5 Essential Stops in the 5th arrondissement (Latin Qtr) of Paris

theparisplanner April 6, 2019

Here is your go-to itinerary for a fun day in the 5^th arrondissement, also known as the Latin Quarter. This neighborhood earned this name because Latin was the primary language spoken here dating back to the Middle Ages, and particularly at its various universities. The youthful college locals add to the fun, yet intellectual vibe of the Latin Quarter.

1. Jardin des Plantes

(Metro stations: Quai de la Rapée, Jussieu, Place Monge, and Gare d’Austerlitz)

For garden lovers, take a stroll through the Jardin des Plantes, which is the primary botanical garden in France.

For the science buffs out there, there are four primary buildings in the Jardin des Plantes which house the following: the Gallery of Evolution, the Gallery of Mineralogy and Geology, the Gallery of Palentology and Comparative Anatomy, and the Galley of Botany. If you’re into that kind of thing, check them out! For our little group, we stuck to admiring the flowers 😉

The grounds include greenhouses, bee hotels, and promenades lined with rose covered arches.

The garden’s original purpose in the 1600’s was for medicinal plants for the aristocracy, and currently shares its nearly 70 acres with the French National History Museum. There’s also a zoo (menagerie) if you’re traveling with your kiddos, or are just in the mood. 😊

On your way over to the next site, there are some lovely vertical greenscapes to admire, and this lovely fountain just outside the exit at the corner of Rue Cuvier and Rue Linné.

2. Église Saint-Étienne du Mont

(Metro station: Cluny)

Also known as the “Midnight in Paris” church at Montagne Sainte-Geneviève. As a big fan of the movie, you know I just had to find this locale, and I was so excited to come up the narrow street (above) on my way to the iconic steps – just as Gil Pender (played by Owen Wilson) did in the movie that fateful night!

In the movie, Gil sees a 1920s Peugeot at midnight after he’s fallen asleep on the steps of the side entrance of the church. And his adventure begins in the city of his heart!

I may, or may not, have forced my daughter to lay on these very steps, recreating the scene from the movie, but I will spare her any evidence of this occurance! And any evidence of my immense geekiness 😉

Built in the styles of French Gothic and French Renaissance, the intricate details in the spiral staircases (Jube) are just breathtaking.

The double staircase leading to the loft above was originally created to keep the church attendees separate from the high altar, and was referred to as a “rood screen”. The jube inside Église Saint-Étienne du Mont is the only surviving example of the double staircase in all of Paris, as all the others in the city were destroyed during the Counter-Reformation. What a beauty, in spite of its original intent.

This is the chapel dedicated to St. Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris because she saved the city from the Huns during the 5th century. However, her remains are not inside this gorgeous golden lattice tomb, but are actually housed in a glass cylinder as most of her relics were destroyed during the “Temple of Filial Piety”. Visitors may light a candle in honor of St. Geneviève just inside the alcove though.

3. The Panthéon

If your first thought is it looks as though you could find this type of architecture in Rome, you would be correct. The Panthéon is an example of neo-classicism and is literally fashioned to look like the Pantheon in Rome. It was initially built to house the remains of St. Geneviève before the chapel in Église Saint-Étienne du Mont was created, but now it serves as a city mausoleum of the Paris’ most treasured citizens. Marie Curie, Victor Hugo, and Louis Braille are all interred here, as well as many others.

Go inside! I made the mistake of not taking the opportunity to step inside, and I regret it as I’ve since found out how beautiful it is – of course it is! The French have an affinity for making all things beautiful. ❤

4. Odette

(Metro station: Cité)

I’m sure you’re ready for a snack, so how about stopping in Odette for their famed choux, pronounced like “shoe“). The quaint location, with cobblestone lanes directly in front of the pastry shop, also provide an amazing photo opportunity with your travel mates.

5. Shakespeare and Company

(Metro station: Cité)

The beloved English book shop is located ideally right on the Seine river. American Sylvia Beach opened the store back in 1919 in another location, then George Whitman opened the current shop in the 5th arrondissement as a tribute to Sylvia. Since the 1950’s, the shop has hosted tens of thousands of artists, authors, musicians, and other wayward travelers in the beds found on each level.

This generosity to those who need a place to lay their heads, is directly influenced by their motto: “Be not inhospitable to strangers lest they be angels in disguise”.

I loved this Voltaire quote printed on the shopping bags.

If you purchase a book here, the staff will stamp the inside with a “Shakespeare & Co” image to commemorate your visit. There is now a cafe next door with English speaking staff to recharge for the rest of your day in the City of Light!

Bonus map!

Click here for my map of the Latin Quarter which includes even more coffee, restaurant, and tourist suggestions in addition to all of the above locations!

Monet’s Gardens in Giverny

theparisplanner May 24, 2019

A few hours spent at Monet’s gardens near Giverny is time you won’t soon forget! On a stormy day in late May, we wandered through the dreamy landscapes, imagining who might have walked before us, namely Monet himself.

I hope you enjoy this photo journal and can experience Monet’s glorious spaces vicariously wherever you are:

To pre-purchase tickets, click here.

If you’ve enjoyed this blog post, or any of my others, a like and/or a follow go a long way to create more exposure. Also I would love it if you let me know your favorite part of Monet’s gardens by commenting below 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.

Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet

theparisplanner March 15, 2019

In the last month or so, I’ve been inspired to share my photographs of Marie Antoinette’s hamlet due to several of my favorite bloggers having been there recently. Finally, I’m finding the time to write a few notes to go with the photos.

The first time I went to Versailles, we didn’t make it out to the Hamlet due to the grounds being so vast and a few debacles along the way – we just ran out of energy! But this second time, I was determined to make to this quaint village ~

The Queen’s Hamlet, constructed between 1783 and 1786 from the designs of Richard Mique, is the result of Marie Antoinette’s fascination with the charms of rural life. Although it was intended originally to be a private location for her children to learn about a simpler life among the animals and nature, it ended up as a nearly vital respite for Marie Antoinette from the formalities and demands of the Court of Versailles.

The wheel is purely decorative.

Despite the wide spread notion that Marie Antoinette created the Hamlet to “play at being farmers”, the queen actually felt more comfortable here rather than involved in the stresses at the palace. She would host dinners, walk the grounds, and teach her children about livestock at the working farm and dairy.

This cottage housed the billiards room.

The raised walkway, and covered walkway below it, connected the game rooms to the dining room on the left.

My gorgeous model imagining what it might have been like to walk along with Marie Antoinette 🙂

One of my favorite compositions.

The “Marlborough Tower” named after a favorite song of Marie Antoinette and Louis Auguste.

Every viewpoint is just so picturesque.

Iris growing on the rooftops!

“Let them eat cake” was probably never uttered by the Queen. It is now widely believed that the Revolutionaries made up this “fact” to further her demise during the highly charged policital time. Marie Antoinette was definitely the scape goat, and ill-equipped to handle such pressures.

This was the guard’s cottage. I had my French confused, and thought the sign said the “Gardener’s” cottage 😛 With such beautiful flowers lining the walkway, and the French word for guard being “Garde” it was an easy mistake – haha!

Yep, it rained a bit, but we were not dissuaded. The raindrops just amplified the depth of color and beauty of this Disneyland-like village.

A few tips to close out:

There are golf carts you may rent (for a pretty penny). There was quite a waitlist for them with the rain coming down, so we opted for the little train, which worked great too. The train will only take you as far as the Petite Trianon, then you must walk the rest of the way, but it’s a gorgeous stroll.

Practical info for planning your trip to Versailles, click here.

Golf Cart rental info, click here.

Le Petit Train info, click here.

The Challenges of Renting a Car in France

theparisplanner January 18, 2019

Renting a car in a foreign country strikes up fear in a lot of people’s hearts. Before our most recent trip to France, whenever I would gleefully describe my 2-week plan to others – which included renting a car during the first week and driving through the Loire Valley to the Normandy region – the person I was talking to would inevitably frown at me with disapproval in their eyes, and ask the following three questions:

You’re renting a car in France?! …quickly followed by…
Who’s driving?! …and…
Don’t they drive on the wrong side of the road?!

All of these questions were asked in the most horrified tone. For some people this was all too overwhelming to even contemplate. But I’m here to tell you that if you can keep a sense of humor, and do a bit of research (more than I did!), you can and will survive it! AND, the rewards far outweigh the perceived treachery. But first, here are the answers to the above questions, that I heard on repeat:

Yes, I am renting a car, and here’s why: I’ve done the group tour bus type of travel, and while this is an excellent way to get a feel for an area, I would personally get frustrated when I couldn’t stay in a lovely locale just a little bit longer, but instead be rushed to get back to the bus for another long nap-inducing ride. I would dream of staying in the last spot and take notes of specific places I’d like to return to, only to be interrupted by our tour guide who would already be on to the next town, or discussing the logistics of our next hotel. Don’t get me wrong, we had some fantastic tour guides, but sometimes, you just want to do your own thing and call the shots! Most of the time, I would fall in love with a town, and all I wanted to do was linger and soak up the beauty a little bit longer!
ME! Yes, believe it, I will be the driver, with my mom, aunt, and daughter riding along. And yes, they DO trust me! (maybe not anymore after the trip – ha!) I like to drive, and being able to stop whenever and wherever we feel like is golden in my book. I’m stifling any fear I might have in favor of freedom!
Nope – the French drive on the “correct” side, or that is to say, on the right side of the road just like in the United States, so at least I’m in luck with that point.

Given these conversations, none of my “bravado” prevented a couple of snags from occurring. There are a few problematic things to discuss about the French roadway systems, all of which you will benefit from if you ever want to do an epic road trip like ours! Let’s chat about our biggest challenge – tolls….

I mistakenly assumed that the tolls we would come across in France would be similar to the US, where one of 2 options would occur. We would need to stop at toll booths occasionally, simply pay a dollar or 2, and be on our way. OR, even better, just keep driving un-interrupted while cameras capture our license number and send us the bill later or in this case, add it to our rental car fees. Neither of these easy processes occurred however.

The first toll we came to had 6-7 lanes to chose from with signs depicting unknown symbols above each lane. We were driving pretty fast when we came upon it, so while braking, and attempting to not cut off other motorists speeding toward their own chosen lanes, I panicked and just picked the lane that required the least amount of swerving on my part, which happened to be towards the left of all the lane options. Once my car was next to the toll machine (no humans in sight), of course the writing was in French. Now I did study my French ahead of this trip, but I brushed up on polite greetings, how to order food, and how to ask directions. It never occurred to me to find out what a toll booth machine’s translation might be ahead of time. Pushing the English flag button didn’t help! This is when fear actually started to seep into my “I got this” attitude. There were buttons to push (I pushed them all) and payment options (we tried them all) including trying ALL of our debit and credit cards in the car, as well as inserting Euros and coins!

…and everything I tried did not raise the barrier arm in front of my car! It appeared that what the machine wanted was a ticket of some sort to scan. (A ticket? What ticket? Where would someone get a ticket from?) After quickly discussing with my travel mates, we decided I must be in the wrong lane – I need a lane that will accept our money! (MORE FEAR…Now I’m actually sweating) I have to put my car in reverse and chose another lane. Cue the angry French drivers! I back up [just one car behind me moved, and without any obscene hand gestures. Phew!] and pick another lane, virtually at random, because I can no longer think logically enough to analyze the pictures above the lanes – I am only trying to get out of here as fast as possible. And my confident façade to my travel mates was quickly crumbling…will they ever trust me again?! Praise the Lord, this lane accepted our credit card! AND it kicked out a ticket – what?! We were all confused by this process, but were relieved to just be let through to the other side to continue our journey.

Now these toll booths are very common on the “A” routes in France. Sometimes just inserting a ticket would work, sometimes a card would work, and sometimes it would spit out a ticket but sometimes not. It was a true mystery to all of us. It became a running joke that these tolls were my nemesis! I even hit the help button one time and muddled through a conversation with a lady who spoke very little English. Paired with my very little French, it was more than a struggle, but she was very patient with me and eventually just manually raised the traffic arm in front of us. Seriously, French people were always so helpful to us!

TIP: So here are the goods, if you’re still with me! If you follow these tips, you will not be in toll booth hell like we were. Bookmark this!

Most French “A” routes are toll motorways, and they are marked at their entrances with the word “Péage”. The process is to get your ticket from a booth at the start – you simply hit the button for the ticket to start your journey. (We must have entered the motorways at other locations besides the start, hence we didn’t have the ticket at the subsequent tolls) Tolls are paid either when you leave the highway, or when that section of the route ends. But sometimes, there are toll points along the way, especially near cities or bridges.

There are several signs you will need to interpret ~

The first one on the LEFT is the further most LEFT lane, and is only for those with a remote payment transponder, called “télépéage” (with the speed indication) – NOT YOU!

The middle image is the CENTER lane and for those with the transponder OR pay by credit card. COULD be for you because of the credit card option.

The right image is the RIGHT lane and for all forms of payment. This is for YOU!! Just stay to the right to be safe!

HOWEVER, the image shown above with the same orange T paired with the Green arrow are at ticket pick-up booths and are open to all traffic at the START of a motorway. Simply pickup your ticket for this section of your journey. This sign is not to be confused with the one above for the left lane, local travelers!

An invaluable and up-to-date resource to check out BEFORE venturing out in your rental car for your magical road trip of a lifetime, is this site below. I definitely regret not accessing this information ahead of time…learn from my mistakes my friends! 😉

https://about-france.com/driving.htm#tolls

Now, about tackling the French gas stations! 3 tips for all travelers with rental cars:

Keep your gas tank full, especially before the weekend! The gas stations are not open 24/7 like in the states, and we had one heck of time finding a gas station on a Sunday!
If you don’t have a credit card with the International chip, make sure you have cash (euros, of course), so that you can pay the human at the gas station (during the week, see tip #1) because the pumps will not accept our American chip cards.
When all else fails, and you’ve been driving around the countryside all weekend, forcing your credit card into every gas pump you come across, find a sweet French lady to help you…

Here is our Angel! She was so helpful, and accepted 50 euros in exchange for using her own credit card to get us gas! So throw away all your preconceived notions about rude French people! She just kept saying how much she likes to help people…I’ll never forget her. ❤

There you have it! If you’ve been feeling adventurous for that epic international road trip, just do it! What could go wrong? (Except everything, as shown above-hehe!) But, really…do it anway. You’ll feel a real sense of accomplishment, and gain so much confidence as a traveler. Bon voyage!

A Stroll through Saint-Germain des Prés

theparisplanner January 12, 2019

A cloudy Monday morning in early June called for an exploration of the area known as Saint-Germain des Prés in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, starting with this beautiful church, Église de Saint-Germain des Prés. I’ve included a map at the end of this post so you can replicate this walk 🙂

A Benedictine Abbey, L’eglise de Saint Germain des Prés was the burial place of Merovingian Kings of Neustria, built in the medieval times during the 6th century between 511-588. The bell tower is in the Romanesque style and was constructed around 1000 AD.

Go inside! It’s sooo beautiful!

I was taken with the detailing on these columns in the center of the photo, and the colors along the top of the doorway on the right.

And with this old, detiorating doorway near the front entrance…where could it lead?!

Don’t miss an actual Picasso (I didn’t know he sculpted too!) in the garden to the left of the front entrance, made in honor of his friend Guillaume who died in WW1, with the face of Guillaume’s mistress.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Les Deux Magots is just across the street from the church at 6 Place Saint-Germain des Prés. An iconic café – stop for a café for “take away”. Magot means “stocky figure from the Far East” as this location was originally a silk shop named for a popular play at the time. Converted to a café sometime between 1873 and 1884, the café has been visited by James Joyce, Julia Child, James Baldwin, and Richard Wright to name a few.

Photo courtesy of Debauve et Gallais

Debauve & Gallais was the Royal Pharmacist for Marie Antoinette. Her medicines were secreted within chocolate because she wouldn’t take them any other way 😉 Great gifts and souvenirs here, all in very pretty packages.

Photo courtesy of Hôtel de Vinci & Spa

Da Vinci Hôtel & Spa: walk across Rue Jacob, and on the right you’ll find the location where in 1911 the Mona Lisa spent 3 nights when she was stolen from the Louvre! If you’d like to peruse the gorgeous rooms in this hotel, click here. A bit pricey for this budget minded traveler, but some of you might be lucky enough to stay here, possibly even in their Mona Lisa Suite! You might simply chose to splurge for a spa appointment, or book a just couple of nights out of your entire trip.

We were in need of a coffee fix, so we stopped at Le Pré aux Clercs choosing a table just inside the door as it was pouring rain at the moment. I swiftly ordered a café crème, and it was absolutely the BEST coffee I have ever had in Paris, or anywhere else for that matter! Just delectable! Paid way too much for 2 cups – ha! Others in my group had the omelet and they said it was very good as well.

The interior of the café is cozy with rich dark woodwork, and a tree growing in the middle of the adjacent dining area, adding a bit of quirkiness! This cafe was one of Hemingway’s old haunts. It was nice to relax for a minute, and people watch as they tried to avoid puddles.

Ladurée Paris Bonaparte is across from the café, shown above. Consider taste testing some of the iconic macarons, or just take a pretty pic of their colorful display! 😉

Place de Furstemberg, at 8 Rue de Furstemberg, is a lovely little square right in the heart of Saint-Germain. Author John Baxter says it’s the prettiest spot in all of Paris, where you’re bound to find some beautiful creature lounging about the center courtyard!

I’ll let you be the judge, but I have to agree that it is a charming little square. This gorgeous flower shop definitely adds to the vibe.

On the right side of the square (with the flags, shown above) you’ll find the entrance to the Delacroix museum at 6 Rue de Furstemberg – not to be missed, and free with your museum pass!

If you didn’t opt to purchase the museum pass, you may purchase museum tickets at the door for only 7 euros. There’s also an option to purchase a combined ticket to include entry into the Louvre for 15 euros. A free guided tour is available daily at 3pm and 4:30 pm, no reservations needed. NOTE: this museum is closed on Tuesdays.

More info on the Paris Museum Pass: the pass is good for 2, 4, or 6 days (48, 62, 74 euros respectively). It can be shipped directly to your home before your trip, you may have it delivered to where you’ll be staying, or there are points of sale in Paris where you can go pick up a pass once you’ve arrived (ie: airports, museums, monuments, visitors centers, kiosks, etc). The options are vast – every shopper can choose the best one to suit their needs! This link is for the option to mail to yourself ahead of your trip…because I’m THAT type of planner, hehe! I needed to have all tickets in my hot little hands ahead of time 😉

This is a small museum as it is housed within the artist’s former home. Once you’ve explored the interior, go out the back door to discover an amazing garden!

There is another annex to the museum, and you can sit and soak up the peace in the garden as well. While we were there, a group of artists were sitting in this green space sketching…it seemed surreal to be in such a tranquil green space in the middle of the city.

At 36 Place Saint-Sulpice you’ll find a gorgeous, tiny, narrow house. The reason to stop here is to observe the fancy house numbers above the doorway (towards the bottom of the picture above). Instead of the standard blue ceramic tiles you see all over Paris, these numbers are more intricate and embellished, which would have been an indication in the 19th century that this location was in fact a brothel! Once you’ve spotted this one, see if you can spot others around the city.

You must go into the Saint-Sulpice church after having been to Delacroix’s museum! And here’s why: find the Chapel of the Holy Angels from the entry it’s on the right hand side, the first alcove/chapel you would come to).

Delacroix was commissioned to create the paintings in this chapel specifically about angels, but he didn’t like people telling him what to paint, so he chose the most violent angel stories he could find in the Bible! What a rebel!

I have a thing for old cathedrals…something about them seems to give me a reset, and refreshes my soul. Ever since visiting the Pisa Cathedral in Italy back in 2013, and literally being moved to tears for some inexplicable reason, I always try to wander through every cathedral I come across, to soak up the peace and beauty surrounding me.

The “pulpit” is a work of art all on its own!

This unusual art installation was quite moving, and somewhat of a surprise inside the Saint Sulpice.

Details about the church itself: It took nearly 100 years to build in the 17th century, and six architects! The 2 towers are different because of damage during the revolution.

Église Saint-Sulpice also contains the “rose line” if you follow these bits of pop culture 😉 Just don’t ask any of the church staff about it…they are over all the questions about the Da Vinci Code movie!

I’m sure you’ve worked up an appetite…at Pierre Hermé there are loads of choices, and the BEST macarons in all of Paris! We ate, we voted, it was decided – lol!

Luxembourg Gardens is a short stroll down this same street. Take a rest by the famous Marie de Medici fountain. Just gorgeous! We spent quite a bit of time just meditating on the elaborate statues, and the “trompe l’oiel” (trick of the eye) ~ the stone work on both sides of the water increases in height as it gets closer to the statues making it appear that the water is sloping down, when of course we know that water levels itself! Quite clever!

Thank you for coming along on this little walk through some of my favorite bits of a gorgeous Paris neighborhood. And finally here is the map I promised, click here: A Stroll through Saint-Germain des Prés.

Château de Villandry

theparisplanner December 1, 2018

On a somewhat dreary and rainy day, our little road trip group lifted our spirits with a tour of the gardens of Villandry, one of the most beautiful gardens in all of France. I’m pretty certain we did the tour in the exact opposite direction as was recommended by the tour pamphlet, but there was hardly a soul to tell us otherwise as we were just about the only people crazy enough to venture out in the pouring rain. Lucky for us, if you ask me! And as an added bonus, the droplets of rain put a bit of shine on each of the gorgeous plants along our way.

The layout of the Renaissance kitchen gardens was particularly intriguing as they resembled quilt patterns with their symmetrical lines and repetitive themes, as shown on the map below. These squares are planted with vegetables of varying colors creating the geometrical patterns, and lined by fruit trees.

Plant identification is made easy by these informational maps as well.

This particular layout chosen for the Kitchen Garden mimics those found in the Middle Ages when monks in the abbeys planted their vegetables in geometric patterns, as a nod to the cross. Even the roses, planted at center points within the design, symbolize the monks digging their squares.

Lovely ivy-covered trellis overlooking the Kitchen Gardens create a wonderful space to reflect upon on the beauty below – the geometric patterns reminds one of chessboards, or grandma’s handstitched quilts from way back.

We spent a lot of time in awe of the precision necessary to create and maintain such a masterpiece. In fact, Villandry employs a team of 10 fulltime gardeners year-round to keep up with the demands of the various garden spaces! We came across several workers within the herb garden below, discreetly tolling away even in the rain.

Making our way to the Ornamental Garden we came across this canal leading away from the Water Garden. This canal separates the estate grounds in two, and connects with the moat around the entire grounds.

Created in the form of a Louis XV mirror, the Water Garden pool is lined by lime trees, and frequented by some thirsty swans. This video gives you an idea of the weather we were contending with as well. Good thing I love a good rain!

Beyond the canal are the Ornamental Gardens, also known as the Love Gardens. This garden highlights shapes such as the Maltese cross and the Basque cross within the designs, creating yet another geometric masterpiece perfect for reflection and lingering.

Stretching from the Water Garden to the Château, the designs are best seen from above, on the “belvedere” (which I learned meant a raised terrace!). Each square within the Ornamental Garden is named for a different type of love: Tender Love, Passionate Love, Flighty Love, and Tragic Love (shown below in clockwise order, starting from the top left design).

To be honest, we were only in the Château for short amount of time, just long enough to find even more views of the exterior! Here’s a shot of the Ornamental Garden from a child’s bedroom, below. Now if you’ve been paying close attention, you’ll have realized that we missed entire sections of the estate, as you can view from the terraced areas beyond the Ornamental Garden. There is also a Sun Garden, a maze, “the Woods”, and another Ornamental Garden! I guess we’ll have to plan to come back! 😉

We nearly felt as though we were trespassing since there were so few people around, but eventually we found access to the rooftop for more astounding views of the Kitchen Gardens and village just beyond…just could not get enough! Don’t get me wrong, the Château was beautiful, but the real gem of this tour is, and always will be, the fantastic gardens.

If you’re ever in the Loire Valley and you love gardens, make sure this location makes the cut! It was well worth it, just make certain you bring an umbrella 😉

*I always recommend purchasing your tickets ahead of time, for peace of mind and easy planning. Click here to buy now. Only 11 euros, or just 5 euros if you’re only interested in the gardens.

Château de Chenonceau

theparisplanner November 12, 2018

Known as “The Ladies Castle”, Château de Chenonceau is a gorgeous, white-washed manor spanning across the River Cher located near Amboise, France in the heart of the Loire Valley. With a deep history involving several very influential women, the château has been home to a king’s mistress, served as a military hospital, and the residence of a queen. The picturesque walking path leading to the chateau and gardens are the perfect beginning to a lovely day. To purchase tickets ahead of time, click here.

The first somewhat notorious resident of the home was Diane de Poitiers, the “favorite” of King Henri II, who gave her the château in 1535, when only part of the structure existed – the main section with the turrets. Diane commissioned to have a bridge built from her castle over the river so that she could access better hunting on the other side.

Mademoiselle de Poitiers also created an immense garden. Diane was passionate about overseeing the entire design, employing an extreme symmetrical layout, all of which are protected from the river by impressive stone terraces as the garden is actually a “floating” parterre, a concept borrowed from the Italians. The gardens span nearly 3 acres, and are accentuated by dozens of climbing roses.

Upon King Henri’s death, Queen Catherine de Medici, Henri’s widow, quickly forced out Diane as head of household, and managed the Kingdom of France from the “Green Cabinet”. Catherine built up Diane’s bridge, adding two enclosed levels to include the Gallery and Grand Ballroom.

Catherine introduced the artichoke to France, thought to be an aphrodisiac. She tried incorporating the artichoke into the royal diet prior to the King’s death, in the hopes of re-capturing Henri’s affections away from Diane.

Queen Catherine was also a passionate gardener, and transformed the area on the other side of the château. The space is much smaller than its counterpart, just 1.3 acres, but Catherine’s refined style is not to be overlooked. Centered around a vast fountain, the garden is organized into five sections of lawn, bordered by roses and lavender, with many sculpted boxwoods.

There are walking paths into the surrounding woods to one side, and breath-taking views of the château itself on the other side. Which of the gardens is your favorite? Diane’s or Catherine’s?

Time to go inside! Sometimes you just gotta look up! The ceilings in the entry were just gorgeous!

The gallery housed a military hospital during World War I from 1914-1918.

The views over the river from the inside are a bit surreal and magical…

Plants and flowers are everywhere inside the château, thanks to floral designer Jean-Francois Boucher, “Master Craftsman of France”. His arrangements are thoughtful, beautiful, and new each day! You can even book a class with this master of flowers!

There are several dining options at Chenonceau, a traditional fine dining restaurant called L’Orangerie (for reservations, send an email to: restaurants@chenonceau.com), as well as a cafeteria style créperie. We opted for the second choice as we were finishing up our tour of the manor and gardens at different times, and could join one another at their outdoor terrace.

Although more casual, the assortment of foods was plentiful and varied, so we all came away with something we enjoyed. Most of us had chef salads, and some type of pastry – because why not! We’re in France!

Just when we thought we had seen it all, there was yet another garden to explore! The Flower Garden covers nearly 2 1/2 acres, the layout containing 12 squares of hundreds of varieties of “cutting flowers” for the florists to use each day within the Château.

The area within and around these gardens have a number of the cutest cottages, giving it a village feel. The overwhelming charm of it all makes you want to knock to see if anyone is “home”, and invite yourself inside for tea!

These climbing roses were everywhere, trained into these topiary shapes, something I had never seen before, and I quickly fell in love with them. Not to mention the gorgeous stone house, and red doors….swoon!

And what castle is complete without a moat! Remember the “floating” garden of Diane’s I mentioned earlier? It’s true – all of the above is literally built on somewhat marsh-y land, which lends itself perfectly for the creation of a moat surrounding the entire property!

**Thanks to two of my traveling partners, Judy and Kaitlynn, for sharing some of their photos with me. This post would not be complete without them!