A shot from the bow of my bike during yesterday’s ride through a tiny, yet beautiful part of the Loire Valley.

We rode to the ancient town of Amboise through vineyards, pastures, and meadows and had lunch below the ginormous (UNESCO) castle Château d’Amboise, built about a thousand years ago by Fulk III, the Black (c. 987–1040), one of the first great builders of medieval castles. We also visited “Leo Land”, Château du Clos Lucé, where none other than Leonardo da Vinci lived until his death on 2 May 1519.

Oh, and here’s my glowing review of the surprisingly sweet hotel we stayed two nights at in Tours.