Friday 5th October 2012 - Amboise

The minor road next to the aire is relatively quiet but as everyone has to park very close to the road, the aire can be a little noisy. The owls, both tawny and barn, were also quite noisy but we didn't object to that.

There was gentle rain again at night but the sun was soon shining and we drove on to Amboise, a town set on the banks of the Loire. On route was a Leclerc hypermarket where we were able to stock up with food, fuel and, most importantly LPG gas that we, quite correctly, decided must be getting low.

Having parked in the Amboise aire, we walked for a few minutes into town, our first stop being the tourist information office. They provide three excellent walk leaflets in English that guide you on three different walks around the town. We started with the 'Reflections on the Loire heritage' leaflet and this took us across the bridge to Ile D'Or, an island in the middle of the Loire, and then on across another bridge to the north bank of the river. The information in the leaflet was excellent and it was sobering to see the extent of the flood defences, breeched in 1856 by a huge flood that saw the Loire reach a height of over 8 metres.

In the evening we walked into town to have dinner in the Parvis restaurant with a lovely old-world atmosphere and a wood-fired grill. The English translation of the menu was interesting, with two of my choices being shown as 'Rump Steak Wipes in the Choices' (rump steak with a choice of sauces) and 'Rice Pudding in the Toffy Butters Salted House' (rice pudding with caramel sauce). It was a lovely meal and I can thoroughly recommend the restaurant.

Photos: Traditional boats used to transport goods on the Loire – it is possible to go on trips on these or spend a cosy night on board a slightly larger version with a small cabin; View of Amboise and its Château from the bridge over the Loire; Jane getting up close and personal with Leonardo da Vinci represented as an ancient god – Leonardo stayed here for a few years whilst working for Francis I and may have had a hand in the design of Château Chambord. He died in Amboise and may be buried in its château.