Today we wake to a bit of rain, but the forecast says cloudy with little chance of showers. It takes us awhile to get out of the house, but we finally make our way to Chateau Villandry, known for its impressive gardens.

Oly protests each time we must get in the car. It’s sad because we know it comes from a real fear of getting carsick. Luckily most of our drives have gone without incident, but we must always keep the windows down or blast the a/c.

//Stefan Note: Hey Oliver, look weirder

Villandry is amazing from the start. There’s a sweet bridge with koi in the stream below. Then we walk through the vegetable garden that I think is more beautiful than any rose garden I’ve seen. There are several fountains and sweet little spots to sit and relax. Lillian wants to take a picture of me and Stefan in a spot she thinks is romantic. They turn out good!

After we pass through numerous gardens, we reach the maze, which the kids think is super fun. I have to admit I also feel like a kid when walking through a maze. Beyond the maze is a playground. At least the map says there’s a playground. We have low expectations, but when we pass through the hedge, we open onto an expansive yard with nice play equipment! The kids go nuts. We feel fortunate to have found such a lovely place, when we worried today wouldn’t be as interesting of the kids as it is for me. Playgrounds change everything.

Once we tear the kids away from the playground, we walk through an english-style garden and then a large pond. It’s really beautiful. I recommend this place for the calming ambiance, and of course the playground and maze for kids. We love it.

//Stefan Note: Really nice gardens, mama would have been wicked jealous

We head back to a restaurant we saw on the way to the Chateau. It’s a quarter till 2, but they are kind enough to seat us. We order the menu for the day and are extremely pleased. The food is solid. The best is that we are actually eating in a cave! I’ll admit it smells a little weird, but it’s still worth it. I’d recommend this place as well. We have a nice bottle of Rose (only 20 Euros). The kids don’t even need toys to entertain them, so we enjoy a really nice family meal.

//Stefan Note: I thought these old Citroens were really cool.  They were off in a field by the chateau.  I also want to buy one of their new minivans

I read about Chateau D’Usse, the supposed inspiration for Walt Disney’s magic kingdom castle and the inspiration for the castle in Sleeping Beauty. We are cheap and don’t pay entry fees. We just admire from the parking lot and walk along the street a bit to get some nice views. It’s really pretty. It’s what I imagined a castle should look like, and so I think it is my favorite chateau so far.

Oly falls asleep on the way home. No surprise since he was very cranky at D’Usse, and I finally get Stefan to listen to one of my favorite podcasts, ReplyAll, on the drive home. We get home so Stefan can take some calls for work. I know, we aren’t supposed to be working, but just a bit now and then. The kids and I watch part of a movie together. It’s sweet snuggly time on my bed. Around 6:30, the kids and I walk through town. All 3 blocks of the main street. Exciting stuff. We make appointments for Lillian and me to get our haircut, buy some dessert we’ve never seen before at the patisserie and … try the pizza place again.

I know, I can’t believe we are giving it another shot after last time (it was so bad), but Stefan thinks that perhaps ordering something off the regular menu will be better than the specials. Dinner is dinner and dance.  We don’t want to go out, so it’s worth a shot. This time it pays off! It’s not the best pizza in the world, but it is good. Hooray! We open a wine purchased yesterday and have a fabulous family meal together.

We don’t want to go out, so it’s worth a shot. This time it pays off! It’s not the best pizza in the world, but it is good. Hooray! We open a wine purchased yesterday and have a fabulous family meal together.