Villandry chateau - gardens

Blocks of herbs

The standard rose trees are intended to represent monks as gardeners!

Storm brewing

Villandry chateau - interior

I use a tray like one of these for storing apples, potatoes, shallots.

 I love the door panelling on the scullery door.

The flower displays are not as magnificent as Chenonceau but lovely in their simplicity.

Lots of oil paintings in almost every room

Wallpaper

Now this I found amusing!
English books in a display cabinet in the French children's room!!

UPDATE 25 July 2014:
Amazon are selling this book at $23 or 18 euros!

Villandry restaurant - Le gosier sec

Avoir le gosier sec means to have a dry throat and hence to be thirsty and need to have a drink because it is hot.  In the nineteenth century it seems it was possibly used to describe someone whose stomach changed shape and who became bloated! I suppose it would describe the actions of someone who creates a beer gut... or the person who props up the bar! A drinker! An alcoholic!

Hence that mural at the back of the cave of the restaurant! Maybe? 

As I haven't eaten other than a salad which was basically "construction on a plate" I cannot comment about the food or cooking. The proprietress was very welcoming and the tablecloths were colourful and clean.  I was quickly served. But twenty minutes after I arrived ( it was 3pm) two people were turned away.  I thought the toilet walls needed repainting or rendering... and I really don't like to use fabric towels  that others have used! I would need to wash my hands again!

The restaurant is under new management but even so...I think something could be done with the walls inside the cave!  It seemed that the menu was a very reasonable price with choice of small or large which suited me extremely well. I wish them luck with changing what have been poor reviews in the past.