This week I've settled more in to my home in Paris. We finally got to do our laundry today (the regular setting is for 2 1/2 hours!!!) and I got to catch up on transferring some of my pictures onto iphoto. As soon as I began to feel comfortable with my surroundings, we took a mini trip to the Loire Valley! Ironic, but it was still enjoyable. I think the reason why most people go to the Loire Valley is for the castles. Since that is basically all there is. Quaint medieval towns with large expansive castles suddenly appearing out of the green meadows. In France you can find impressive catholic churches and castles in the middle of the smallest, most random towns. Its a marvel to see history preserved so carefully. We saw 7 castles and by the 6th one I was already making interior decorating decisions, carefully pondering the personal touches I could give to the massive, austere castles. Mainly because the tours were in french and it was difficult to follow. I made up my own stories. I know the procession of the Kings is important, but for me I want to hear about the scandals and the murders and the secrets across each moat. The last castle we visited kept mentioning the kinds well known "favorite mistresses and how they would have the best rooms and the prettiest things. One king even left his castle to his favorite mistress (Diana)! But of course the queen won out in the end and gave her a "smaller" castle instead. That must have been a hard blow. No one wants to settle for a less grande castle! Anyway, here is sleeping beauty's castle:
Here is another castle. It was the biggest and set out in the shape of a cross and François 1st later added a separate private royal wing. I highlighted the french flag because it made me think "Viva La France!"
The coolest part of our trip was actually spending the night in an old small castle from the 12th century. It was converted into a hotel. The lady who owns the hotel said it was haunted by "friendly little ghosts". Even if you don't believe in ghosts, the attic was not some place I'd want to be alone in. Its open eaves, owl and bird noises, weaving looms, mannequins wearing dresses and creepy old pictures freaked me out. We all wanted to be together so eight of us slept in the same room. I shared a full sized bed with Kiana, two other girls shared a full, there was a twin for one girl and then the last three girls shared a queen! It was so much fun staying up late in the old castle telling stories. This is the best picture I have of our castle room :
It was fun while it lasted, but I'm glad to be home. Tonight is free museum night in Europe so many of the museums in Paris are open for no charge tonight! I'm looking forward to wandering around a modern art museum. I'll end with this awesome picture of an abandoned castle gate opening out to a overgrown meadow (with me in it of course.)
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