Sat 26 Jul- Chateau de Courances

Sat 26 Jul- after a nice included breakfast, worked on credit card statements, and checked cruises.
Lunch at the local brasserie: 2 Italian salads, 1/4 liter red wine, nice salad with avocado, ham, tomato, cheese and lettuce.
It was cloudy but warm at 23-24 C, occasional sprinkle, but we decided to go to one of the highlight gardens, Courances at the Chateau de Courances. It was begun in the 16th Century as a "water garden" - there are 14 springs feeding 17 ponds and pools (some quite large) on 190 acres, with wide grassy fairways extending out from the chateau on the sides and rear. There is also a beautiful Anglo-Japanese garden, started around 1914, and very attractive (although according to Kiyomi, not a true Japanese garden, but very nice anyway, especially the clever use of local native plants.)
Returning to the hotel around 6 pm, we took a needed rest after the long walk around the Courances Gardens. Then went out for beer, salmon with green peas (Kiyomi) and dessert 'moelleux chocolat coeur fondant groseille' (Stan).