European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 6, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                At right the Terrace and roof at Chambord has dozens of Small towers and chimneys the grand Sfa Case a of be chafe i de Blois below served As a viewing stand As Well As Steps into of be  chateaus one Guidebook said it would take four to five Days to visit even just the interesting chateaus that Are open to the Public. My favorite is Chambord about 12 Miles 20 a Kilometres Southeast of Blois it is the one with the dragon drains. Admission is 27 francs about $5,75. It Cost about 27 francs to get into most of the area s Quot a attractions. -. Chambord was started As a fortress by a count of / Blois and later attached to Louis ii s throne. But the old building was razed and the present one started in the Early 150hsby Francois i. V a. It is topped with a Forest of Spires turrets lanterns windows besides the dragon drains there Are Stone dragons Lions salamanders and other regal  Structure s Centrepiece is a three Story High double spiral staircase which itself is crowned by a 32 meter High lantern supported by flying buttresses. It s hard to imagine How the stairs were conceived. The one Frame holds two sets of circular Steps one above. The other but with plenty of room for people to stand erect. Both sets Lead to each floor but the entrances Are on opposite sides. You be really got to see it to understand. A a. There reportedly Are More than 400 rooms in a Chambord. Many Are not open to the Public but those that Are include ones used by Louis Xiv and his court. The lavish furnishings Are from that Era. Many guides say the most attractive chateau is Che Monceaux just South of Amboise on the Chen River it certainly has one of the More interesting. Stories. A. A a. A a. A started in the mid-1400s As an ornamental but functional Watermill the chateau s nature changed Over the years As various owners and builders added their two francs Worth _ Che Monceaux s famed feminine nature was sealed in the mid to late-1500s, As Henry ii a Valois gave it to his mistress Diane de Poitiers in 1547, in 1559, v after the King s death the Queen Catherine de Medici kicked Diane out and took up residence. Both women added their touches to the settings Diane put in the Garden and Catherine installed the aquatic Wing which started As a Bridge Over the River to get to Diane s Garden _ other chateaus that get special note include Blois and Cheverly for their gilded interiors Villand Ryand away be Rideau for their settings and exteriors and angers for its episodic tapestries Blois and angers Are in the cities of the same names. Cheverly is near a Little town Cour Cheverly South of Blois Villandry is near the Confluence of the Cher and Loire Rivers Southeast of Tours. A Little farther South away be Rideau sits on an Island in the Indre River visiting All these chateaus would take Yogt from one Side of the Loire area to the other