Ceilings, fireplaces and fancy floors

So my last post from the Chateau de Blois was of gargoyles and stonework, this one is, well just a bit fancier. We're inside the Palace and for some of this post inside the Royal apartments, so they should be fancier shouldn't they? 

But before we get there, let's enjoy the ceiling in the Great Hall. It reminds me very much of the ceiling at Saint Chapelle in Paris, and this google search (if the link works) should tell you why. Interestingly enough I was quite taken with the gargoyles outside there too. Yes, I really do have a thing for gargoyles. And ceilings.

Anyway, one of the things that struck me about our visit in Blois was how accessible things were. I mean in this fantastic room there was a pretend throne, which all of the kids - and MOH - tried for size. I'd share that photo here if it wasn't so blurry. I have to practice giggling and taking pictures.

The great hall in the chateau at Blois

The fireplaces throughout were pretty spectacular. As well as large and highly decorated. They looked similar - and these are just a few of them - and on more than one occasion I found myself popping back to the one I'd just visited to check if it was the same or not. And mostly they weren't.

A fancy fireplace
The fireplaces are all similar, but different
A second style of fireplace
And yes, there are a lot of fireplaces in the chateau

Some though were more fancier than others.

In the photo below you can see the decorated ceiling too, as well as glimpses of patterned wallpaper around the tapestry. I've said before they really did do pattern and colour didn't they in days gone by?

An ornate fireplace with a tapestry and a decorated ceiling

The lady in the bottom left of the photo above had ten or so school children with her, all drawing elements of the room. And I can tell you they were all so well behaved and polite, and that was great to see too. We kept bumping into them around the chateau as they rushed to the next room for their next activity and having sussed out we were English some tried their English out on us, giggling as they did so.  Hence quite a few more blurry photos.

But anyway, I haven't shown you any fancy floors yet and I promised you some.

A very fancy - and shiny - tiled floor

Just look at the shine on that.

Shiny huh.  And fancy obviously.  I was lusting after tiled floors on our visit here, but then realised I'd need another house to put them in so that plan's on hold for the moment. 

How about this for a party room? Yeap, I'd be pretty happy with it too.

P1110389.jpg

Apparently most of the entertainment would conclude in the King's bedchamber, which I guess if you can you would, wouldn't you? And that was, as you'd expect, more lavishly decorated than the rooms before it.  The wallpaper in the shot below and the patterned panel on the fireplace are fantastic patterns which would, I think, translate to a modern setting. They might need to be on a reduced scale, but their geometric and repeating patterns don't look outdated to me.

As you'd expect the Kings Bedchamber has one an ornate fireplaces

I think I might give this floor a miss, but I can't say it's not fancy.

Patterns galore - floor, walls, ceiling and fireplace

There's even wallpaper with his initial too.  And an alternative floor H pattern.

More H designs, another floor and the wallpaper too

Seriously though the decoration throughout the chateau was great to see and at times mind blowing. The ceiling below was so very different than any we'd seen before. But then the more I looked at it, the more I could see a kaleidoscope pattern and couldn't help but wonder, what came first, the ceiling or the kaleidoscope?

Who knows...

The ceiling in the Counsel room

So all in all the Chateau de Blois, the Royal Apartments especially were a feast for my eyes. With colour and pattern overload - even for me - but such a great experience. I've more to share from here, but I think my next post in the Loire Cycle Tour will involve a long cycle in the rain, so look out for that one!

Home Etc

The rooftops of Blois

There's something about rooftops. Something that makes you look, or makes me look anyway. I think it's the shapes they make, and the maze of chimneys and the patina of the tiles. And that's before I start to imagine what life under each rooftop might be like. Yes, I could look at rooftops for quite a while.

Looking at the rooftops of Blois from the chateau

In Blois I got to do just that as we neared the end of our visit to the Royal Palais du Blois - you haven't missed that post, I'm starting at the end. Not very logical I know, but I'm putting it down to the lure of the rooftops.  I mean, just look at the church below, and you'll see what I mean.

Often looking across the rooftops you'll spot a church

Angles galore, as well as a round bit. And the house on the left of the picture with two windows at the front in the mansard roof, with the triangular section above - now, do you think that one room, or more? I'm sure it'd be fabulously decorated too, or perhaps just an attic crammed with a family's history. Who knows. 

snippets of daily life

This has to be, I think one of the quirkiest roof shapes. I've no idea how the lower triangular roof works, but it made for a great shot.  

And quirky roofs too

In the picture below you can make out the bridge over the Loire, roughly in the middle, with its arches.  

Rooftops in front of and beyond the bridge

And as I turned I caught the spire of the chapel through the trees. 

The chapel spire through the trees

Moving from out of the tree it was easier to see the detail of the spire, although with the sun shining brightly my shot has more of a silhouette feel to it. But it shows it off rather well, look at the shadow of the detail on the ridge too.  

looking into the sun

And a final roof, where in fact the roof while quite chateau-like, isn't what caught my eye. The gold monsters roared out of the windows at the Museum of Magic encouraging people in. Or in our case to stop and admire them and then hurry past!

the museum of magic in blois

So, are you a rooftop admirer? 

The Garden of the Apprentices

It's very green, has lots of hedges and yes, I loved it! Oh and by the way we're still on the Cheverny bit of our Loire trip, but this is the last post from there - and well, I couldn't not show you the hedges, could I?

This was our view as we left the chateau, with the lawn cutting going on on our right we were met with this view. I don't think it's one you could tire of. Unless you were in charge of cutting the hedges here, then it might turn into the stuff of your nightmares!

Leaving the chateau heading towards the Orangerie at Cheverny

This is the Garden of the Apprentices and I tell you I wouldn't want to be an apprentice that got a bit over enthusiastic clipping here, would you? 

A large spherical shape
And pointed shapes too bending around the curve

Many people would just walk through this garden, but I loved it. I loved its greenness, the textures and the shapes and shadows with just a few plants. I find the topiary we have - three box balls and a triangular yew tree - therapeutic to cut and snip. But here, I wonder if it might just be another job to do, or if it really is a labour of love?

It's green, but it's not boring

There's certainly lots to cut and keep under control. And as this photo shows layer upon layer of green, and texture, and interest. And a bench. Even the apprentices must need a seat every now and then.

A tree with a bench
And a fountain too

There was work going on during our visit - you can just peek the machinery at the end of this magnificent arch - and this path was closed. We were diverted around this and so got to view it from the side. Something I suspect we wouldn't have done, had the path through it been open.

An ornate archway leading to the Orangerie
our view from the side

But it certainly gave us a different view of the iron structure and the plants clambering across it, which I think were wisteria. Now wouldn't that be something to experience when it was in full flower? Especially with the alliums along the edge picking out the colour. Sadly no wisteria on our visit, but we were able to enjoy the allium border.

An allium border

And before we knew it we were at the Orangerie - now a cafe - so we sat a while and enjoyed the view. And watching people trying to walk down through the arch *completely innocently* before being turned back and made to observe the closed path signs. He he, people watching is still one of the best things to do wherever you are!

Enjoying a seat and a view at the Orangerie