It's not an alley, it's the Loire Valley!!

SATURDAY

Woke up super early and took a tram over to porte d’orleans to meet up with isa group, got on the bus and slept for 2 hours an AWESOME nap, woke up and I was at chateau de chenonceau a BEAUTIFUL renaissance castle built for diane de poiters by her lover/boy she governed starting from when he was 7 aka Henri II and after Henri’s death Catherine Medici aka his wife took it over, 2 beautiful gardens one by each woman, old stuff, history, beautiful. Had a beyond strange veggie burger for lunch made with carrots and broccoli and maybe lettuce and fries and then hopped on the bus to Clos Luce or Da Vinci’s house umm WHAT it was Francois Ier’s house first btw holy coolness. There were crazy genius inventions, drawings, weird writing everywhere, his quotes everywhere and a beautiful foresty garden area that went on for miles.

After that we got our 1st group surprise from ISA A WINE TASTING aka a wine party, we tasted a rose, 2 whites, 2 reds and champagne and I may or may not have tasted them all more than once and we were all a bit fun after the tasting.

Went to our hotel, checked in and then found a nearby pizza place and then walked around the town a bit, found an ice cream place to try and then had some fun just relaxing and talking about deep subjects in our hotel room and then I passed out very quickly…I had a lot of wine but was happy.

Woke up Sunday, my voice is GONE-ZO absolutely gone. I slept w/ the window open Thursday, had a small tickle Friday, soreness Saturday and now no voice, it’ll heal though soon I hope haha. My friends hate it but I can still make jokes with no voice so its good. Had continental breakfast deliciousness, lots of bread, even a HARD BOILED EGG just like all of my spring quarter diet breakfast haha but it was good and we had amazing jam, I had raspberry.

Left on the bus, another nap I may or may not have been hungover…yeah so I napped then woke up at chateau de Chambord which is the biggest hunting lodge in france but it’s a castle built around middle ages time with a re-designed moat and beautiful architecture. I petted donkeys, touched a knight’s thigh accidentally while posing for a picture w/ him and his horse, went up to the top of a castle, took amazing pictures, saw my future bedroom whatup my husband get me a castle-I vote yes, walked around, had a chocolate ice cream and then took a row boat out on the moat! So fun and relaxing, then we had a brief cookie tasting and tasted Chambord liqueur aka crown royal in usa and it was okay and then I had a croquet monsieur for lunch and a fanta and I bought a fleur de lys keychain to make later into a necklace so I was happy with that. It was fantastic.

I am really pumped for this week, comedie francaise TOMORROW I am sooo excited and my internet is WORKING I MEAN WHAT? I am thrilled so I hope it stays this way for the rest of my trip.

Meanwhile, I have no voice but am feeling happy, excited about this week and nervous for my hmwk tonight lol. I will have dinner w/ my homestay in ½ hour or so and then hmwk and then bed. Really good weekend, lots of history, makes me think about my mom aka history-buff a lotttt.