September 27, 2023
Day 15 - Eurovelo 6 across France
Rest Day in Amboise
We had a bit of a sleep-in this morning before heading into town around 9:00 am. The historic centre of Amboise is about a 15-minute walk over two bridges from our accommodation. Breakfast consisted of a quiche with a chocolate éclair chaser - exquisite!
We then began a tour of the town, with our first stop being Château du Clos Lucé, Leonardo da Vinci’s last home. An amazing place, reflecting the brilliance of an amazing man. While most have heard of da Vinci, few realize the full extent of his influence on the world. He was a genius far ahead of his time. Da Vinci, an Italian, came to Amboise in 1516 at the invitation of King Francis I, a lover of the arts. Francis gifted Château du Clos Lucé to da Vinci, giving him a place to work and live under royal patronage. Da Vinci passed away there in 1519 and is entombed in the town.
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The château’s gardens were almost as impressive as Da Vinci innovations. While he is probably most notable for his art, he also invented a helicopter prototype, ornithopters, armoured vehicles (tank-like), self-propelled cart (early automobile?), scuba gear, the anemometer, parachute, hydraulic systems, and … wait for it … a mechanical knight!
Next, we followed a walking tour based on a map provided by the local tourist board. It took us up and down the hills of Amboise, eventually leading to Château Royal d'Amboise. It was impressive, but after all the sightseeing, I had reached my limit and decided to grab lunch. Brett and Col explored the château and promised to fill me in on all the details later (yeah, right!).
We all reconvened at 4:00 pm at Caves Ambacia for a wine-making tour and, more importantly for all of us, a wine tasting. Our host, Thomas, was an impressive sommelier (wine expert) who had spent time in Melbourne (poor soul), the USA, the UK, and surprisingly, every other country one of the guests hailed from. Thomas was also quite the showman!
After pre-pre-dinner drinks, we had pre-dinner drinks, followed by drinks with dinner. Tomorrow, it’s off to Tours - here we come!
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