Getting cosy at Chateau de Chambord

After our lovely stay in Cordes Sur Ciel we had a bit of a drive on our hands to get to Paris in time. I can’t believe I thought I was going to get a visit to Normandy in on this trip – that plan went out the window about a week ago. My spatial abilities when looking at maps are obviously lacking. Anyway, here’s the bullet point breakdown for the rest:

• Ingrandes: This was quite literally a “stick a pin in the map approximately two hours away from here” choice but turned out to be a good one. Saint Victor La Grand Maison was a beautiful old house which, as we were the only people staying, we could explore and stay as long as we want. Our host Marie was playing piano and singing opera and it was a real hoot. Unfortunately the weather turned rubbish and we could only stay one night. Also, small villages with restaurants open on a Monday night are few and far between.
• Tour-en-Sologne: Same principle as above for choosing this one, but we lucked out on the old-world charm of the rooms. Still, a good base for exploring the ten zillion chateaus in the area. We only went to one: Chambord (I think mainly because I love the liqueur), but it was pretty spectacular. Weather remains miserable but restaurant situation improved dramatically with a visit to a Michelin-starred restaurant, L’Orangerie in Blois.
• Paris: I think Paris needs its own post, but you just know there’s going to be shopping and drinking involved J