Castles on the Loire!

Don’t take my word for it, because I’m not sure if it’s 100% correct, but I heard somewhere that it is legally required for there to be a market within walking distance of every residence in Paris open at least one weekday and one weekend day. Even if it’s not a law, it’s certainly true that there is one within walking distance for most people. My market, at Bastille, happens to be open on Thursdays, so before class Thursday morning, I decided to check it out. It’s mostly what you’d expect for a market—something we don’t really have much of back in the US. Lots of stands, admittable selling a very similar array of fruits or meats, with cheaper high-quality clothes available at other stands, and everyday objects available at the rest. It’s a very fun place to be.

I got a belt from a leatherworker at one of the stations. We had a nice conversation about, well, what kind of belts there are, and he showed me his collection that he has to sell, from the lowest range to the high-end belts. Funnily enough, he could tell that I was American by the style of the belt I was wearing… I eventually settled on one, and he cut it to size for me. It was a very nice little interaction. I also got myself a bag of cherries that were delicious and crisp. They were a great little snack for walking around the market. The next day we had a thermodynamics exam, so that afternoon and evening were spent studying. But you’re here to hear about the “abroad” part of “study abroad,” not “study,” so I’ll keep on moving.

Friday night was, after the exam, another night spent by the Eifel Tower with some authentic French cheeses and breads, watching the tower sparkle with the light show. What I’ve been noticing for a while is that the same homeless people sit around in the same spot for weeks at a time. By the Eiffel Tower, there’s a lady who, every time I’ve been there, has always been sitting playing the accordion while her dog just sits patiently next to her with sunglasses on. On my way home, the same guy always gets on my train at République and plays guitar for us for just one stop before getting off and trying his luck on the next train. I gave that guy a few cents…

The next day began our overnight excursion to the Loire Valley to see its castles! The royalty of France preferred not to live in Paris—they saw the city as too dangerous, too loud, and not peaceful enough for their royal lives. The Royal Palace that still exists in Paris we know today as the Louvre. Instead, they spent most of their time in the French countryside, and in particular, the Loire Valley. Here, seeds just grow when being tossed into the ground. The soil is incredibly fertile, and all the grass I saw was superbly green. We visited three castles—Chambord, Chaumont, and Chenonceaux (If you can’t get them straight, don’t worry because I barely can) All three castles were extremely luxurious. They all had massive gardens, they were impressively monumental in their architecture, all had moats or were built spanning a river, and we were given tours of living and sleeping quarters. I feel like there’s not too much to say about my impressions of the castles. They were cool to visit, but I felt nothing super magical about them. Here are some interesting facts and stories from each one:

Chambord, Chaumont, and Chenonceaux

1. Chambord: For most castles, windows are generally small, and balconies are well-protected. They’re not features for enjoyment, rather to protect the residents and to be shot out of, not into. Also, during WWII, many works of art now seen in the Louvre were brought to the Loire Valley Castles, and Chambord in particular, to be kept safe.

2. Chaumont had a garden festival, where they inspire artists to design a small garden, and the public can walk between these gardens, experiencing the different “pieces” of art.

3. Chenonceaux was built over a river (the Cher, not the Loire), which was the border of Vichy and Occupied France during WWII. For that reason, it was commonly used as a method to get people across into freedom during that time. It also served as a hospital for wounded soldiers during WWI, and it is therefore the most updated of the castles we saw, with a functioning modern kitchen. It also has a labyrinth, which we had a little bit of fun shenanigans in…

Touching the “Mona Lisa” at Chambord, a garden from the Garden Festival at Chaumont, the Chenonceaux room used to heal soldiers

Shenanigans in the Labyrinth!

What I really enjoyed about the trip was just spending time with everybody who went on it. I became better friends with people I was more just acquainted with beforehand, and we had a lot of fun together. We spent the night in this small town called Richelieu. And when I say small, I mean really small. When the forty of us went, we increased the population by 8%. We had played volleyball at the hotel, which was so much fun, and then had a bit of a lousy dinner. There was some issue with the hotel that they had used for the excursion the week before, so we had to go to a new one very last-minute. The dinner they had for us was full of “mystery meats” such as horse intestine, cow intestine, and intestine congealed with pig red blood cells. So, the ham went almost immediately, and the rest went rather uneaten. The chaperone apologized for what she felt was “the worst dinner you’ll ever have with your friends, ever,” and she was livid.

The Group in Richelieu!

But, it was really fun walking around and exploring this town at sunset with everyone after dinner. It’s a more than beautiful place. We went to find some food, and some of the Americans had gone into a pizza place. When I went in to translate for them, the table of ten sitting in the restaurant said rudely, “no we are closed,” but I tried to negotiate in French. I couldn’t get them to reopen, but that table heard I could speak French and offered me over, let me finish off their pizza, gave me a glass of wine, and talked to me for like twenty minutes about what I’m doing here and how I’m liking France! It was a really funny experience, and it was nice to meet someone from a small town like this, as it was rather dead just walking around. They were, in the end, super nice!

Once we got back, I went for a sunset walk down Rue de Rivoli with my friend from the hostel, Nasco. We ended up at the Louvre for sunset. We talked the whole time in French about the French voting system as well as some things like their equivalent of food stamps and how their income tax system works. Some really interesting things actually... A beautiful view.

A Bientôt!