It has been quite some time since I’ve posted anything here and I apologize for that to anyone who’s interested in reading what I have to say in my blog. Instead of doing my French homework or preparing for my English classes, I’m once again distracting myself from what is really important. It’s hard to believe we are already in 2014. Happy New Year everyone! Anyway, back to my travels in the Loire over the summer… One of the places I visited was the Château du Plessis-Bourré constructed in less than five years between 1468 to 1472 by Finance Minister Jean Bourré, the principal advisor to King Louis XI. The château has not been modified externally since its construction and still has a fully working drawbridge. Its moats are among the widest in France. I have no photos of the interior because photography is strictly forbidden during the guided tour of the property. It still retains, in the guardroom, an extraordinary painted ceiling. Many of the scenes which were painted some five centuries ago are still an unsolved mystery. Here is an excellent link to a French website that has some amazing photos of the painted panels as well as descriptions. The château also houses other masterpieces such as tapestries, paintings, woodwork and furniture. This is an image of the immense courtyard. Looking back from the drawbridge, one can see the stables and outbuildings, now used for exhibits and a souvenir shop.