Amboise
Amboise Castle, France
France Road Trip: Amboise
Rocamadour to Amboise
Back on the road for approximately 4 hours from Rocamadour to Amboise. We had never heard of Amboise but it was about to surprise us in a very pleasant way. Our friend Dominique suggested it and mentioned that if at all possible we should go to the final home of Leonardo da Vinci, now a museum.
Pont du Maréchal Leclerc Bridge in Amboise by the Loire River
Airbnb Check-In Issues
We learn as we go and have discovered it is important to arrange a specific time for Airbnb check-in. Our host was not home when we first arrived so we paid for parking and explored the center of town on foot.
Afternoon coffee was the first item on the agenda. I was tired after the drive but livened up immediately as the skies cleared and the most gorgeous afternoon presented itself.
Amboise has a very charming town center. Although we are becoming accustomed to the French quaintness we still appreciate the small differences.
During the drive today, we also noticed the landscape changing around us. More open farmland. Larger land parcels. Yellow mustard fields. More road bikes.
The cozy cobblestone streets and archways of Amboise
After coffee, we headed back to the excellent central location of our Airbnb but our hosts were still not home and there was no reply to our online messages.
It was a tad annoying but the sun was shining and the fine weather won us over again. We paid for more parking and decided to wander some more.
Château du Clos Lucé
The plan was to visit the Leonardo da Vinci Museum at Château du Clos Lucé Saturday morning but by pure chance, we ended up on the street leading us straight to it.
Google said the museum was open until 8 pm. It was only 6 pm but when we arrived it turned out the museum closed at 7 pm but we went for it anyway.
Great decision - it was indeed a wonderful experience. Francis I, the King of France had invited Leonardo da Vinci to move to Amboise when he was sixty-four years old and he lived there for the last three years of his life.
Château du Clos Lucé, Leonardi da Vinci Museum in Amboise.
We quickly agreed that we too could live in this house. Gorgeous rooms with beautiful decor and your own private tunnel leading to the castle for when the king would come for a visit. Several of da Vinci’s inventions, modeled from original drawings, were on display.
His gardens were equally impressive and exploring it in the early evening light with no one else around is highly recommendable. Several of his art pieces were on display and it was inspiring creatively.
Street corning and Château Royal d'Amboise, The Royal Castle, in the background
Dining in Amboise
We ordered two bowls of spaghetti bolognese at a corner restaurant by the castle. A kir for Di and beer for me. Our cheeks were red from the sun and fresh air as we devoured our dinner.
We walked along the Loire River and took in the sunset on our way back to our Airbnb. A great way to wrap up the day.
Our hosts had since responded to our messages and were now home to greet us. They greeted us with the traditional kiss on each cheek and gave us a tour of the wonderful rooftop apartment.
More space than we needed for the short time we were there. Very cozy. The bed proved to be a bit too short for me and was somewhat squeaky. After about ten minutes we gave up and threw the mattress on the floor. Problem solved. Lights out.
Travel Photography From Amboise
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The photos in this article are made using a Fujifilm X-T1. Lenses: XF 14mm f/2.8 R - XF 23mm f/1.4 R - XF 35mm f/2 R WR - XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR (links to my camera and lens reviews). Editing was done with Lightroom and I have made use of Fujifilm’s film simulations in some of the photos.
