February 17, 1554

“The river is frozen!” Mary Beaton cried, leaning out from our carriage as we drove up to the château. Chenonceau spans the river Cher. It rises from the water. Indeed the oldest part of the château was originally a water mill. But much has been done to it. King Henry gave it as a gift to Diane de Poitiers many years ago, and she has made it even more beautiful. But the part that we children love the most is the bridge that connects the château to the opposite side of the riverbank. When the river is frozen, it is so much fun to skate under the bridge and in and around the pilings. We play tag and hide-and-seek on skates. But one must be very careful near the stone pilings for oftentimes the ice is not solid there and one could fall through.