French chateaus are a blast to visit and Chenonceaux is my favorite.  It's not terribly large compared to others, but the location is choice, a turreted gem nestled over the Cher River with well-manicured grounds spilling out on either side of the entrance.  Jake took pictures of me, and I got a fine shot of him.

Chenonceaux is a decadent residence with a separate guard room and a bridge spanning over the water that leads to the main edifice.  It exudes romance before you even step foot across the threshold.  And although the interior layout is a bit haphazard (probably a result of generations of differing tastes and owners), it is impressive nonetheless.  The library is tiny and exquisite, the chapel is beautiful, and the bedrooms are ornate and luxurious.

Most of the rooms are clustered in the pavilion over a water mill, but a gallery also extends beyond the pavilion over three arches that span the river.  The gallery, created by Catherine de Medici, is done in a Florentine style with black and white alternating tiles and terrific views of the surrounding area.  I'm sure plenty of sweet parties went down here.

I dreamt of renting the chateau for family and friends and spending a week getting married all over again. The rooms are all unique and I easily imagined matching the quirky personalities of my family with each of the rooms in the residence.  I also envisioned huge communal meals at a massive table with heavy candelabras and enough wine to float an armada.  And everybody could nurse hangovers while wandering through the immaculate gardens . . .

. . . so after I came back to reality, I waited on a balcony in the attempt to get a photo without sharing space with fellow tourists.  Ultimately, Jake took a photo, but later he edited out the interlopers when we returned home.