This past weekend, we went on an excursion to the Loire Valley to see the chateaux. We saw four in total: Brissac, Villandry, Chenonceau, and Amboise. We saw the first two on Saturday and spent the night in Tours. I wish we could have spent some more time in Tours because it seemed like a really cool city. There's a museum of Leonardo da Vinci's inventions there, which would be so awesome. Someday I'll go back.
The chateaux were cool...they were all very ornate, very ridiculous, and very French. The gardens, too. You know what the gardens in Versailles look like...well that is what gardens à la française are like. Last week, my art history professor was talking about how she doesn't like gardens like that because it is silly to try to tame nature in that way. And also you're not allowed to walk on the grass in France. I agree with her. They're still pretty epic though.
The last chateau we went to, Amboise, was in a little village on the Loire where Leonardo da Vinci spent the last part of his life, and he is buried there. And we saw his house, also. Apparently when he was 64, he rode a horse from Milan to Amboise, which is in like middle-northern France.
Things are winding down here. I'm now finished with four of my classes...four more to go. My friend Haley's 21st birthday is tomorrow, so hopefully we will do something exciting. I know things are going to start moving very fast, but I'm all antsy right now because everything is so strange and transition-y. Incidentally, I am turning 21 next Tuesday, and my host family is throwing me a mega-teuf on Sunday night. It is going to be the most hilarious birthday party I have ever had.
I wish I was going to be there for that party!
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