The first château we went to see on our Loire Valley vacation was Azay-le-Rideau. It was highly recommended by my French tutor and some of our friends. The beautiful château and peaceful natural gardens are surrounded by a small moat. At the centre of the château a large open stairway from the early Renaissance gives access to each level. We had a light lunch menu within the château grounds before heading out to our château where we would be spending the next two nights.
We stayed in the hotel Château des Tertres; a small chateau with a few rooms, quaint breakfast hall, and a lovely terrace. A highlight was the bicycles, with which we rode around the nearby village Onzain.
It was a wonderful second day, and we finished it off with a terrific four-course meal at the restaurant “La Croix Blanche.”
