July, 2003:
To wrap up our 2003 France trip we headed back towards Paris over the mountains (the Massif Central), spent some time in the Loire Valley at a fancy hotel and restaurant and a beautiful castle, and finally returned to the USA from Paris.
Le Puy-en-Velay is a town in south-central France. It’s known for the green lentils grown in the area, and as a gateway to the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage trail. The 12th-century Romanesque Notre Dame Cathedral has frescoes and a cloister. Perched on a volcanic rock, St-Michel d’Aiguilhe chapel dates from the 10th century. Nearby, an 1860 statue of the Virgin Mary looks over the town from another volcanic outcrop.
Le Puy-en-Velay
We saved the 2003 bill from the Michelin 3-Star Hotel and Restaurant Le Cheval Blanc (The White Horse) – a dining experience extraordinare (today the bill looks very small – we paid almost €400 for lunch at La Pavie de Table in Saint-Émilion in 2024).
Le Cheval Blanc Hotl and Restaurant – Loire Valley
Lastly, we toured the Château de Chenonceau in the Loire Valley. The Château de Chenonceau is a French château spanning the river Cher, near the small village of Chenonceaux, Indre-et-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire. It is one of the best-known châteaux of the Loire Valley. The estate of Chenonceau is first mentioned in writing in the 11th century.
The Château de Chenonceau – Loire Valley