Got a fairly early start after breakfast and had a pleasant drive through many small towns that were so quiet they could have been deserted. Every house that faces the street is shuttered so can't tell if you're driving through a ghost town. Visited the 15th century Chateau Neuf-en-Auxious, didn't stop just drove around it.

Visited a small winery in Chablis. The very nice owners showed us around and gave us an extensive degustation. They have 20 hectares and do every thing from planting to bottling to shipping. They were bottling while we were there. Bought 3 bottles: 1 Chardonnay and 2 Chablis. The Chardonnay was the cheapest, 30 FF. because it was grown on the edge of the Chablis territory. The Chablis were more, 45 FF. because they were from the prime region. The Chablis area was relatively small, but had many wineries, particularly in town. Grape vines in profusion, but we quickly got into the flat area and wheat fields.

Drove about 50 KM on the AutoRoute then took a secondary road towards Orleans. A major, major truck route with crazies passing on curves with on coming traffic. They put their life in your hands. Up to you to slow down so they could avoid head-on collisions. Trucks are going only about 60 km/hour and we're making no time. Finally peel off on an even smaller road that has very little traffic, but passes through small towns every couple of km, still beats eating truck fumes. Trip is approximately 450 km and we arrive in Amboise after 18:00. Friendly staff and we have the prestige suite in the former nunnery overlooking the Loire River. We knock down a couple of G&Ts before dinner. Our hotel-Le Choiseul is reported to have the best restaurant in the region.

As we were having an entrée, 5 hot air balloons took off from across the river, went up a few hundred feet and then went down so they were barely visible. They were bumping each other as they slowly went up again and drifted down the river. We had talked a bout taking a balloon ride, but I lost interest after seeing that exhibition.

We only have French TV, no CNN, no BBC. Quiz shows on 3 of the 5 channels we get.

Breakfast in the hotel then headed out to see some of the Loire Valley Chateaux. The first stop was Chateau de Chenonceau. The background of the Chateau is that it was built on the site of a mill by Thomas Bohier in the early 16th century. When he died Francoise I seized the property and turned it into a royal castle. Henry II gave it to his mistress Diane de Poitiers who was kicked out by Catherine de Medici, Henry's wife, after he died. The entire castle is built in the river Cher. Catherine had a two-story addition built across the river.

There are two precisely landscaped gardens in front of the castle. On the right-as one faces the castle-is Diane's garden and on the left is Catherine's. We were lucky enough to see them in full bloom and they were gorgeous. There were a number of paintings in the castle, including a portrait of Henry IV that he gave after a visit.

The next stop was Chateau de Troussay, which is occupied by descendants who open it to pay the taxes.

Chateau Cheverny was hidden behind a wall, and we didn't feel like stopping after the long tour of de Chenonceau. Then we saw Chambord, by far the largest chateau in the Loire Valley. Four hundred and twenty rooms! Francoise I built it in 1516 as a get-a-way retreat. He only used it occasionally, but when he traveled there from Orleans it took 12,000 horses to move his entourage! I keep thinking that may be a typo, but several guidebooks had the same number. Two regiments could walk up and down the staircase without touching.

Returned to Le Choiseul for the Dames Finale in the French Open, narrated in French.

The countryside is interesting and different from the other wine regions. Mostly flat fields of wheat interspersed occasionally with a field of vines. Other places when you get to wine country it was all vineyards-except in Provenance which had olive and fruit groves, but by far vineyards predominated. Here the wheat out numbers the grapes by 10 to 1. Many of the wheat fields appear ready for harvest with golden color and tops bending from the weigh of the grain. Other fields were still quite green. Saw many new looking homes-all built in the traditional French style with shutters on all the windows. Lovely flower gardens were every where with roses and peonies in full bloom.

After the open, we walked to Amboise and saw the Chateau de Amboise, built in 15th century by Charles VI. Only 1/3 of the original Chateau remains.

Orleans was the Palace/Headquarters for the kings of France and the Loire Valley was their hunting/get-a-way/mistress retreat until Henry IV moved his palace to the Louvre in Paris.