My Spring Break Adventure Part 5

For these next few posts, four more after this, I will be going day by day. This post will be about the first of the chateaus that we saw because I took so many pictures! The next post will be of the second chateau. The next will be of later that day when we finally reached PARIS! Then the two after that will be the next two days in Paris because again, to many pictures to fit it into one post.

CHENONCEAU

Chenonceau is a chateau that Henry II built for his mistress Diane de' Poitiers. After he died, his wife, Catherine de' Medici kicked Diane out and took over Chenonceau for herself.

 Catherine de' Medicis personal chapel.  

 This is Diane's bedroom in the house. The picture below this one is a portrait of Catherine that hangs above a fire place in Diane's room (on the left). It was probably not there when Diane lived there but I still thought that it was very odd to have a picture of Henry II's wife hanging in his mistresses bed room. 

 One of the grand hallways. During WWII, the river that this chateau is located over was a divider between occupied and unoccupied France (The end that I took the picture from was occupied France). Because of this, parties were hosted here during the time and the Jewish people would essentially be danced out of occupied France and into free France.

 The door that they would have exited to safety. 

 The chateau is owned by a family so there were fires in the fire places and fresh flowers everywhere!

 Cool coins located in Catherine's office.

 The servants hall!

 I took the above picture from the window located on the left in the picture below.

 The stairs were really cool.

 Henry II's room.

 This was Henry and Catherine's symbol. The H and two C's happen (maybe on purpose) to make a D for Diane! 

 The ceiling above the stairs.

 The maze.

 Cool structure in the center of the maze.

 There were snails EVERYWHERE in the maze!

 Chenonceau was one of my favorite parts of the trip!