre et Loire – not visited! We didn’t stop!

Probably should have but we’d just been to Ussé and IT was horribly hot and so it was easier to drive past it, having the smallest glimpse only!

Have since Googled it, and it does look pretty impressive of course

Maybe another trip!

  

  

Free motorhome Aire at Gizeux, Indre et Loire. Michael found us this great little Aire and being slightly of the main chateaux beaten track, and off-season, we have it all to ourselves! 

  

    

We took a 5 minute walk from the village Aire at Gazeux here to take a peep at the chateau.

They feature in ‘Alastair Sawdays’ holidays I noticed from the Internet – for those of you who like something a little different.