DAY 62: LOIRE VALLEY

THE pretty Loire Valley is heaven on Earth for castle lovers like me.

This area on the middle stretch of the Loire River, sometimes referred to as the "Garden of France", has about 300 castles - many of them 500 years old - scattered on hillsides, by rivers, in forests and in the distance behind the fields, fruit orchards and vineyards.

Chenonceau is the jewel in the crown of the Loire Valley chateaux - one of the most famous and the most visited  in the province (second only to Versailles in the whole of France).

The chateau is mentioned in every good French guidebook. And there's good reason for that.

Spanning the Cher River, her beauty is reflected in the waters - a familiar vision sent around the world each year in photographs and on postcards.

But the real stars are the women who have rocked the ages at Chenonceau.

"The Ladies' Chateau" has been owned by several important women throughout the centuries and others have been intimately associated with its history and development.

King Henri II gave it to his favourite mistress (and 20 years his senior - how scandalous!)  Diane de Poitiers (1499-1566), who created spectacular gardens and built the bridge over the river. An impressive portrait of her as Diane The Huntress by Primaticcio is on the wall in the Francois I's Drawing Room.

Her bedroom with its four-poster bed features two massive 16th century Flanders tapestries.

Surprisingly, a portrait of Catherine de Medici by Sauvage hangs over the fireplace that was sculptured by Jean Goujon from the French School of Fontainebleau.

When the king died, his widowed queen Catherine de Medici (1519-1589) wanted the chateau for herself. She removed Diane ("You have had your fun with my husband. Get out!"), exchanging it for another: Chaumont sur-Loire.

Catherine made Chenonceau even grander as a setting for her renowned entertaining and created a ballroom over Diane's bridge.

The Five Queens' Bedroom with more magnificent tapestries commemorates her two daughters and three daughters-in-law: Queen Margot, wife of Henri IV; Elisabeth of France, wife of Philippe II of Spain; Mary Stuart, wife of Francois II; Elisabeth of Austria, wife of Charles IX; and Louise of Lorraine, wife of Henri III and "The White Queen" who went into mourning (in traditional white mourning clothes), withdrawing to the chateau after he was assassinated by a monk.

Louise Dupin (1706-1799) managed to save Chenonceau from being destroyed during the French Revolution through her kindness to her workers, generosity and intelligence.

In the 19th century, Marguerite Pelouze spent a small fortune gained from her family's industrial bourgeoisie background, restoring the estate to how it looked in the time of Diane de Poitiers.

The Menier family now owns Chenonceau after buying it in 19th century with part of the fortune made from making inexpensive, quality chocolate that all classes could enjoy.

In the First World War, owner Gaston Menier set up a hospital with its services spread throughout the rooms of the chateau. Matron Simone Menier (1881-1972) was in charge of the wards with 75 beds, set up in the chateau's two galleries.

A plaque commemorates the 2254 soldiers repatriated there. In the Second World War, the French Resistence used the chateau as a means of escape for those from Occupied France to the free zone on the other side of the river.

Today, Chenonceau is more the Disneyland fairytale castle than the fortress she once was.

The chateau was built using local limestone in the 16th century by Thomas Bohier and his wife Katherine Briconnet, who demolished the former medieval fortified castle and mill and left only the Marques Tower.

Our Globus tour guide Philippe tells us that between about 1350 and 1450, many fortresses were built along the coastline, especially to the north.

England was the enemy and considered very dangerous, so many the French feared living too close to the coastline in case of invasion.

The Loire Valley was just that little further away, just that little bit safer, just that little easier to enjoy the comforts of life.

From about 1500 onwards, the renaissance period was a more positive, peaceful time in Europe.

Those who had the money started to build nicer residences with big windows, surrounding themselves with music, flower gardens and large and expensive artworks and sculptures. 

They no longer needed to protect themselves in times of war, so could spend money on the finer things in lfe.

The wow factor certainly is present from the moment visitors walk down the avenue of trees on to the forecourt flanked by gardens and that one remaining tower.

From the portrait by Rigaud of Louis XIV set in a gilded frame in the Louis XIV's Drawing Room (to commemorate his visit to the Chateau in 1650) to Catherine de Medici's Renaissance four-poster bed, the still intact kitchens, the rib vaults of The Hall's ceiling, not to mention the intricately detailed furniture and decor and sculptured timber main doors, Chenonceau lives up to all the hype.

Take your time strolling through the rooms and gardens with a maze, and imagine life here away from all the troubles of the world. It seems a very nice existence, especially today.

Lesson of the day: Even cheap Bordeaux wine is good wine.