To The Hounds

We visited the Chateau at Cheverny which is fully furnished and still occupied by nobility - in fact the same family that for centuries has owned the huge property.  It is the castle used to portray the Captain's castle in Tintin, a favorite cartoon in France.  Large hunts are still conducted at Cheverny, so there are huge stables and kennels for the hounds.  Below are 3 short videos we shot showing the hounds at feeding time.

First, the raw meat is spread by the kennel keepers

Next, the hounds are gated ready to ponce

Finally, they are released

The dogs are large and extremely muscular.  Ron was shocked at the girth of some of their limbs.  Clearly strong enough to corner and take down a stag.  We did not realize how much of the French aristocracy survived The Terror and still enjoy the benefits of their lands and wealth.

Manger avec les Shieners

Once again this post will take you through the culinary experiences we shared with the Shieners as they were adventuresome diners.

First was a composed salad with duck or seafood rillettes

Next a fish dish of wild John Dory

 A mountain of scallops and shellfish

Crevettes (shrimp) et crabe

Une tour des legumes

Un autre plat des crevettes

Une assiette du saumon marinée (marinated)

Coq au vin garnished with beautifully presented vegetables and asparagus mousse

Enfin les desserts

Fortunately we all walked a great deal after these feasts.

Un voyage très bon

Our first house guests here in Amboise were Karen and Jerry Shiener who had not been to France in over 35 years.

After their first night of rest, we all dove into a plentiful French breakfast of eggs mixed with onions and cheese, saussicon, olives, tomatoes, cheeses, brioche, homemade confiture and cherry tart.

Then we all explored 3 chateaux - Chenonceau, Azay le Rideau, and Amboise all with beautiful grounds.

We finished the trip with a viewing of the late night "spectacle" light and sound show at Chateau Amboise which engages 450 volunteer performers to showcase the history of the area with skilled horsemen, wrestlers, and dancers on the grounds capped off with fireworks to the delight of the crowd.

I think I shall never see...

Below are some of the lovely landscaping pictures from our neighborhood.  Just wanted to share what we see on our daily walks and bike rides.

Below is a patch of primroses we planted in front of our door:

Now you can see why we think we have discovered paradise.