cookin'

This is how the dinner was prepared at Château Gaillard.

I'm going to be on the road for a few weeks collecting more photos for you, so ADP (as well as my other blog France and Beyond) will be on vacation until I get back.  A bientôt.

Château Gaillard 2017

The château continues it multi-year renovation project and I always look forward to see what progress has been made.  This past year they have really focused on re-creating the gardens that made the château famous.

the pearly gate

Yesterday, I had the rare opportunity to enter the grounds of château Gaillard which is generally closed to the public outside of summer tourist season. The weather was perfect and while the leaves had mostly all fallen, there remained this wonderful autumn carpet.  Heavenly.

picnic at Château Gaillard

The big finale for the weekend food festival was a Sunday evening picnic on the grounds of Château Gaillard.  There were strolling musicians to entertain us while we dined and afterwards there was a lively dance band.  The weather was perfect and the brightly lit château set the festive mood.

the gardens of Château Gaillard

The original gardens of Château Gaillard were among the first Renaissance gardens in France.  King Charles VIII brought Dom Pacello da Mercogliano from Italy to Amboise in 1496 to design and implement them.  By 1500 Dom Pacello was recognized as the most prestigious landscape designer in Europe.  Today, the gardens are being meticulously recreated by the new owner of the estate.  My photo shows only a part of that work.

la Boulangerie XVe

Tucked away in the hillside next to Château Gaillard is this fifteenth century boulangerie (bakery) that served the royal residence fresh bread. Below is a view from the other end of the troglodyte (cave) room.

the metallic rainbow

Bright sun streaming in through stained-glass windows fell perfectly on this old and ornate radiator.

Château Gaillard 2016

Château Gaillard is open again for the summer.  It has been under renovation in recent years (see it here in 2014) and each year I look forward to seeing what has been accomplished.  This year the château has been beautifully furnished with many new wonderful pieces.  In addition, the gardens continue to be developed and enhanced.  Here is a link to the château's web site (in French).

the kitchen at château Gaillard

This is truly a kitchen fit for a king at château Gaillard.  Here's a link to an earlier post showing the exterior of this wonderful castle built for king Charles VIII of France.

the entrance

The fifth and last photo in this series taken at Château Gaillard.  This tree-lined entrance to the grounds is quite impressive.  The renovation of stone entrance gates is still underway and I hope to show you the results next year.

wild dreadlocks

This is the fourth in the series of shots taken at Château Gaillard.  There are wildflowers, woods, and open spaces to enjoy here as you course the many pathways around the grounds.

the ramp

This is the third in the Château Gaillard series.  This ramp connecting the terrace with the lawn has been beautifully renovated.  I really like the repetition of the black iron railing against the bright white stone.  I decided to give this shot a bit of an abstract look.

forest ferns

Here's the second in the series of shots taken at Chpateau Gaillard.  I've not seen this type of fern before but they were abundant in the woods around the château.  It was fortunate to have captured them with their spores underneath.

Château Gaillard 2015

Today I'm starting a series of shots taken at Château Gaillard in August.  It was open this summer to the public to see all of the progress that has been made on the multi-year restoration project.
Here's how it looked at this time last year.  In this shot you can see the addition of an orangerie (like a greenhouse) underneath the terrace.  The renovation of the retaining wall is magnificent.  The brilliant white stone was almost too much for my camera.

a wonderful door

This door to the courtyard at château Gaillard looks to me like a modern construction.  It is in absolutely flawless condition.  The carving on the bottom panel is beautifully done.  The iron work also looks new.  I cannot image what this little jewel would cost to have made.  Unfortunately, the photo does not really do it justice.

la reine Claude

Claude de France was married to King Francis I (roi François premier) and thus was the queen (reine) of France.  This type of little sweet plums were "invented" at château Gaillard and named in honor of the queen.  They are still known today as reine-claudes.

emblems of royalty

At château Gaillard, you will find over a carved stone fireplace hearth these royal emblems of King Louis XII and his Queen Anne de Bretagne.  The king's is the porcupine and the queen's is the ermine. What do you think that said about their personalities !?

the caves

These caves on the grounds of château Gaillard have a rather spooky appearance.

a crown of trees

And finding this on the grounds of a residence of French Kings and Queens only makes sense.

Château Gaillard

Here is another château in Amboise that has generally been unknown to the locals and certainly to the tourists.  But it is now being somewhat "rediscovered" following the purchase and the start of renovations by a new owner in recent years.  Since it is privately owned, it has not been open to the public.  However, this summer, the owner has allowed access to the grounds and the first floor of the château, the only floor that has been almost completely restored.  They have done a magnificent job of the renovation.

The château has an amazing history.  It was built by Charles VIII at the end of the 15th century.  It continued to be used by the royal families through the 16th century.  There's way too much interesting history to tell here, but for you Francophones, here is a link to the owner's blog and a Wikipedia link that will tell story.   (Note that the English side of Wikipedia has an article about another château with same name but not this one.)  I don't know what the future holds for this little gem.  I can only hope that it will be open to the public in the future, at least from time to time.