The Good Life France Magazine Autumn 2017 | Page 17

Look carefully and you may notice that the royal insignia of Catherine de Medici at the chateau is rather familiar. When fashion icon Coco Chanel visited she loved the intertwined Cs topped by a royal crown and asked if she could use it as her own motif. She was told yes, but not with the crown – and the rest as they say, is history.

Practical info

Website for the Chateau de Chenonceau: www.chenonceau.com

Botanical tour with Nicholas Tomlan and floral workshop with Jean-François Boucher is exclusively for small groups, by reservation only: [email protected]

L’Orangerie restaurant can only be accessed once you’re inside the chateau grounds. You can book in advance at: [email protected]

Where to stay

Nearby Amboise makes for a perfect base to visit the Chateau de Chenonceau, it’s about 20 minutes by car. I stayed at the lovely Hotel Bellevue which has a great little restaurant and fabulous bar and is a stone’s throw from the incredible Chateau d’Amboise in the centre of this historic town.

If you do stay in Amboise, don’t miss out on a meal at the nearby Le Parvis restaurant (3 rue Mirabeau) where the appetite you’ll build up walking around will be well satisfied!

How to get there

Trains from Paris run to Amboise, nearby Tours and to Chenonceaux station which is right by the chateau (making for a great day trip): UK-Voyages-SNCF.

Above left: Amboise; above centre and right: Dessert and cheese platter at l'Orangerie; left: Catherine de Medici's motif