Gorgeous chateaus and vineyards

FRENCH COUNTRYSIDE

One of my favourite things about France is its beautiful countryside with its wealth of gorgeous chateaus, historical villages, cathedrals and vineyards.

There’s nothing like spending a day or weeks of exploring the cobbled stone streets, medieval castles-turned-chateaus and sampling local wines. And of course, the people are generally nicer and more friendly than the city folks.

If you’re looking for a change of scenery during your trip to Paris, consider trips to the Loire Valley and explore the many chateaus there. I have the opportunity to visit the largest chateau in the Loire Valley, the Chateau de Chambord. Easily-recognisable from afar and renowned for its distinctive French Renaissance architecture which blends traditional French medieval forms and classical Renaissance structure, the lure of the Chateau de Chambord is the double helix staircase.

The unique staircase was said to be built thus so that the King’s mistress could walk up and down without being seen by those walking on the other side.

As my visit coincides with the French national holiday, the place is quite crowded. Children on school trips can be seen with their teachers, while tourists both local and from abroad alike dot the hallway and the balcony, all busy snapping away.

Next, we visit Chateau Royal d’Amboise, the home to several French kings, such as

Loire Valley seen from Chateau d’Amboise. King Francois I. Built on a strategic site just beside the Loire River (the longest river in France, by the way), the chateau also houses a gothic chapel on the far side, said to be the final resting place of famous painter Leonardo Da Vinci.

A castle perched on top of a hill, the Italian genius also helped to design the historic royal residence. But Charles VIII, who died when he accidentally bumped his head on the door’s lintel while on his way to a tennis match, was responsible for rebuilding it extensively.

Do wander through the halls and the refurbished Gothic-style rooms of the chateau and learn about the French royalty’s lifestyle. Climb to the top of the Minimes Tower, which offers a panoramic view of the Loire Valley. The visibility is great on the day of my visit: white clouds scattered lazily across the clear blue skies.

We also stop by Chateau de Chenonceau, which was built across the Cher River. The moment we step out of our bus into the crisp, cold air one late October morning, we know that we’re in for a treat.

The place is so beautiful and classy. We walk through tree-covered alleys, something like what you’ll see on Nami Island in South Korea.

There are also vegetable and flower gardens and a small farm where horses and donkeys roam freely. Bushes of lavender are planted around the chateau and the aroma carried by the wind is like walking into a natural spa.

Lady Luck is smiling at me on the day of my visit as the gardener gives me a bunch of fresh lavender to take home.

You’ll then arrive at the castle proper with two well-trimmed gardens — Catherine de Medici and Diane de Poitier — on each of its side. Landscaped in the French tradition, these two gardens reflect the personalities of the two women, who played important roles in French history.

During World War 2, the castle was turned into a hospital and served a key role in helping the injured.

Apart from Chateau de Chenonceau and Chateau Royal d’Amboise, other important chateaus include the Blois and Cheverny.

MONT SAINT MICHEL

For centuries, Mont St Michel in the Normandy region is one of Europe’s major pilgrimage destinations. Today, the Unesco World Heritage Site offers one of Europe’s most unforgettable sights.

From the moment our bus drop us off at the visitor centre — about five minutes away by the local shuttle bus — we are immediately taken by the beauty of the location.

As the free shuttle bus drops us off about 450m from the abbey, we take the curving footbridge that connects the mainland to Mont St Michel.

Barely five minutes into our walk, we stop to admire the looming Mont St Michel in front of us.

From afar, the building rising from its granite foundation feels isolated, indistinct in the bay. But as we get nearer, the majestic structure with its slab-sided abbey and Romanesque church has a humbling effect on all of us. The abbey itself is sheer, solid magnificence.

Set on top of an island, the medieval monastry with its massive stone structure has long inspired awe and imagination among its visitors.

In popular culture, Mont St Michel serves as an inspiration for the design of Minas Tirith in the movie

The recently-ended South Korean drama

starring

Lee Yeon-hee and Jung Yonghwa was also partly shot here.

Legend has it that in the eighth century, Aubert, a

Chateau d’Eporce boasts beautiful furniture

bishop of the nearby hilltop town of Avranches, claimed that the Archangel Michael pressured him into building a chapel atop an island by the sea.

As the story went, it took the archangel three times; on the third attempt, he apparently poked a hole in the bishop’s skull to emphasise that he wanted a chapel built on the island.

From 966 onwards, the dukes of Normandy and later French kings supported the development of Benedictine abbey on Mont St Michel. Throughout the medieval times, monastic buildings were added including the vertiginous section nicknamed The Marvel.

At the height of its popularity, Mont St Michel was the centre of learning, attracting some of the greatest minds in Europe.

Today, built along its steep, cobbled village street known as Grande Rue, everything a tourist needs is available: food, bar, gift shops and the very famous omelette restaurant La Mere Poulard that dates back to 1879. On