May 8 Champignons and Cheverny

We headed out to see some Roman ruins near Thésée, east of Tours, but when we got there found they were fenced in an locked.  Not a problem though we could see it pretty well from the fence.  I explored a few tunnels on the other side of the road that had old wine making equipment in it, barrels and presses, etc.  Probably wasn't supposed to be in there, but then they would have locked them if they didn't want me in there, right?

Just a few kilometres away in Bourré we went to the Caves Champignonnières des Roches (47°21'3.4"N, 1°13'28.4"E) and paid a relatively obscene amount to tour underground workings that are being used to grow mushrooms.  The workings are hundreds of kilometres in total length and result from quarrying to produce the stone that built many of the châteaux around here.  Although interesting and cool (temperature), I figured they could have given us a sample to taste while we were down there for what we paid.  I'm not bitter.  Here are some pics.

 

(47°30'00.8"N, 1°27'28.9"E)

Then we headed to Château de Cheverny for a tour.  This château has been owned by the same family for over 400 years (save for two periods where they lost control of it - if you've been following the blog, one of those times was when Diane de Poitiers, the former mistress of Henri II, took it over to supervise the building of Château Chaumond after she was ousted from Château Chenonceau by Henri's wife after he died).  It is currently occupied by the Marquise de Vibraye and her family, but part of the château and the grounds are open to the public and has been so since 1922 (for a fee).