Amboise: Sunday's Finest

April 14th we bound a train for nearby Amboise for the large regional farmers market and to check out the town itself. We were blessed with a beautiful hot day and it made our trip even sweeter. Experiencing a French market is a must and the sights and smells caught our eyes and taste buds. From live foul to huge cheeses to enormous bottles of wine and even clothes and mattresses... this market had it all!!

With our mouths watering it was time for some lunch and we dined outside on the town square... only getting slightly burned!! We then decided to explore Chateau d'Amboise and we were not disappointed. For me the highlight of the day (apart from the weather) was in the chateau or rather what was in its chapel. Here lies the tomb of the great Leonardo de Vinci. His tomb is simple yet elegant and the tiny chapel which houses him is beautiful.

The Chateau itself is very well preserved and nice for all age groups. Once we had exited the building we found an ice-cream stand and we took our cones to the grass and enjoyed the long awaited sunshine.

With a few hours to kill we had a few beverages in the shade once we had had enough of the heat (my slightly red skin in particular needed a break). Amboise is a lovely town and a great spot for tourists and locals alike particularly on market day. The chateau gives lovely views of the Loire river and the gardens are very well kept also. The town itself is beautiful in the sunshine and the little square provides lots of nice cafes and restaurants.

Vendôme... no more than a two hour stay

On the 13th of April we ventured to Vendôme, a small town in the Loir-et-Cher region. We arrived off the train expecting to be in or very near the town centre. We soon found out we were two to three miles outside the town and had to get a bus. The bus trip turned out to be a comic one... 
Shona "vous allez au centre de la ville?"
Bus driver "oui,où aimeriez-vous aller? "
Shona "je ne sais pas?"
Bus driver "pour rendez-vous?"
Shona "non, juste pour un voyage"

Vendôme is a pretty little town with little rivers everywhere and beautiful flowers and plants. As the heading suggests one can cover this town in two hours with lunch. It has the remains of an old castle looking over the town and if you wish to venture up the steep hill to it you will be met by a lovely garden and seating area over looking the surrounding areas. For me the nicest areas of the town were those by the water and in particular the old gate into Vendôme.