For this page, however, let's just say Chenonceau.  It's also one of the great castles of the Loire.  Its history like others here is the story of the kingdom and the nation.  Many call it the castle of the Ladies, since the women who reigned here are so vitally important.  Built by a the wife of a financier of Francois I, it was confiscated by his son Henri II and given to the royal mistress Diane de Poitiers.  Upon Henri's death in the famous jousting accident of 1559, the castle was confiscated by his widow Catherine de Médicis.

Two ladies present today are also potential legends.  The Shannon-Kelly Cam has been a major presence on our trip this year.  If you want the real scoop, the tapes will perhaps soon be on the market -- VHS or DVD, I don't know, but surely SKC.