The drive from Normandy to the Alsace is far…like across the country far. so we took 2 days with a night stop in Blois. 1st driving day we took a few hours to explore DaVinci’s final home (where he died) with this year being the 500 year anniversary of his death. Clos Lucé was his home and the park surrounding the home is filled with models of his amazing inventions. The history is his space is fairly surreal with the ideas that this man brought to the world. From bridges and boats to flight and warfare, he invented it all! And he was a decent artist to bout!
It was a hot day and getting long so we had to skip the neighbouring Chateaux Amboise (where DaVinci’s body rests).
Found a restaurant and settled into our bare-bones hotel for the night fairly early as the crew was spent. Too bad, cause Blois was hosting fireworks on the old bridge for the celebration of La Bastille (it’s like France Day….30 000 people in the old town…we slept:)
Driving day 2 was awesome. Got to Chateaux Chambord at 8:30am beating all tourists and having the place to ourselves. Walked around the largest of France’s castles, then went in when it opened at 9. Fun fact…left the hotel and stopped at McD’s for a coffee…opens at 10am in France.
Needed a chill day at our new place in the Alsace. Have another incredible house rental. Great views of the valley and the livestock around us provide the ambiance with chickens, turkeys, geese and roosters serenading us all day. The drive was worth it!
DaVinci’s bedroom 
DaVinci’s workshop 
the ghost of ‘La Joconde’ 
Châteaux Chambord 
bedroom balcony view west 
Creek hike behind the house 
backyard chilling with a drink and a view 
sunrise coffee
Coppingers in France 