The Chateau at Usse -- Sleeping Beauty's castle....
One of the gardens at Villandry, seen from the house....
Villandry seen from one of the gardens......
We decided to extend our stay another day, to see Chateau Usse and Chateau Villandry.
Chateau Usse is called Sleeping Beauty’s castle, since the chateau inspired the book. We don’t know if Sleeping Beauty was a folk tale or an original story, but it really has nothing to do with the chateau itself, which is privately owned. The family apparently still reside at least part of the time, in a wing not open to the public. Because the chateau is privately owned, it is even more interesting to see the furnishings, which in this case were augmented by mannequins dressed in the various fashions over the years.
The castle also features a walk through the ramparts adjacent to rooms that have been set up to follow the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty. We were following a British family with a young daughter who explained all of the rooms and what was going on. She was so excited she was about to jump out of her skin. She did take issue with the commentary that the prince’s name was “Charmant” (Charming); as far as she was concerned, his name was Philip and that was that.
After Sleeping Beauty, we decided to head over to another chateau called Villandry, also privately owned. Without a doubt it is the most impressive of any we have ever seen. It turns out that it was purchased in the late 19th century by a young couple, he an apparently more or less unmoneyed lab tech, and she an heiress to a steel fortune. We suspect that it may have been Bethlehem Steel. But the whole chateau was redesigned and the magnificent gardens created by the family, who still live nearby; their personal photos and mementos are on display throughout the bedrooms and studies. A fitting end to the chateau excursion.
Dinner that night was also a fitting end – in our hotel dining room. I enjoyed a marvelous vegetable veloute (soup!), steak and a frozen framboisine desert. Tom enjoyed his salad and toasts with melted cheese, steak, and his cheese plate. On to the next stop, in Brittany. Still no green guide….
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