Day 2 in Châteaux country
Day 2 of the château tour took us back to the Blois area. Our first stop was another extravagant château, Château de Chambord. This château, huge in size, was built for King François I for use as a hunting lodge. A lodge, are you kidding me? This is by far the largest château in the Loire Valley! Although is it not certain who designed it, the king's good friend Leonardo Da Vinci stopped by at some point and added some embellishments to the castle. The most well known of these is the double helix staircase. Incredibly interwoven, these two staircases wind around a pillar of green light that creates an interesting illusion - you constantly think you're about to run into someone only to find that they are on a completely different staircase! The designer of the castle also designed in several "F's" for King François I as well as several salamanders - the king's symbol. If you look hard, you can find these all over the castle.
Our other stop today was to Château de Cheverny. This château is shrouded in mystery, as the history of the castle before the 17th century is rather hazy. That being said, the château that sits on this site today took pieces of the old castle and added the classical feel of the 17th century. This château has stood untouched for 360 years, and remains true to it's glory!
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