Adventures in Tourism: Giverny and Loire Valley

Hello!

On Saturday, April 30, I went on an excursion with my program to Giverny. Giverny was Monet's countryside home, and he depicted his house's French and Japanese gardens in many of his paintings. There is very little that I can say about Giverny beyond "It was beautiful!" and "We basked in the sunlight!", so please enjoy these pictures.

There were so many people enjoying the beauty of this lake and Monet's gardens. 

A beautiful blooming cherry tree in front of Monet's house.

I appreciated the juxtaposition of modern technology (the electronic alarm clock) with beautiful antiques inside Monet's historic home.

Partaking in the art form of my generation in front of Monet's garden.

Last weekend, my program went on a two day excursion to Loire Valley. On Saturday, our first stop was Château de Chambord. Initially, Francois I created this castle for his hunting trips, but he eventually expanded it to be an official château after financial difficulties made the existence of a special castle for hunting seem frivolous. This château was the inspiration for the Beast's castle in Beauty and the Beast. In a disappointing turn of events for book fans everywhere, there is no beautiful, well-stocked library on the premises.

This may look like a normal staircase, but it actually consists of two interlocking spiral staircases. François I built the staircase so his mistress could walk downstairs without being seen by a servant walking upstairs. In wartime, one staircase was reserved for the soldiers, and the other staircase was reserved for doctors.

During François I's time, the aristocrats that were around him at all times would come to his bedroom to pay their respects at bedtime and when he woke up. When Louis XIV stayed in the château, he had the aristocrats visit him in this large bedroom, and then moved into a smaller (and easier to warm up) bedroom next door.

The second château we visited was Château de Chenonceau. King Henri II gave this castle to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers, instead of his wife, Catherine de Medici. Upon his death, Catherine de Medici was quick to kick Diane de Poitiers out of the castle. Both of these women's influences can be seen in this château.

After the death of her husband, Louise de Lorraine entered a life of mourning. Her grimly decorated bedroom reflects her sadness.

After wandering around Château de Chenonceau, we took a break from château viewing and went to tour a winery. After looking at dusty wine barrels and learning many interesting tidbits about how different kinds of wine are made, we had a wine tasting and sampled all sorts of different wines.

After a night of eating with friends and resting in the hotel room, we went to visit our final château, Château d'Amboise. Although this castle appears massive to the modern viewer, most of the original château has been destroyed. François I hosted Leonardo da Vinci in Amboise, and da Vinci was buried there. After his bones were uncovered and identified as the remains of Leonardo da Vinci, he was laid to rest in the château's chapel. I wasn't expecting to visit Leonardo da Vinci's grave, and it was one of the most exciting parts of the trip. 

Leonardo da Vinci's grave

This image depicts the death of Leonardo da Vinci, but our guide explained that it was "fake news". It shows François I--the just to the right of the bed--being there when he wasn't, and features a different castle from the one in which Leonardo da Vinci died.

Overall, both of these trips were engaging and interesting. I am happy to be able to learn more about history by visiting these historical places and learning new tidbits to share (endlessly and without being prompted).

Au revoir,
Lydia