Tours: Heart of the Loire Valley

A good home base for exploring the many grand châteaux of the Loire Valley is the city of Tours. One hour from Paris via high-speed TGV train, the region's largest city is also set amidst the valley's much humbler troglodyte homes. And I had the opportunity to dine in one of these fascinating caves.

Town Hall, Tours

I didn't have much time to explore this beautiful city, other than a visit to Saint-Gatien Cathedral, the Gare de Tours rail station and a quick shopping trip at Galeries Lafayette.

Window Box, Tours

Saint-Gatien Cathedral

Gare de Tours, the TGV Rail Station

We stayed at the historic Hotel L'Univers Tours. The inviting lobby has a portrait gallery with murals of the establishment's many famous guests including French chanteuse Edith Piaf and Winston Churchill.

Lobby of the Hotel L'Univers Tours

Palm Trees and Chandeliers

Edith Piaf (centre)

Winston Churchill (centre)

In the evening we headed out into castle country for dinner, with a detour to see the bronze sculpture of a rather buff Leonardo da Vinci gazing across the Loire River at Château Amboise. The artist and inventor moved to Amboise at the invitation of King François I and spent the last three years of his life here.

Bridge Over the Loire River

Leonardo de Vinci, Amleto Cataldi (1923)

Château Amboise

The limestone cliffs of the Loire Valley have been quarried for centuries to build the region's homes and châteaux. This left cavities in the cliffside that were later used as troglodyte homes. One of these homes in Montlouis-sur-Loire was more recently used as a wine cave and is now the Restaurant La Cave. The warm decor and central fireplace created a cozy ambience in which to enjoy the delicious local cuisine.

Restaurant La Cave

The Bar

Fireplace

Escargots with Mushrooms and Bacon

I'm happy to say that Château Amboise was merely an appetizer. There were two more castles on the menu for the following day: Chambord and Chenonceau.