chateau, c'est beau!

on a lighter note...

we've been castle-hopping.

That's right, I have been visiting castles on the weekends here. It's been absolutely maginificent.

We were just bright-eyed exchange students in hopes of living out fairy-tale fantasies, and they came true.

Amboise, France

My first Chateau of this study abroad experience was Chateau Royale d'Amboise in the quaint city of Amboise on the Loire River. This city holds the last known/speculated residence of Leonardo DaVinci, and his tomb rests within the chateau grounds in the Chapel St. Hubert. While most of the original chateau was destroyed during the French Revolution and the reign of Napoleon, but fortunately the remaining parts have since been renovated and are now a monument in France open to public visits. I also had the best crepe of my life in Amboise (see photo below!)

TALK ABOUT YUM!

But the fun didn't stop there. Just this past weekend we spent a day biking to another chateau- well worth the sore ass and legs I've had since saturday.

VILLANDRY, FRANCE

We biked 36 km for this view, and now I'm sharing it with you, not all heroes wear capes. After enjoying a picnic full of LOTS of bread, we escaped to the chateau for a magical afternoon. Villandry is known for its beautiful and aromatic gardens, which honestly took my breath away. I'm a little nervous for the other chateaus I visit while I'm here because Villandry was an incredible experience. Not only were the grounds a feast for the eyes, they could've made an actual feast! Fresh fruits and veggies grew everywhere the eye could see. We munched on grapes from vines that snaked around the lattice archways throughout the garden, and everyone took a turn smelling the roses, lavender and various herbs.

The inside didn't disappoint either- the chateau is extremely well preserved and oozes with royalty. Where do I sign the lease?? Vilandry was definitely one for the books.

you're pretty easy to love, villandry

I'm hoping to be better about updating this blog more often, so stay tuned kids. Who knows what adventures are in store? (I'll give you a hint- Amsterdam coming soon to a Katelyn near you)

Until the next adventure/political rant/personal crisis

(P.S. here's me and some of my new friends here in Tours!)