by Helen Kain | Feb 10, 2019 | Chateaux, France
We had been extremely lucky with the warm temperatures in April, but our weather- luck deserted us as we travelled the 34 miles from Paris to the Palace of Fontainebleau by train. It was, in a word, F*ing (Frigidly) Freezing. The day was sunny and bright, just...
by Helen Kain | May 20, 2017 | Beautiful Towns, Chateaux, Entertablement Abroad, France, Gardens and Flowers
The Loire Valley is utterly gorgeous in the spring – abundant lilacs, colourful bulbs and tumbling wisteria. I’ve done a quick recap of some of my favourite spots from our trip a couple of years ago. In putting together the collage, I noticed I chose...
by Helen Kain | Apr 18, 2015 | Chateaux, Entertablement Abroad, France
We had been awash in elegant chateaux in the Loire valley, and were interested to see that the ones in the Dordogne region were much more austere. Built in the middle ages, their purpose was defence, not entertainment and refined living. Chateau de Beynac...
by Helen Kain | Apr 15, 2015 | Chateaux, Entertablement Abroad, France, Gardens and Flowers
It was our last day in Amboise, and we had time to see one more Chateau. Anxious to see the “rest of the story” between Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici I voted for Chateau de Chaumont. I was dying to see the...
by Helen Kain | Apr 14, 2015 | Chateaux, Entertablement Abroad, France, Gardens and Flowers
Another day, another Chateau… Chateau de Villandry is rightly famous for its magnificent gardens, very much in the French parterre style. I’m more of an English Country perennial garden gal, myself, but these were something to behold. We started by...
by Helen Kain | Apr 13, 2015 | Chateaux, Entertablement Abroad, France, Gardens and Flowers
The next Chateau on our list was Chambord, probably the most photographed Chateau in the Loire Valley if not all of France. It is undoubtedly the largest and marvellous example of French Renaissance architecture, built by King Francis I (the self-same Francis who...
