Un Tour à Tours!

15th century Cathedrale

This past weekend I set my sails down the Loire river and visited a city called Tours. Can't exactly say why I had chosen this city as it is not a huge tourist destination, inhabiting only about 150,000 people. The Loire Valley has a lot of chateaux that really are magnificent, but I was only able to see them online as its necessary to have a car or take a bus tour to visit them. I didn't let that fully distract me from my objective as I left Saturday morning and returned only Sunday night. I've been traveling using this carpooling website that allows me to search for rides to and from places. Its really quite easy to use and not only saves money, but allows me to meet frenchies and work on my social skills (lots of work to do there).

Inside the cathedral.

So I arrived ready to spend a weekend alone in a city I knew nothing about. One of my rising interests is French history and thanks to a class that I have, I am learning how occurrences from over 2000 years ago have an impact on culture here now. This gothic style cathedrale is only from the 15th century (only, haha) and it really was impressive to stand alongside. I found myself to be one of the only tourists this weekend as France finally left its summer weather and found cold, rainy and foggy weather to be a daily occurrence. This may have allowed me to have access to better photos.

Chateau de Tours

Although I am hoping one day to blog about some real grand chateaux, for now I have the meager one shown here. Chateaux (x makes it plural) became popular in France during the Renaissance period (16th century) when the French were battling the Italians and found out how nice looking their Castles were and decided that they would try to be pretty as well. This area is between Nantes and Paris and since the English had been occupying Paris (100 years war), the French royalties resided here and then remade all the castles into chateaux (ok so chateau is castle in french, but they turned the chateau fort into chateau, voila).

Place Nationale (lots of shopping)

Place Plumereau (Medieval buildings)

So I made my tour based of sites I found online and just a broad curiousity to see the structure of the city and how it compares to others that I've seen. Another aspect of cities that I'm discovering is the proudness they have in their parks. Nantes has a great 'Jardin des Plantes' and Tours had one that I was very happy to have spent time in. They had animals, plants, and flowers from all over the world. Some giant redwoods from northwestern USA, wallabies from Australia, Emu from somewhere, etc.

Jardin Botanique

By the time I left Sunday, I was really happy with what I had gotten to see. I did however have to lecture myself on taking more care of where I stay. I picked perhaps the worst location for a hotel. I found a cheap one online but didn't realize the journey I'd have to take to get there. It didn't do much harm though and maybe staying where it was warm to relax my legs did some good. I definitely appreciate the journey and the experience and I look forward to my future destinations!

Palais de Justice (left), Hotel de Ville (right)

Continuez!

Ok bloggy,

Flags starting from the top: France, Bretagne, European Union

Just thought I'd start by pointing out that I currently am holding four different cheeses in my fridge right now. I'm sure some may be shaking their heads like, what a baffoun! But just remember, baffoun is a french word so settle down! To those whom are curious, I'm guessing there are many out there :) but they are swiss cheese, stinky cheeses, and a goat cheese that I bought wrapped in a leaf. Very pretty and I'm gonna be sure to take a picture next time. I also have a basket full of vegetables from the jardin of Elodie's parents. Potatoes, zucchini, tomatoes, grapes, etc. So cool. I hope one day to have my own garden and my own cows to milk and make cheese from (ok im cool with just the garden).

Other notables I currently have that are french and will become staples in my kitchen include but are not limited to: Muscadet (a dry white wine made around Nantes), red wine (usually from Bordeaux), rosette (salted pork, thank you Gimli), baguettes (duh), music from Yannick Noah in the air (yes, father of Joakim), perrier, cocacola (for those who know the joke!). But that basically sums it up. Im sure the chicken I buy is from a poulet francais but lets not go into unnecessary details...

Attempting to do 'planche a voile' 

On the right you can see the talented me, trying to sail board (?) its called the planche a voile so you can translate it if you care. But we all had fun. its Alain, Elodie's dad, on the left, with me, Elodie, Kevin, her brother, and Jean Michel, her uncle. We all tried really hard! haha. Elodie was the second best to the veteran Jean Michel. But it was a great weekend in Sarzeau and the Atlantic Ocean!

Alessandrini's free kick

The Frenchman, Romain Alessandrini, on the left is taking a free kick against FC Nantes in what was coined as a derby between Stade Rennais (where Elodie is from) and FC Nantes (Where I go to school, 1 hour away). I had a first row seat to the game at a discounted price since Im a student. Super cheap, so take that Chicago Bears! It was a great game and I was cheering for Rennes, but wasnt terribly upset at the Nantes victory 3-1. 

All in all, the french life is pretty exciting and new still. Six weeks into this 'aventure' and I'm surprised at how the time continues to fly. I am taking 18 hours of french courses and I'm seeing a real progress and it only makes me more eager to do more, read more, and talk more. My classmates are from all over the world and I've met only one other American. People from China, Ghana, South America, Eastern Europe, and more. I have to remind myself where I am and whom I am talking to sometimes because it truly is unimaginable from having grown up in the Iowan countryside. 

I often think about the time when I had studied in Belfast all those years ago and the comparisons to today. For example, when I went to Northern Ireland, it was the first time I had ever flown. I was 20 years old and never really left Iowa and although they speak english there, it seemed so foreign. Now, I might consider myself somewhat seasoned of a traveller but once again in a very foreign land. In fact, they dont speak much english here at all. Its all french, hard to believe I know! But I have my girl here and also her family, who goes out of their way to take care of me, something for which I will be forever grateful. All in all, Im so excited to continue my stories, to find new things to learn, and also to dive deeper into what I've already begun. I hope you all are willing to be in on this adventure too!