I could have sworn that I already wrote this entry but apparently not.

So...

Last weekend was the Loire Valley 2 day weekend trip with API.

We got an early start (the bus left at 8AM) and began our trek to the ville of Tour. We arrived at our destination around 11h00 and for once the weather was perfect!

Our first stop was le Château de Chenonceau- which is built over the Loire River. Despite being under some renovations the castle is very impressive and has a beautiful garden and a forest with a maze in addition to many walking trails. Besides being pretty the castle has a rich history - it had been fought over by the Queen and the mistress of the King (and their families) for over 200 years! I was able to get some great pictures and even got to eat lunch (albeit it was only a greasy hamburger and fries) in one of the castle's gardens.

After spending several hours at the castle we went to the Musee de Camponnange - a small museum dedicated to trade guilds located in the town where our hotel was. I think that the majority of people were more interested in the Pizza Hut down the street from the museum than the museum itself - but regardless there were a few neat things such as a very realistic violin and bow made out of sugar, and various replicas of very elaborate staircases. After, we went next door to a candy factory and learned how to make the four main kinds of candy that the shop specialized in. The best part of this tour was defiantly the free samples. We tried a type of candy that resembled a cough drop, some small chocolates filled with an orange flavored cream (called Les Muscadines), a chewy cake with different nuts and fruit, and prunes filled with apricots, rum, and apple filling. The prunes were actually not that bad - I was going to buy a box for my Dad (he would have LOVED them) but unfortunately they would have gone bad before I got them to him. That night I had dinner with some friends, walked around the town a bit, and then returned to the hotel.

On Sunday we got up early to go to another castle called le Château d'Amboise. It was here that Leonardo di Vinci spent the last few years of his life and is where he was ultimately buried. It was very cool to see his grave and the castle itself is very beautiful. After a guided tour of the castle I had lunch on the go with a few friends and we quickly explored the town and bought some souvenirs (and ice cream) before we needed to return to the bus. On our way back to Paris we stopped at a bakery and learned how to make different types of bread. It was actually really interesting and the baker gave us all a huge roll/loaf of a bread with nuts and orange flower water for the road. Finally we stopped at a chocolate factory where we had a tour and many free samples. It was interesting to learn how chocolate goes from a bean to a bar of candy but by that time all I wanted to do was get back on the bus and go to sleep (as did everyone else). However, as we were leaving the factory a parade of very old cars came through the parking lot! My Dad, Uncle Steve, and cousins would have died. I tried taking some pictures for them but unfortunately we had to leave before I got many good shots.

Tonight I went to see my first French film at the movies with my friend Mary! It was called Adele Blanc- Sec and it was very funny and very good! I was surprised by how well I understood everything- especially since the movie is about mummies, pterodactyls, and overall crazyness.


On Sunday my parents are finally supposed to come to Paris - however due to the recent volcanic erruption in Iceland the French airports have been closed and the majority of flights have been canceled. Please pray that things clear up before they fly out tomorrow!