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Oh, but words are not enough! This weekend Cole and I took a small trip with the Nemeths to the Loire Valley. It was, hands down, the highlight of my trip. The countryside was exactly how I dreamed to be; beautiful, green fields stretching to bright blue skies, monstrous white clouds, medieval villages, fairytale castles…I was lost within it all. We visited six castles, each representing a different time and style in history, from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, in between and beyond. Some were surrounded by lush gardens, or dense forest, or a tiny village; they were unique and they were fun.
To reach the last castle of our journey, we had quite the hike. Once there, we stared in awe at the fictional feel it exuberated. Unfortunately, it was closed on the inside due to the late hour, but we were able to walk the gardens and admire it from the exterior. Cole and I observed the stone towers and spotted an open door at the foot of the corner tower. Right away we thought, “secret entrance!” So, we ran down the slope, through green grass and wild daisies and approached the small, wooden door. Peering over the frame, we saw a dank, dark stone room, and to our disappointment, that was it. So close to an adventure, it was really unfortunate. So instead, we collapsed in the grass beside the tall tower and stared up beyond the stone walls and into the now golden sky, tinged purple at the corners. The breeze was sweet and the grass soft; after a non-stop two days, it was a beautiful way to relax.
Then, Nicolas ran down to join us, plopping down in dramatics, and curious as to our actions. We told him to hush and to pretend we were princesses and he was a prince and we’re just hangin out at our castle. His response (imagine a horrible “American” accent when being said): “Oh cooool. Hello princesses, I am a prince.” And he was serious and Cole and I laughed until our stomachs hurt.
And I also want to mention that Friday we, being just Cole and I, went to the Musée d’Orsay. It contained such a cool collection of artwork and sculptures and photography; I think Cole might even have enjoyed herself, maybe, for a little while, anyways. The best part was the room dedicated to Van Gogh; it was surreal to see the “legit” paintings.
Well, three days left…still much to do ☺