We started the day by riding the glass elevator again and waiting in a very long line to see Chinon Castle. There was a medieval fair going on in the castle which made it a more popular destination than normal. It is the castle where Joan of Arc first met the Dauphin and got his permission to lead an army to free France.
After the castle, we headed over to Chateau D’Usse, which is the Sleeping Beauty Castle. Inside they have rooms that tell the Sleeping Beauty story, which the kids enjoyed. They also have rooms that show how occupants of the Chateau lived during its glory days.
After the chateau we went back to our Airbnb to relax during the heat of the day. I was reading a guidebook to the Loire Valley and discovered that there were mushroom caves nearby. They closed within the hour, but if we hurried we could make it and see if they would take us in the restaurant.
They were completely booked for the restaurant, but they did reserve a table for us for the next day. We spent the next two and a half hours wandering around the mushroom town and then back in Chinon trying to find a restaurant that wasn’t “complet.” The kids were crying so we got them ice cream to tide them over until we could find something open. (Even the grocery stores were all closed.)
Finally we discovered a fast food place that was open. By that point it was past 9pm and everyone was also tired. When the food finally arrived the kids were too tired to eat.
