The Loire, the longest river in France, rises south of the Central Massif and flows into the Atlantic Ocean 1020 km later. This is the part that goes from the city of Orleans to the city of Tours, enclosing that area of the Loire Valley in which over 100 magnificent castles lie.

　　What we are looking at is the castle of Beauregard. In this residence？？ the central part has a double gallery with arcades opening onto the ground floor. Which was commissioned by Jean de Thier, secretary of state to Henri II. There is a collection of paintings quite unique in the world.

　　This sumptuous salon, built in the 17th century, which is covered with exquisite woodwork and has a marvelous ceiling with decorated beams, contains over 300 portraits going from the first sovereign of the Valois up to Louis XIII of Bourbon. Here is Charles VIII, Louis XII and Francois I, it was primarily they who brought to the region: painters, cabinet-makers, sculptors, and architects, who were to live and work here.

　　In this chapel, which has a nave and two aisles, there lies the tomb of a genius: Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo arrived in Amboise in 1517, having been invited to the court by Francois I, and was put up in this residence which is called Cols-Luce. The artist lived out the last years of his life here and Francois I acquired that masterpiece that even today represents one of France's treasures: the Mona Lisa.

　　We continue on our way to visit another very special castle: Villandry. Built on the banks of the Loire in 1536 it is distinguished by its architectural peculiarity, which is characterized above all by its rectangular pavilions instead of round towers. But its fame is especially connected to the marvelous Italianate gardens. Here in Villandry he called Don Pacello da Mercogliano to the court, which were more a great Italian artist rather than a gardener. On the lower level, there is the decorative vegetable garden, the most visually striking and original of the whole estate. It is amazing to see how simple lettuces and vegetables manage to have this ornamental quality.

　　Excellent wines are produced in the many vineyards in the ancient province of Touraine, which lies around Tours. Wines that make you love this area even more, just as the great writer Honore de Balzac also loved it. And in Touraine you also learn to love wine. Its history dates back as far as the Gauls and its international.

　　reputation has certainly no need of further comment.

　　The ones here are the dry white Sancere, strong and vibrant, Vouvray, sparking and clear, it looks like a waterfall of pearls. This wine reminded Rabelais, the great writer of the 16th century, of taffeta, a silky and delicate fabric.

　　Those who love glowing reds will not be disappointed by the Loirs Valley: here is Bourgureil, with the strong perfume of raspberries. Chinon, on the other hand, has a delicate hint of violets.

　　And so, glasses raised. A toast to the beauty of these dreamlike-places.

　　A journey on the Loire is a meander in history, art and daily life. It is in a corner of Europe that etched itself deeply in the heart and mind.

　　盧瓦爾河是法國最長的河流。它發源于中部山區，流經1020公里后，匯入大西洋。這里是位于Orleans和Tours之間的一段流域，100多座宏偉的城堡屹立于此。

　　現在我們看到的是Beauregard城堡。在它的建筑中部有一個雙層畫廊，其拱廊從一層往上延伸開來。它是由亨利二世的國務大臣Jean De Their授權修建的。這里繪畫藏品的風格在世界上也是獨樹一幟。

　　這座修建于17世紀的豪華沙龍，外觀是精美的木藝，房頂的椽子也被精心裝飾。這里保存的300多件繪畫的收藏者包括了從Valois王朝的開國皇帝到波旁王朝的路易十三世。查爾斯八世、路易斯十二世和佛蘭索瓦一世將畫家、木刻家、雕塑家和建筑師帶到了這片他們生活工作的地方。

　　在這個擁有小廣場和回廊的禮拜堂里，安葬著一位天才――來昂那多。達。芬奇。在被佛蘭索瓦一世約見后，達芬奇于1517年來到Amboise，并被安排住在Cols-Luce.藝術家在此度過了晚年，而佛蘭索瓦一世也得到了藝術史上的不朽之作――《蒙娜麗莎》。

　　我們要繼續向前，參觀另一座很有特色的城堡――Villandry.它于1536年建于盧瓦爾河畔，建筑特色使城堡蜚聲遐邇。因為這里沒有常見的圓形城堡，而是矩形的亭子。不過它的意大利式的園藝也是這里的特色之一。在Villandry，意大利園藝師Don Pacello Da Mercogliano更像是一位藝術家。在地勢低的地方，還有一個裝飾性的蔬菜花園，自然最原始的本色成為最令人賞心悅目的景色。這些最普通的菜蔬被神奇地賦予了裝飾功能。

　　優質的葡萄酒產自歷史悠久的省份――都蘭。葡萄酒會令你在此地倍感心曠神怡，就如同作家巴爾扎克對這里的迷戀。在都蘭，你還能學到如何熱愛葡萄酒。追溯歷史，早在高盧時期，當地葡萄酒的美名就已經響譽天下。

　　徜徉在盧瓦爾河上，如同蕩漾在歷史、藝術與現實之中。

　　這里出產的酒有濃烈鮮艷的Sancere和眩目清澈的Vouvray，那看上去如同珍珠般的瀑布。這種酒在16世紀法國作家Rabelais的筆下被比喻成一種精美的絲織品。

　　那些喜愛紅酒的人也不會在盧瓦爾河流域失望，這里的Bourgureil酒散發著濃郁的香氣。Chinon酒則擁有著紫羅蘭般的絢麗色彩。

　　讓我們舉杯，為這里夢幻般的美景盡興。

　　暢游在盧瓦爾河，仿佛是行進在歷史、藝術與現實的交錯之中。在這歐洲的一角，它已被深深鐫刻在人們的心靈之中。

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