The History Chicks : A Women's History Podcast

LOIRE VALLEY 2026 TRAVELOGUE

The History Chicks : A Women's History Podcast

Show Notes

We just got back from a brand new field trip that we have nicknamed “Helleaux Chateaux!”

Along with dozens of friends, we went on an excursion across the Loire Valley where we visited castle after castle… and met many women that we have talked about on the show: Eleanor of Aquitaine, Joan of Arc, Catherine de medici, Marie Antoinette, and so many more… learning about others from experts as we traveled.

A special shout out to King Francis the First who seemed to appear wherever we went - and also to Leonardo da Vinci whose home provided an afternoon of adventure.

The travelers join us for this episode to tell you about our trip! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More from The History Chicks : A Women's History Podcast

Sep 25, 2026

Gertrude Jekyll could turn her hand to anything; deeply involved with the Arts and Crafts movement, she mastered dozens of specialties in her quest to explore the relationship between human lives and their environments.

Sep 9, 2026

In this revisit from 2019, we wonder: was Annie Londonderry a flim-flam artist or a true pioneer? Maybe both? Her trip around the world on a bicycle may have been controversial - but she was always up for both an adventure and a tall tale.

Aug 26, 2026

Virginia Hall wanted to be a diplomat, but the State Department kept shutting doors in her face …and then she lost her leg in a hunting accident, which seemed like she’d reached a dead end. Never one to accept defeat, she learned how to walk again on a wooden leg nicknamed “Cuthbert,” and headed straight into the world of espionage.Once she got to France, she ran circles around the Nazi intelligence services during WW2. The Gestapo actually called her “the most dangerous Allied agent in France”; her actions, and those of her compatriots, changed the course of the war.

Aug 13, 2026

Rosa Bonheur was a wild, animal‑obsessed kid who drew before she could read, and knew she was meant for the world of art from an extremely young age.

Jul 24, 2026

Mercy Otis Warren’s life is one long argument for the idea that political courage isn’t just found on battlefields or in legislatures; it’s found in writing, in conversations, in friendships, and in the willingness to speak plainly (and loudly) when power grows dangerous. She believed deeply that liberty required constant vigilance, and that ordinary people, especially women, have a role to play in creating the nation’s conscience.

See all episodes →