Chenonceau

    Bonjour mes amis!  The second day of our Loire visit was spent at Chenonceau.  This lovely chateau has a long history but perhaps the most interesting span involved Henri II's favorite mistress, Diane de Poitier who lived here and designed some of the gardens as well as the gallery that was added spanning the river Cher.  After Henri was accidentally killed in a jousting tournament, Henri's wife Catherine de Medici gave Diane the boot (sent to another chateau) and put her own stamp on the place with her own garden and actually completing the construction of the gallery.

   Later we enjoyed dinner at our hotel.  Everything was very haute cuisine which was very beautifully presented but a little scary for the kids tastes ( and honestly a little scary for mine).  Very enjoyable all the same.  A bientot!

Approaching Chenonceau

The Guards' room

The Green Study ceiling

The Gallery

View from the Gallery

The kitchens

I kind of fell in love with all of the copper

Conrad was a little tall for the labyrinth 

Caryatides


Diner at Chateau de Pray

Amuse bouche - my favorite was the 'candy apple'.  It was a cherry tomato with a crunchy glaze and toasted sesame seeds. Then there was some kind of rabbit tartlette, radishes painted in butter and topped with fancy salt, and finally smoked salmon.  I did try everything.

My entree (what they call an appetizer) with langoustine, shrimp and baby leeks.

Conrad's 'kid menu' selection.  This is what medium well looks like in France.

My plat of scallops and some kind of unusual cabbage. 

Cheese course!!!!

My dessert.  A poached pear with maple ice cream.

Dessert amuse bouche.  Little muffins, apricot gelee, passion fruit mousse in a chocolat shell, and 'pringles' that were sugary cookies with pistachio and chocolate crispies.