Easter Sunday today and no post yesterday because I did nothing. Well, I did walk to the fresh markets to get some food for dinner (about 14K steps). The French love to line up. First you order what you want (after being in a line), then you line up again to pay. If you try to jump the queue the person serving just ignores you. Had just about covered every street in Tours - so was glad to leave this morning, once I managed to get out of the tiny garage with about 25 turns. Continuing my drive through the Loire valley and this morning went to the Chateau d'Usse which has a real fairytale appearance. It is believed that Perrault wrote his famous story, “Sleeping Beauty” based on Usse. The Chateau’s battlement tower is surrounded with glassed-in rooms showing wax figures in scenes from the "The sleeping beauty". It was pretty ordinary, but the Chateau is so photogenic. ( I did manage to get a photo of Sleeping beauty walking up the stairs when she woke up after 100 years!). Drove on then to Chinon which is a medieval town with charming houses made of tuffeau stone or sometimes half-timbered for the oldest ones. Chinon castle overlooks the whole city, but its just a wreck today.
The famous Joan of Arc found some of her bravery in the crooked streets of Chinon to stand up and be the Joan of Arc the French know today: "the virgin-warrior" and a national heroine. In the Chateau of Chinon, she encountered Charles VII and convinced him to fight the English invasion. Being Easter Sunday the place was packed. Arrived late today in Angers and staying in a very cute BnB.
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