A Visit to Sleeping Beauty

Rain. Rain. Rain. It must be market day. And it was. 

After a rain soaked stroll through the public market in Beaune, we repeated the feat in Chinon. The market wound through the old town, but didn't seem as impressive as the Beaune market--at least in terms of the produce and meats. More aggressive vendors reached out to us here. We had a somewhat negative encounter with a man apparently raising money for an animal rescue organization. He and his wife (I assume) attracted people to their little stand with a cuddly kid goat in a box. They proceeded to try to sell us lozenges. The look I received when I declined to buy made it seem like I had insulted the king. Jan and Pete bought lozenges to balance my insensitivity.

Using a map the hotel gave us, we did a partial walking tour of Chinon. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Chinon features a "Royal Fortress" that overlooks the city. We are talking buildings that are more than 500 years old. The beautiful Le Vienne River runs on the south edge of the city where a bridge, parts of which (again) date back 500 years, span the river.

Boarding the bus we took a short ride through the countryside to Usse to Chateau de Usse, an imposing structure built in 1455 on the foundations of an 11th century chateau. The chateau purportedly inspired the writer of the "Sleeping Beauty" story and one section of the chateau tour presents the story, complete with Disney film music. The current chateau owners (decendents of the 19th century purchasers) live in part of the building. As with other chateaus we have visited, the structure is replete with art, tapestries and period furniture. The grounds include formal gardens, a chapel, stables and, naturally, wine caves. 

As we entered Chinon on Wednesday, Steve pointed out a place where a person could yell at the fortress and hear an echo bounce back. So on the way into town, the bus stopped and we walked the echo road, arriving at a concrete platform where we shouted spirited sonnets at the fortress wall. Steve enjoyed the vindication when echoes filled the air. The hotel hosted a fun reception that sent us out into the Chinon night in fine spirits.