七點九起身，八點九出發去tourist office到報團參觀castles。由酒店行去，又係好近！噚日問咗酒店staff知道office八點半就開，非常好，可以考慮報全日嘅團都得呀！不過……full day會好貴……
喺tourist office到等等等，等咗好耐先到我哋……之前想報全日嘅團，但埋位一刻又覺得貴，其實唔駛去咁多castles啫，於是改為報半日，慳番啲錢。因為噚 晚喺酒店拎咗張leaflet，見到啲castle團冇我想要嘅combination，於是就揀咗當中對嚟講最好但唔係perfect嘅option。 人家幫我打咗電話去留位後，我先多口問一句係咪只得張leaflet嘅嗰幾個options，對方話唔係，原來呢到有唔同公司開團，我拎嘅leaflet 只屬其中一間公司，個staff隨即拎多幾份出嚟，俾我見到有我想報嘅Château de Cheverny加Château de Chambord團，我即時表示轉報呢團，個staff聽到即時黑臉，我認我衰女，但俾成€34 一個人，冇理由學「大太監」咁將就將就就算架﹖！被人黑吓臉又唔會少忽肉嘅，我咁厚臉皮，係唔會在意嘅！好彩未俾錢咋！如果唔係，我估佢一定唔俾我轉。 Confirm哂所有嘢後，我就俾錢佢找，都未嚟得切睇清楚佢拎幾多俾我，後面對日本情侶(前日喺St Michel先同佢哋同coach去時見過，想唔到今日又喺Tours見到。)急不及待死上嚟俾錢買嘢，而個staff亦因為不爽我而即時招呼他人。我急 急拎哂錢就行埋一、二邊，將錢塞入銀包後，覺得佢好似找多咗錢俾我，佢好似將張€50紙當咗€10咁拎俾我，但我其實唔係好sure，因為我銀包本身都有呢兩張紙幣……(而家番到嚟計番總支出，真係好似多咗€40。)
搞完報團嘅嘢後，就去酒店隔離間超市買嘢，呢到嘅物價指數非常ok，買得我哋好開心！
話係酒店隔離，其實佢係喺樓下。
生果、yoghurt都係我同拾爺極愛嘅東東。
是日早餐。
食完早餐，就行出舊城區影相。
影影吓相，個肚唔舒服……於是又要行番酒店去洗手間……去完，又再行番出去影相。
一 點鐘番酒店，去個洗手間，再行去tourist office集合。都未行到tourist office，準備過馬路時，已經被人截住咗，我哋今日個司機係個叫Aline嘅女人，佢問我哋係咪報咗團，我俾張receipt佢睇後，大家 confirm咗身份，就跟咗佢上車。我哋一上車，佢就開車，我見架車得我同拾爺，仲以為呢團包哂咁爽，點知佢話仲要去Amboise接多三個日本人…… 由Tours揸車去Amboise都要成半個鐘，之後再到第一個castle又要多半個鐘。初到Amboise感覺唔錯，係一個小鎮，冇Tours咁城市化，下次有機會都想住吓。Aline接咗嗰三個日本人上車後，佢哋用日文問我哋係咪日本人，我就用我僅餘嘅日文答佢我哋係香港人。拾爺不斷鼓勵我用日文同人傾吓偈，玩咩，我啲日文已經俾番哂sensei喇。
我哋架車兩點三到達Château de Cheverny，Aline隨即叫我哋陣間三點二集合離開，what﹖參觀時間連一個鐘都冇﹖！我哋都仲要未落車，佢又未幫我哋買飛入場添！唉……跟團嘅唔好處，就係時間上自己完全冇得in charge……鬼叫我哋唔識揸車，呢到又唔近火車站，又冇公車到咩……Aline落車後向我哋收取每人€8嘅入場費，呢個係團體價，跟團嘅優惠嚟嘅，平成€7一個，叫做給我一點點安慰啦。等Aline買完飛後，佢再帶我哋入場，經過某個位時，佢叫我哋一陣去睇吓狗，唔知有咩咁特別，只知我哋根本沒有那個睇狗時間……
根據Aline所講，呢個castle係天天歷險記嘅作者繪畫Marlingspike Hall時嘅靈感所在，而城堡嘅持有人仍然居住於此，所以有部份位置係唔向外開放架。
一入門口，我哋先見到主樓梯。
The main staircase:
1. Typical of Louis XIII style, straight and with landings rather than a spiral. It shows the Italian influence common in the Loire valley.
2. Carved into the stone are motifs and themes in fashion under Louis XIII: garlands, fruits, and symbols war and of the arts.
3. On the landing a 16th century suit of parade armour from Savoy weighing 25kg.
4. Above, some prehistoric antlers over 6000 years old from the cervus megaceros (ancestor of the elk) found int he Siberian ice fields 200 years ago. This splendid testimony of nature was given to Pal, Marquis de Vibraye, a scientist and great collector of minerals in the 19th century.
右轉入房，第一間係dining room。
The Dining room:
1. 34 wooden panels painted by Jean Monier illustrate Don Quixote, the Spanish novel by Cervantes, which was in vogue in the 17th century.
2. The 19th century solid oak furniture is carved with the Hurault family coat of arms, an azure (blue) cross and four gules (red) suns. The crest is also hung on the walls with the original leather from Cordoba.
3. The chairs are mounted on castors in “os de mouton" (sheep-bone) style.
4. The neo-renaissance style monumental fireplace is gilded in fine gold and surmounted by a bust of King Henri IV, whose Chancellor was the father of Earl Henri Hurault.
5. The firedogs date back to the time of Louis XIV.
6. An 18th century Dutch chandelier in silver-plated solid bronze and weighing over 100 kg, hangs over a table that can seat 30 guests when fully extended.
7. Under English influence, the dining room table finally replaced the movable table and came into common use under Louis XVI. Before that, meals were taken in the antechamber.
之後係一連串嘅The private apartments。
The Birth chamber: It is where mothers presented their new-born babies. A very rare cradle empire style in Mahogany wood.
Nursery: with the first rocking horses from the time of Napoleon III.
The Bridal chamber: One can see the 1994 wedding dress of the Marquise de Vibraye. On the right is a bathroom and at the rear, a 19th century oval bath tub; copper kept the water hot. A very beautiful Louis XVI dressing table is displayed.
The family dining room:
1. The “autumn at Cheverny" dinner service, specially created for the family, is displayed with its matching tablecloth.
2. Marble topped sideboards on which hot or cold dishes could be placed without risk.
3. A collection of cristal glasses and porcelain plates.
4. Rare copper cake tins for Culin charlotte, Culin Kugelhopf and Culin savarin.
5. Casseroles for Culin caramel, fish kettle (the large one), a preserving pan, a round frying pan, an earthenware pot for braising (oval) and a “russe" (high pan for stiring sauces).
之後到城堡最大間房。
The arms room:
1. This is the largest room in the castle. In the 19th century the habit of transforming the largest rooms in stately homes and castles into arms rooms showed a marked taste for romanticism and chivalry.
2. The decoration, which has not been restored, is also the work of Jean Monier. Above the mantelpiece there is a painting, the Death of Adonis, attributed to Monier him. The myth surrounding the death and resurrection of Adonis is the symbol of the annual cycle of plant growth.
3. A magnificent 17th century Gobelin tapestry, remarkable for its well preserved colors, represents “the Abduction of Helen by Paris", which started the Trojan War. The scene illustrates a famous episode in Greek mythology recounted by Homer in The Iliad and The Odyssey.
4. A small suit of armour which belonged to the Duc de Bordeaux, the future Comte de Chambord, when he was 4 years old and which he later gave to the Marquis de Vibraye.
5. A set of very beautiful Regency armchairs by Boulard placed on a Louis XIV parquet floor.
6. This room displays a remarkable collection of weapons and armour from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries.
7. The travelling trunks are from the 17th century.
8. The trunk covered in Cordoba leather belonged to Henri IV. It is struck with the arms of France and Navarre (chains and fleur de Lys) and weighs 70 kg when empty.
Here is an 18th century lacquered sedan chair.
行過lobby……
The grand salon:
1. An 18th century harp b the famous musical instrument maker Erard in perfect working condition. It has 8 pedals.
2. A Louis XVI table signed by Stockel, cabinetmaker to Queen Marie-Antoinette.
3. The original armcharis and sofa are upholstered in Aubusson tapestries.
4. The luxurious upholstery of the seat and back is fixed to the wooden structure by large gilded copper or silver thereby removing the need for cushions.
5. A small chest of drawers made by Riesener, cabinetmaker to Kings Louis XV and Louis XVI. This marked the beginning of the Louis XVI style.
之後間房我好鍾意，部琴超靚！
The Library:
1. First Empire furniture with a desk marked by Jacob who was the main supplier to Emperor Napoleon I.
2. 2000 books including some complete collections.
匆匆咁入每間房去睇，影得相嚟，又無法仔細欣賞實物……欣賞實物得嚟，又冇時間咀嚼leaflet嘅資料……城堡雖然唔大，但絕唔係一個鐘以內就可以參觀完架囉！
離開城堡，走到後花園。
呢到都種有lavender。
我同拾爺不知幾想可以好似呢個亞伯咁，悠悠閒坐喺到享受吓陽光同風景，可惜我哋係跟團唔係自由行……
拾爺話喺到食個tea都唔錯，自己嚟就係囉，而家﹖No way！
準時番去集合，再坐四個字車去下一個castle — Château de Chambord。根據Aline所講，Château de Chambord係全法第二大castle，僅次於Château de Versailles。Château de Chambord建於十六世紀，係當時最大嘅castle，因為Château de Versailles建於十七世紀。Château de Chambord之大，係佢個花園已經等於一個Paris city嘅大細。呢個castle共有六個入口，不過係咪全部都開俾人入到去我就唔知喇。
今 次架車喺駛入花園時，Aline已經開始同我哋倒數一個鐘頭十五分鐘……佢自己都識講個花園好似Paris city咁大，即係有排都未入到正門，點解仲要咁快計時呢﹖！等緊Aline買飛時，我就影吓周圍環境，拾爺喺呢個時候從Aline手接過入場券，但冇問 人找錢……嗰到成€3，我當然唔會放過佢，捉埋拾爺一齊去搵Aline，同佢講佢未找錢！Aline好似唔太信我咁，一再問我係咪真係俾咗€20佢，話自己冇印象。佢冇印象但我有！好彩佢唔信還唔信，都有找番錢俾我。如果佢唔俾番錢我，我一定同佢理論！門票印住€7一人，但佢收我哋每人€8.5，話多咗嘅€1.5係一陣回程筆highway費用。其實……我好想質問佢點解回程要行第二條路，點解highway錢要我哋俾！我哋已經俾咗每人€34交通費，乜唔係已經包哂所有嘢(入場費除外)架喇咩﹖！但因為我要抓緊時間去玩，所以嗰少少錢(其實都唔少，但用團體價入場，慳到嘅仲多！)就算喇。
Château de Chambord
由於呢個castle大好多，我心知一個鐘頭十五分鐘都唔夠嘅時間一定唔夠玩，所以除咗聽Aline講，skip咗某啲唔太重要嘅樓層外，我哋首先衝去我之所以揀嚟呢個城堡嘅主要原因 — double spiral staircase。
Double spiral staircase﹕呢條雙螺旋梯出自Da Vinci嘅構想，令到兩個各取一梯而上或落嘅人相見而不相撞，即係大家可以透過中間嘅空洞見到對方，但唔會來個正面相碰。睇旅遊書講，呢個構思係令國王 享受齊人之福之餘，又唔怕有後宮因狹路相逢而生事端。有趣有趣！
由樓梯往上行，到達城堡平台，欣賞四周美麗嘅景色。
呢到嘅花園只係綠油油一遍，感覺舒服，但唔及凡爾賽宮個花園靚……
睇完美景，影完相，就入番室內睇吓嘢。雖然呢個castle都有leaflet，但資料並無之前嗰間咁詳盡，加上佢又大咁多，所以我都睇到有啲亂……搞唔清邊間房打邊間房……
準時番去集合處後，就坐一個鐘頭車番tourist office。我哋先番酒店抖抖，再去火車站買聽朝去Blois嘅車飛，之後就出舊城區搵食。
喺 舊城區行咗一圈，鎖定幾間有set食嘅餐廳，揀咗其中一間多人又裝修唔錯嘅入去。本來我哋係打算坐室內嘅，因為室外位唔太吸引，但入到去後，又見到佢哋另 一端有室外位，係個小平台，於是就要求轉位。轉位後，waiter俾咗兩份法文menu我哋……我哋要求要英文，但餐廳冇……冇都唔緊要，我哋叫佢 translate做英文俾我哋點菜，點知個waiter話佢唔識講英文……佢叫我哋等陣，以為佢會叫個識英文嘅人嚟，點知佢叫咗老闆娘嚟，老闆娘又係話 佢唔識英文，就走咗去……等等等，拾爺覺得我哋齋坐唔叫嘢都唔會有人理我哋……呢個時候，我見到個黑人waiter，就叫佢埋嚟，同佢講想佢幫手 translate，佢話佢忙緊，答應一陣番轉頭，點知……一等再等，個黑人都唔番嚟……拾爺想亂點嘢食，話反正乜都食。首先，佢唔係乜都食，生嘢佢唔 食！其次，我更加唔會係乜都食，好多嘢都唔食！我唔想亂點，俾成十幾歐亂叫嘢食﹖唔符合經濟原則囉！終於，等到黑人再出現，我即時叫佢過嚟，點知佢反口！ 講咩佢唔會幫我哋落order，佢唔負責我哋呢區云云，我真想爆粗鬧佢！我已經同佢講唔係要佢幫我哋落order，佢可以translate完走架嘛，但 佢只係重覆同一堆廢話！係佢答應會番嚟，已經冇咗件事架啦，仲要做多少少都怕蝕底，想點﹖！Ok，可能呢到所有人都要跟規矩做事啦，但咁樣好唔 flexible囉！太嬲，拾爺仲想亂點，我反對，表示要走。
就係呢間餐廳，全間都冇人識講英文架！其實我真係好奇怪，Tours明明係遊客區，點解會有餐廳容忍冇一個伙計識講英文架呢﹖即係唔需要個個都識，但總要有人識吧！
可怕嘅老闆娘背影！
行去另一間餐廳，先問waitress有冇英文menu，結果又係冇，再問佢識唔識講英文，佢帶我哋入餐廳搵人，以為有救啦，點知佢帶我哋搵番頭先個老闆娘！嚇到我同拾爺即時走人！我哋懷疑所有有set食嘅餐廳都係同一集團架！
雖然拾爺仲想搵餐廳，但我已經冇哂mood食嘢，扭計番酒店附近間超市求其買啲嘢食當dinner算，點知……番到去，超市閂咗……是晚，只能只今早買落嘅生果充飢……
附上晚上嘅Tours。
P.S. 所有有關城堡嘅資料皆自城堡提供嘅leaflet。
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Eat, Play, Love 