Chateau du Clos Luce

Chateau was built in 1471 in Amboise. 

 Leonardo da Vinci lived the 
last three years of his life, painting and working on many of his inventions.

Leonardo was invited to live in Amboise, France by King Francis I in 1516.

One of his famous paintings was the Mona Lisa, painted between 1503-1514.
The real painting is now in Paris.





Walking from the town to the Chateau, 
we passed Troglodyte Houses were built into the stone.  
Originally, poor people resided there but now wealthy people are renovating them.

The Chateau was open to the public in 1958, with 400,000 visitors a year.

The house was built of stone and brick.

Leonardo's bedroom with four posted bed with carvings.

He worked on major royal commissions as a painter, engineer, architect and sculptor. 

One of his many inventions was this military tank that moved on wheels.

Invented early metal canon.

Water pump he developed  to supply water to the Chateau.

Wooden bicycle and first car to the right.

Leonardo invented paddle boat, boat locks for water passage and movable bridge.

Gardens with many trees and flowers.  The red roses are call Mona Lisa.

Chateau Loire Valley

Sunday Market Day in Amboise, France

Singer with a musical box type instrument was entertaining the people 

at the market and later in town.  He was popular with the tourists.

Market was several blocks long and two blocks wide next to the Loire River.

Basket weaver meets large crowd.

Food seemed to be more popular today than the merchandise. 

Fresh caught fish from the North Sea between England and France.

Food truck vendors open their doors to sell their products.  

This one is selling fromages which means cheese in French.

Popular rice and fish dish ready to eat.

The three cheeses are made using lavender (blue), tomato (red) and basil (green).

Interesting way to market women's pants.

Nest stop people head to eat lunch near the Amboise Castle.

Entry to all the restaurants.

Eating outdoors was popular today.

Giverny, France B&B

Le Clos Fleuri family friendly B&B.  

Our hostess was originally was from Australia so was able to tell us all about the area.

At breakfast we met a couples from Italy, Lyon, France and New Zealand.

Our room opened up to the yard.

Nice area to relax after a day of sightseeing.

Giverny has 400 residents and a very popular tourist location. 

Old hotel turned into a restaurant.

Local shop in village. One of Monet's paintings is printed on bags.

Catholic Church on the hill where Monet is buried.

Monet's grave is surrounded by many flowers.

Monet's House and Gardens Giverny, France

Picture of Claude Monet in his dinning room surrounded by his prized Japanese Prints.

House and gardens are always flowering with something.

Beautiful tiled kitchen and copper stove.

Some of his many paintings.

Overview of the two gardens including the ponds.

Water Gardens

Japanese Bridge on right.

Two American Tourists who don't speak French.

Walled Gardens with many pathways and bridges.

More pictures of Water Garden known as the

Water Lily Pond.

Trip to France 2019

We flew into Paris and arrived Wednesday August 28.  

Our trip will take us on a loop from Giverny 

south to Loire Valley, Dordogne, 

Provence, back up to Burgundy and Alsace.

New American Airline plane with fancy seats and flight information.

Almost to Paris after 8 1/2 hour flight.

Our car is a Peugeot and 
GPS took us to our first destination town of 
Giverny home to the founder of 
French Impressionist painter Claude Monet born 1820.