If someone told me last week that on Monday afternoon I'd be sitting in a Chinese restaurant in Paris with Chloé, I wouldn't have believed them....
I also wouldn't have believed I'd have spent Friday galavanting around Paris with Aphra....
Nor seen the most enormous chateau in the Loire valley with a French friend I met in Breamlea...
But I did....
and it was awesome.
F R I D A Y
I jumped on a train to Paris and then faced the challenge of finding Aphra's hotel near the Arc de Triomphe. All was well. I knew I was at the right metro stop, I just needed to find the hotel. Alas, google maps had messed up - and led me to the wrong hotel. Way to go google maps. I decided to take a taxi, as I was completely lost and I knew I wasn't far from the hotel - so I found one and got in...and then jumped out of my skin when a woman started banging on the window and screaming obscenities at me. Apparently I'd stolen her taxi. I apologised and said I didn't know and then she went off in a rage. This experience confirmed the Parisian stereotype. It then didn't take me too long to find the right street...and eventually, eventually I found Aphra and her dad. It was very cool. We then went sight seeing!
My friend Geoffroy picked me up from the station in Tours on Friday evening and we went to his place. He and his mum live about half an hour's drive from Tours on a farm. That evening we went to a crêperie in the nearby village, which was very good! His mum educated me about Brittany (the region in France where crêpes come from).
S A T U R D A Y
We set off to see some châteaux. The Loire valley is full of them because apparently the royal family liked the region... I really wanted to see the largest, called Chambord, as my friend Wendy had visited it and sent me a postcard...and it looked amazing. We drove for about an hour and then arrived...and it WAS amazing. So large and so detailed..and we had fantastic weather too!
We had delicious salads for lunch and then drove back home (via Tours) and then I had a quick tour of Tours ... yeah, many lame jokes were made.
I saw the town hall, there's a beautiful cathedral and I also saw a fountain with a long, special story, a bridge and some of the backstreets. Old, medieval buildings etc. All very beautiful!
S U N D A Y
On Sunday we stayed at home to celebrate the Saint day of Geoffroy's older sister. His two older sisters came for lunch and we had a great meal. In fact, everything that I ate at his place was simply sublime. There were strawberries from the garden, milk from the neighbour's cows, local goat's cheese (apparently the best in the region, and I believe it), home made juice, real honey (also from the neighbour), fresh eggs.....the list goes on. We ate well.
In the afternoon I attempted to ride a bike...and kind of succeeded. I didn't fall off. Geoffroy found it hilarious watching me trying to mount the bike as if it were a small horse....but I worked it out! We then rode around the farm area for a bit and then talked to a few of his nine cats. Yes. NINE. And no, they do not all live in the house...
M O N D A Y
Bright and early Monday morning it was back to Paris. This time I met up with Chloé (who has actually just moved to Paris...which was very spontaneous and random but hey, she's happy. She's been accepted to a school of commerce and starts next week). As she's living in the Chinese neighbourhood, we ate at a Chinese restaurant: see below
We then tried to find a particular important sight of some sort that isn't far from her apartment...but failed and ran into the natural history museum instead..! The picture below of the shoes is something we saw there hanging from a tree...and the shoes talked.
So there ended my little weekend getaway... it's been a very busy week already. There's so much to organise... my trips to Denmark and Hungary that kick off this Friday, books I SHOULD read for school, dossiers I should start to write for school, laundry....and then - there's my bedroom. Ok dear readers, I must admit that it's the worst its ever been (here in France at least), but think about it this way. Nobody's going to want to rob me. They'll think someone beat them to it!
And today it is rainy and cold. I'm in pyjamas and the house is quiet. Guiliana is in her room, curled up working and the kitchen is clean (nearly), ready for attack. Tonight it's curry.
Well, I have a lot to do (we've all seen the bedroom photo) - so until sometime soon,
Alice
PS. I miss you all enormously. I wish you were here so we could explore châteaux together.
I also wouldn't have believed I'd have spent Friday galavanting around Paris with Aphra....
Nor seen the most enormous chateau in the Loire valley with a French friend I met in Breamlea...
But I did....
and it was awesome.
F R I D A Y
I jumped on a train to Paris and then faced the challenge of finding Aphra's hotel near the Arc de Triomphe. All was well. I knew I was at the right metro stop, I just needed to find the hotel. Alas, google maps had messed up - and led me to the wrong hotel. Way to go google maps. I decided to take a taxi, as I was completely lost and I knew I wasn't far from the hotel - so I found one and got in...and then jumped out of my skin when a woman started banging on the window and screaming obscenities at me. Apparently I'd stolen her taxi. I apologised and said I didn't know and then she went off in a rage. This experience confirmed the Parisian stereotype. It then didn't take me too long to find the right street...and eventually, eventually I found Aphra and her dad. It was very cool. We then went sight seeing!
 |
| Aux Tuiléries |
My friend Geoffroy picked me up from the station in Tours on Friday evening and we went to his place. He and his mum live about half an hour's drive from Tours on a farm. That evening we went to a crêperie in the nearby village, which was very good! His mum educated me about Brittany (the region in France where crêpes come from).
 |
| The farm - view from my window on Saturday morning |
S A T U R D A Y
We set off to see some châteaux. The Loire valley is full of them because apparently the royal family liked the region... I really wanted to see the largest, called Chambord, as my friend Wendy had visited it and sent me a postcard...and it looked amazing. We drove for about an hour and then arrived...and it WAS amazing. So large and so detailed..and we had fantastic weather too!
 |
| Chambord |
 |
| Geoffroy made a quick call and I soaked in the scenery |
 |
| One of the 440 rooms |
 |
| The area surrounding Chambord. It has the largest gated forrest in Europe. |
I saw the town hall, there's a beautiful cathedral and I also saw a fountain with a long, special story, a bridge and some of the backstreets. Old, medieval buildings etc. All very beautiful!
 |
| The Town Hall |
 |
| Cathedral |
S U N D A Y
On Sunday we stayed at home to celebrate the Saint day of Geoffroy's older sister. His two older sisters came for lunch and we had a great meal. In fact, everything that I ate at his place was simply sublime. There were strawberries from the garden, milk from the neighbour's cows, local goat's cheese (apparently the best in the region, and I believe it), home made juice, real honey (also from the neighbour), fresh eggs.....the list goes on. We ate well.
In the afternoon I attempted to ride a bike...and kind of succeeded. I didn't fall off. Geoffroy found it hilarious watching me trying to mount the bike as if it were a small horse....but I worked it out! We then rode around the farm area for a bit and then talked to a few of his nine cats. Yes. NINE. And no, they do not all live in the house...
M O N D A Y
Bright and early Monday morning it was back to Paris. This time I met up with Chloé (who has actually just moved to Paris...which was very spontaneous and random but hey, she's happy. She's been accepted to a school of commerce and starts next week). As she's living in the Chinese neighbourhood, we ate at a Chinese restaurant: see below
We then tried to find a particular important sight of some sort that isn't far from her apartment...but failed and ran into the natural history museum instead..! The picture below of the shoes is something we saw there hanging from a tree...and the shoes talked.
So there ended my little weekend getaway... it's been a very busy week already. There's so much to organise... my trips to Denmark and Hungary that kick off this Friday, books I SHOULD read for school, dossiers I should start to write for school, laundry....and then - there's my bedroom. Ok dear readers, I must admit that it's the worst its ever been (here in France at least), but think about it this way. Nobody's going to want to rob me. They'll think someone beat them to it!
And today it is rainy and cold. I'm in pyjamas and the house is quiet. Guiliana is in her room, curled up working and the kitchen is clean (nearly), ready for attack. Tonight it's curry.
Well, I have a lot to do (we've all seen the bedroom photo) - so until sometime soon,
Alice
PS. I miss you all enormously. I wish you were here so we could explore châteaux together.
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