Travels with Tricia

A multicolored hot air balloon flies over the Chapel of Saint Hubert in Amboise, France, where Leonardo da Vinci's tomb is located.

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Photo du Jour: A Hot Air Balloon Soars Over Leonardo da Vinci’s Resting Place in Amboise, France

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Tricia A. Mitchell

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A hot air balloon glides by the chapel housing Leonardo da Vinci’s tomb in the French city of Amboise.

During the warm-weather months, sightings of colorful balloons (known as Montgolfière in French) are common here in the Loire Valley. And if you live in Amboise’s centre-ville, as we do, they’re even likely to wake you up in the morning! In our top-floor apartment, our mornings often begin with the characteristic whoosh-whoosh sound that’s made when a balloon’s pilot pulls the trigger on the balloon’s blast valve to release propane. When I hear this, I often leap out of bed and run to the windows to see how many balloons have taken to the sky. Sometimes, we have seen as many as ten at a time!

If the weather conditions are just right, the balloons sail over the grounds of the Château Royal d’Amboise, which was once home to King François I, the father of the French Renaissance. In fact, it was François who invited Leonardo da Vinci to live in Amboise. Leonardo spent the last three years of his life in the town, in a manor house called Clos Lucé. Leonardo’s tomb is located in the nearby Saint Hubert Chapel (Chapelle-Saint-Hubert), on the grounds of the Château d’Amboise.

Given Leonardo’s obsession with flight, and the many flying machines he dreamt up, I imagine he would marvel at the parade of hot air balloons that soar above the Loire Valley. Shawn and I certainly do!

Where in the World?

  • Amboise is located about 225 km (140 miles) southwest of Paris. You can drive yourself to Amboise, of course. However, thanks to the Loire Valley’s well-developed mass transit (at least to the main sights), it’s possible to get around without a car.
  • Amboise has a train station (gare), located on the opposite side of the Loire River from the Château d’Amboise. At the train station there are several ticket machines.

Photography & text © Tricia A. Mitchell. All Rights Reserved.

Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar

About the author

Hi! My name is Tricia Mitchell. I delight in telling stories about my slow travels through more than 65 countries. Some of my highlights have included sharing meals with locals in Armenia, Cambodia, and Tunisia; sipping sparkling wine with French cousins in Alsace; milking goats in a sleepy Bulgarian village; and training with a Japanese mine-clearance team in Laos. My husband, Shawn, and I are based in France’s Loire Valley.

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18 responses to “Photo du Jour: A Hot Air Balloon Soars Over Leonardo da Vinci’s Resting Place in Amboise, France”

  1. Annie Berger Avatar
    Annie Berger

    The shot of the balloon over the chapel looks fabulous, Tricia! I also love hearing the sounds of the balloons landing at the park across the street from us.

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Hi Annie, it sounds like you have a front-row seat to all the ballooning action! Have you ever taken to the sky in your neighborhood?

      Reply
      1. Annie Berger Avatar
        Annie Berger

        I haven’t, Tricia, done it – guess we don’t try things in our own backyard as much as we do when we travel far and wide!

      2. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
        Tricia A. Mitchell

        I can relate to that, Annie! When I travel, I often find that I do things I’m unlikely to do at home, because I’m otherwise fearful. I’m not fond of heights, so riding in the balloon in France challenged that fear. When I was in Morocco, I also held a snake, despite usually getting squirmish around them.

        There’s a chance we won’t be staying in Amboise forever, as it’s challenging to find a small home to buy here. As a result, I’m trying to appreciate everything in my backyard. Still, there’s a tug to explore new latitudes and longitudes! Wishing you a lovely weekend ahead.

  2. Darlene Avatar
    Darlene

    What a fabulous photo. I love hot air balloons. Have you been up in one?

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Hi Darlene, we did go up in a hot air balloon in July 2010—the first time we visited the Loire Valley. Shawn and I had just gotten engaged, and this was the first time we visited Amboise. We rode in a large wicker basket with about a dozen other travelers from around the world.

      As the balloon staff revved up the flame and the black and lemon-colored balloon inflated, excitement and fear were evident on the passengers’ faces. The butterflies in our stomachs were initially calmed by the knowledge that our hot air pilot descended from a long line of balloon pilots. Yet as our basket’s bottom tickled the Loire Valley’s treetops, passengers started panicking. We wondered if the pilot flirted with the treetops on purpose to make his job more exciting. It’s probably more likely that he didn’t fly too high because it was hot that day, which reduces lift.

      Have you ever flown in one? If so, where? And if you haven’t, is there anywhere in particular you’d like to go ballooning?

      Thanks, as always, for your kind words.

      Reply
      1. Darlene Avatar
        Darlene

        Sounds amazing. For my 60th birthday, hubby gave me a gift certificate for a hot air balloon ride, as it had always been on my wish list. It was in British Columbia, on the outskirts of Vancouver so we passed over farm yards, orchards, and rolling hills. It was so wonderful. We landed just as the sun set, in a field of clover. There were 7 other passengers and no one was nervous or frighted. Our seasoned balloonist was from Australia and had a good sense of humour. An experience I will never forget. I would love to do it over Cappadocia in Turkey. Take care. xo

      2. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
        Tricia A. Mitchell

        Hi again Darlene, what a treat to be gifted this experience for your birthday! Certainly, there must have been at least one four-leaf clover in that field, offering you good luck for your new year ahead. :) I, too, hope to visit Cappadocia someday. That stark landscape is a beautiful canvas for the colorful balloons to soar against.

  3. restlessjo Avatar
    restlessjo

    What a fabulous view to wake up to, Tricia! xx

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Bonjour Jo – we are lucky to look upon such beautiful and historic architecture! Though we do have a lovely view of this chapel, we’re not quite as close as this shot would lead you to believe. I used my 18-200 mm zoom lens. :)

      Hope you’re doing well.

      Reply
      1. restlessjo Avatar
        restlessjo

        It turned out well, Tricia xx

  4. the eternal traveller Avatar
    the eternal traveller

    We are yet to do a hot air balloon experience but when we do it will be somewhere like this with stunning scenery. It must a be a treat to be able to see these balloons from your windows.

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      A belated hello to you, Carol! There are about 300 castles in the Loire Valley, so if you decide to ride in a hot air balloon here someday, you’ll have many options. Our ride was near the castle at Chaumont-sur-Loire. But, flights over the châteaux of Chambord, Chenonceau, and Amboise are especially popular.

      And I must be honest… it is delightful to see the balloons in flight at dawn and dusk, and I haven’t lost my sense of wonder when they fly over our roof. However, I wish the morning flights would take off just a bit later. Some summer mornings, the balloons wake us up around 6:30am. It sounds like an air mattress getting pumped up inside your bedroom while you’re trying to sleep. ;)

      Reply
      1. the eternal traveller Avatar
        the eternal traveller

        Perhaps a little too close for comfort!

  5. Trans India Holidays Avatar
    Trans India Holidays

    What a magical scene! Your description of the balloons gliding over Leonardo’s resting place is truly captivating—it makes me want to experience it in person. I can almost hear that “whoosh-whoosh” of the propane burner! Thanks for weaving together the beauty of the Loire Valley and Leonardo’s history in such a lovely, evocative way.

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Glad you enjoyed this peek at Amboise! We’re in the middle of a canicule (heatwave) right now, so we haven’t spotted any balloons taking to the sky lately. When you visit the Loire Valley, you might want to visit during a cooler season if you have balloon flying ambitions. :)

      Reply
      1. Trans India Holidays Avatar
        Trans India Holidays

        That’s such a good tip, Tricia, I’ll definitely plan for cooler weather so I can see those balloons drifting over the châteaux. Stay cool during the canicule, and thanks again for sharing such a dreamy glimpse of Amboise!

  6. himalayaheart Avatar
    himalayaheart

    Hot air balloons over Leonardo da Vinci’s tomb in Amboise create such a magical scene. It really reminds me of the Kathmandu–Pokhara–Chitwan tour—both places mix stunning nature and rich history perfectly. Like Pokhara’s beautiful lake city, Amboise is a must-visit destination full of charm and unforgettable views.

    Reply