Photo from my trip to Paris.
This blog post is going to be a little different from my first few. As I’m looking over photos of the past month, I’m overwhelmingly thankful for the opportunities I’ve had and the people I’ve shared them with. I’ve been caught in very uncomfortable situations and some days have been better than others, but I’m learning that each morning is a fresh start. All in all, these past few weeks have been some of the greatest in my life. With all that said, I have quite a bit to catch you up on!
In July I spent a week in Rome with my friend Dana, toured more chateaus, revisited the town where I spent my childhood summers, and moved apartments with my host family. You might remember that, in my very first blog post, I made a commitment to make the most of my time in France.
“As this is my first blog post, I’d like to list a few goals. My hope is to read back through these posts at the end of the summer and cross each off. First, to fully immerse myself in the French language by starting conversations on food, the weather, fuzz on the rug, etc. Second, to travel as much as possible. Third, to try all things unfamiliar and terrifying. All of this is ways out of my comfort zone, but that’s a great place to be.”
With eight days left of my study abroad (single digits!), I’m happy to say that each of these goals has several proud checkmarks. The first of these stories begins a few weekends ago when my study abroad group took a day trip to Paris.
Part One: Paris
Study abroad family in front of Notre Dame.
We were able to tour Notre Dame, then spent the afternoon wandering around Paris in search of postcards. Instead, we found Shakespeare & Company, somewhere in the 5th arrondissement. The current building, which is a regular bookstore, second-hand bookstore, and reading library, pays homage to the original Shakespeare & Company. This was opened by Sylvia Beach in 1919 and closed at the German occupation of France during World War II. Many established writers, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and James Joyce, would pay visit. I wandered upstairs past the regular bookstore into the library, whose walls were stacked with dust coated jackets. We found a sleepy grey cat curled on the sofa of a back room, as well as a nook filled with poems, photographs, and prayers.
Shakira and our new purrfect friend.
Lilly in the library.
Photos, poems, secrets, prayers, and letters.
After selecting a few postcards, we walked to the Musée d’Orsay to visit a few staple pieces of art from Monet. We, of course, had to follow this with a trip to l’Arc de Triomphe and some photos near the Eiffel Tower. I’ve visited Paris a few times with family, but it was very different experience to wander through the streets with friends.
Walking to L’Arc de Triomphe, we passed a rap concert along the way.
L’Arc de Triomphe.
A beautiful view.
Part Two: Rome
In the first or second week of the summer, one of the students in my study abroad group mentioned she was going to Rome for break week and told me I was welcome to join. Dana, who is incredibly sweet and has a superpower of navigation, I kid you not, also had family friends in Bordeaux with whom we stayed the neighboring weekends. Both families were extremely kind and welcoming. As for Rome, it was stunning.
Sunset over Roman waters.
Dana walking through Villa Borghese gardens.
Bridge of Castel Sant’Angelo.
We were able to tour some beautiful landmarks, such as the Colosseum, the Forums, Castel Sant’Angelo, and Vatican City. You could see, smell, and hear the city’s history beneath the steps of tourists, across piazzas leading into monstrous cathedrals, and through traditional dishes wafting from outdoor restaurants. We wandered through the beautifully lit streets filling up on pasta and gelato. My updates back home consisted solely of food photos for five days straight. The carbonara below was also my phone screen for the following two weeks.
This was my first time in a country in which I had absolutely no prior knowledge of the language. One evening, Dana and I went to eat at this beautiful outdoor restaurant. When it was time to ask for the check, I pulled out my phone and typed something along the lines of “May we have the check please?” into Google Translate. The app came back with a phrase asking for the “bolletta”. When the waiter returned, I politely asked for the bolletta with a smile. He stared back blankly. Thinking he hadn’t quite heard me, I leaned in closer and asked a bit louder. This time he laughed, spoke quickly in Italian, and walked away. Later I realized that although I’d technically asked for the “bill”, bolletta typically refers to utility payments, in order words, I may as well have asked for the cable bill.
A few more photos…
Exploring Rome.
Moving into the apartment with the purple flowers.
We took a wrong turn and ended up at the river, no complaints.
Part Three: July 4th vs. July 14th
Fourth of July.
The weekend of the 4th, Andrew visited Tours! Earlier in the week, Kelsey had introduced me to this beautiful garden called Jardin des Prébendes d’Oé. We spent saturday morning in the garden, which is filled with beautiful flower beds, bridges over ponds, and statues of Tourangeux writers. Throughout this trip I’ve realized I’m slowly turning into my mom who can’t pass flowers without stopping to snap a photo.
Purple flowers are the prettiest.
Beautiful views.
Love the vibrancy of these colors.
Ten days later was the French national holiday. France celebrates la Fête Nationale on July 14th to commemorate the storming of the Bastille, which took place two days into the French revolution of 1789. Although France is quite patriotic in the sense that there is great pride in French culture, there isn’t quite the same pride in the government or nationality (think of the U.S.A. chant). For example, in the States, Independence Day is spent at barbecues with friends and family, lighting sparkles, wearing the national colors, and watching fireworks. In France, however, most families spend the day resting at home, followed by drinks and a fireworks show. The 14th, I watched fireworks at la Guinguette with friends, and little to no one was wearing blue, white, or red. The Tours fireworks were absolutely beautiful! Launched off of l’isle Simon, they seemed to be exploding over our heads, and the island glowed red as each rocket shot off.
Fireworks at la Guinguette.
Part Four: Château de Chenonceau
If you’ve visited my “About” page, you may have noticed a photograph of my mom and me circa 1997 walking through the courtyard of a beautiful chateau. Last Wednesday, my study abroad group visited that very same chateau, Chenonceau. Spanning the river Cher, the castle passed through many different families over the course of 200 years before being gifted to Diane de Poitiers by King Henry II in 1547. Diane, the king’s mistress, oversaw the addition of several beautiful gardens and orchards the chateau is known for today. With King Henry II’s death in 1559, Catherine de’Medici, his wife, forced Diane out of the chateau in exchange for Château Chaumont. This would make a great plot line for a CW show.
Revisiting Chenonceau 18 years later.
Sarah, Jared, Alissa, and I in the Chenonceau gardens.
After touring the chateau, we went on a boat ride down the Cher. The architecture of the chateau’s base is truly stunning. The captain explained that, in years of heavy rain, water has risen to the lowest windows (see photo below).
Château de Chenonceau.
Banks of the Cher.
Last but not least, a family photo of my study abroad group…
Go green, go white.
Part Five: Mont Saint Michel and Saint Malo
Between the ages of ten and twelve, I would spend one month each summer with my mom’s family in Saint Malo, France. Mornings were spent playing tennis, and afternoons sailing Catamarans in the strong-willed and beautiful ocean. I knew from the start of the program that our excursion to Mont Saint Michel/Saint Malo would be one of my favorites. The day did prove to be… memorable. We left at 7am Saturday morning, and after four hours on a bus, motion sickness was in full swing. Determined the make the most of the day, I carried on with the group and was met with a breathtaking view.
Walking towards the Mont Saint Michel.
We wandered up through the crowded streets filled with sandwicheries and postcard stands. At the base of the cathedral, we met one of the professors from l’Institut de Touraine and began our tour. About an hour in, I started to feel light-headed and nauseous. I rushed through the rest of the guided tour, walked down the beach to the bus stop, and rode back to parking where I lay down behind a wall. Just a disclaimer to anyone visiting France, this is not exactly an acceptable social norm. It becomes even more awkward when a family sits on the wall you’re laying behind, and look on in shock when you stand up. Thankfully, I started to feel much better.
We had about another hour of driving before arriving in Saint Malo. This walled city is a very important port of the English Channel, and in past times was well known for piracy. A song I learned in Saint Malo has a verse that goes:
Je pars pour de longs mois en laissant Margot.
Hisse et ho, Santiano!
D´y penser j´avais le cœur gros
En doublant les feux de Saint-Malo.
The lyrics roughly translate to:
I go [sail] for months leaving Margot.
Heave and ho, Santiano!
Thinking of her brings me a heavy heart
When doubling the lights of Saint-Malo.
Poor Margot. The rich culture of maritime is still present in the city today in fresh seafood markets, a beautiful harbor, and common Malouins love for the sea. Alecia, Tara, Elizabeth, Stephanie and I walked through town before settling on a quaint créperie. We then walked along the high stone wall of the city which overlooked the beaches and harbor. A beautiful end to the day.
Revisiting Saint Malo eight years later.
Afternoon spent walking along the city.
Part Six: Château d’Amboise and Château de Close Lucé
A few days ago we had our last excursion, it’s wild how quickly my time in Tours is coming to a close. My study abroad group visited two chateaus: Amboise and Close Lucé. To be completely honest, all that I retained from our trip to Amboise was that King Charles VIII died at the château in 1498 after knocking his head against the door mantel. The view was quite beautiful.
View from a balcony of Château d’Amboise.
I was a little familiar with Close Lucé, the residence of Leonardo da Vinci for his last four years, 1516-1519. In 1516, King Francis I invited Da Vinci to Amboise and provided him with a generous donation to continue his work. It was in Da Vinci’s best interest to accept the offer, as he had no steady income at the time and was facing socio-political backlash. The two became very close, and it is said that Da Vinci died in Francis’ arms. The château is now a museum depicting Da Vinci’s life at Close Lucé, and the gardens filled with copies of his inventions.
Gardens of Close Lucé.
Flower beds.
This past month has truly been the adventure of a life time, as cliché as it may be. Though I’m looking forward to my last week in Tours, followed by an additional week of traveling, I’m also excited to soon be back on American soil and see my friends and family. With that said, only time will tell what the next two weeks bring.
À bientôt, Marie-Louise
L'été à Tours 
