the end of our first week

August 19, 1978 
Debbie writes:
"Today we set off for the Chateaus. Beautiful country. We saw Chateau Loches (but not inside), Amboise (beautiful, on a hill, looks over a river), and Roche D'Azay, and D'Usse (but that was too expensive to go inside, but it looks like Sleeping Beauty's castle!) We had a great pig-out at a bakery at Chenonceaux (another chateau). The pastry was fantastic. Also at Amboise, we had an ice cream sundae in the cutest little ancient ice cream pastry shop..."

Chamont
Thirty-one years later, my mom is back in the Loire Valley but this time she is more focused on the chateaux than on French pastries. Don't get me wrong, French pastry is delicious, and my mom and I constantly indulge in pain au chocolat (a pastry with chocolate) and, of course, la glace (ice cream). A lot of my mom's journal entries in the Loire Valley read like a menu describing gastronomic delights: flaky pastries, nutty, chocolate sundaes, and waffles topped 
with whipped cream and berries. Scattered here and there are descriptions of beautiful,   Disney-like castles. 


We left the chateau this morning, after the usual lovely French breakfast. (The French just know how to do food right: fresh baked croissants and baguettes with red currant jam, natural yogurt topped with fresh fruit and steaming cups of coffee. Perfect.) This time I drove.


As I crossed through fields following a winding countryside road I could not get over the fact that I was driving in France. It was just such an odd sensation. This time my mom sat and pointed things out the window, watching dancing fields of wheat, corn and sunflowers go passing by. 


The Loire Valley is filled with chateaux--literally they are only a few miles apart. Little farming towns encircle the base of each chateau. I marvel at all the little stone cottages, some that share a wall with the towering castles. I can't help but wonder how long it takes to get used to living in the shadow of a 15th century landmark. Do these village residents ever marvel over the history of the gorgeous architecture in their backyard? 



ChenonceauxOur first chateau was Chamont (it's right across the river from our hotel). Chamont is a "small chateau" and was given to one of the French king's mistresses after he died and the queen wanted the bigger chateau--Chenonceaux. (Keeping the lives of French royalty straight is like trying to keep up with a soap opera. The love interests constantly change.)


We then headed for Chenonceaux, the famous chateau that sits on a river (built for above mistress). The castle is built out of pure white sandstone and sits at the end of a long drive, bordered by ancient trees. The grounds are immaculate and include three gardens filled with perfect topiaries and beds of wild colored buds. It is truly amazing.

The gardens of Chenonceaux
Just as in 1978, my mom and I ordered pastry while there. It wasn't a pastry "pig-out" per se, but the dessert was still delicious: a little rounded cube with flaky, buttery layers and large chunks of dark chocolate.


After getting our fill on pastry, (and quiche), we headed to the fortified city of Amboise and its chateau. Built in the 11th century, it's one of the oldest in the Loire Valley, hosting the French court and its guests for many years. Leonardo da Vinci was the artist in residence there during the final years of his life and is buried in the small chapel beside the chateau, as was his wish.

Amboise
I think I'm getting used to France now. My mom says it feels like we've been here forever but at the same time, our first week has sped by. We're getting used to hearing French (as well as Italian and German) and now hearing English is odd--especially American-accented English. The little charms of France (or little irritations, if you will), are beginning to grow on us: the narrow, winding roads that barely fit one car, the tolls (and therefore perfectly-maintained roads), as well as the all the expenses (yes, sometimes you have to pay to use the toilets). The only thing that we miss are a few people that we've left behind in Washington. 

No, we're not driving a VW bug

We left Paris this morning and took the Metro to pick up our rental car in a chic neighborhood at the base of the Eiffel Tower. As we towed our luggage up the stairs, we were hushed by a woman holding a clipboard. She spoke to us in a hurried French undertone and pointed to a scene being played out before us--a man and a woman and about 100 others: cameramen, technology crews, a director, and various other "cinema-looking" people. They were filming a movie in the middle of the Metro station and our rolling bags were distracting from the take. 


After a few minutes they ended the clip, and let us past. I kept looking over my shoulder, wondering if the film would ever make it the U.S.


We picked up our rental car shortly after: a small, hatchback Mercedes Benz--a version they only make in Europe. (Apparently it's too small for the U.S.) This was my first time in a Mercedes and I felt immediately richer as we pulled onto the streets of Paris. My mom and her friends drove a VW bug through Europe--but that wasn't on the list of rental choices. 


One of the best things about the Mercedes is it's navigation system. Without I'm sure we would still be in Paris now, going around round-about and veering down narrow alleys. French streets are not marked well; the signage is low and unobtrusive. It's great for the appearance of streets and roads but makes it nearly impossible for drivers. Thank goodness for our navigation system which announces every turn in a cool British accent. It seems unfazed by our constant wrong-turns and simply asks us to "take a U-turn" and "continue on the motor-way."



Mom and I in front of Chartres

Once out of Paris, driving is easy. The roads are well-maintained and although the speed limit is 130 kilometers per hour, everyone drives well under at a leisurely pace. It's a nice change from Seattle freeways, I've decided.


We drove through the heartland of Paris which looks remarkably like the heartland of America. It's flat and dry with acres and acres of fields stretching out from the road. Fields of wheat, corn, and who knows what else. I couldn't even count the number of tractors we saw. Every so often a small town emerges from the fields; a nestling of stone houses encircling an old church. If I wasn't in a car, it would seem that it was the 16th or 17th century--so little has changed.


The Chartres Cathedral was our first stop. The church is incredible. Built in the 12th century, it has two separate spires of stone curlicues and design that stretch up. They look like two stacks of blocks that a small child has stacked, trying to build the highest tower. I have no idea how they have survived so many years--it looks as if any strong wind would topple them both.

Chartres
Like Nortre Dame, Chartres is gorgeous inside and out: flying buttresses, stained glass, gargoyles and a carved scene of Jesus' life that encircles the entire interior of the church. Currently the church is being restored so part of it was fenced off but even with the scaffolding, Chartres was breath-taking. The church lies on Gallo-Roman ruins built in the fourth century. Later, in the sixth century, it was the location of a small cathedral which was later destroyed. Years later, Parisian architects built Chartres on the remains.


Not quite as long ago, my mom drove up from the South of France and stopped at Chartres. She remembers driving along fields and pastures and seeing the spires emerge suddenly between trees. They spent an afternoon there exploring, and like Sacre-Coeur, the church became one of my mom's favorite spots in Europe.


After walking around the town of Chartres, my mom and I jumped back in the car for our next destination: Onzain, France, in the heart of the Loire Valley.


The Loire Valley contains some of the oldest and most beautiful examples of Renaissance architecture in all of Europe. Every few miles, or so, gorgeous mansions and palaces, chateaux, rise above each side of the Loire River.



Le chat devant notre hotelTonight we're staying in the tiny town of Onzain in a manor built in the 19th century. It is absolutely perfect, a house that fits right in a Jane Austin book. We ate quiche and a baguette outside on the front lawn in the gathering dusk, watching hot air ballons float over the valley. The manor is home to two cats and their presence makes the hotel even more picturesque.


Tomorrow we're driving to  Chenonceau , one of the most famous of the Chateaux in the Loire. But first, a night in our small room of the manor, falling asleep to the sound of crickets and creaking floor boards.

Chateaux!

We have just arrived in the Loire Valley and we're exhausted.


We're staying in this petite chateau and I can't not believe how adorable it is.


I can not wait to explore.

Paris by foot

our hotel neighbor and her laundry

I never thought I would love a hotel room so much but I adore our little place, a narrow building shoved between a butcher and outdoor cafe. Every day when we return home from walking Paris, I am relieved to see our narrow twin beds, long floral drapes and miniature bathroom.

If I open the French doors I can see across into apartments. This afternoon I watched a woman iron and hang her fresh laundry out to dry on her little patio. Below her, a family sat outside talking.

I was content just to watch them.

Today was a long day and I think every part of my foot is hurting from Paris' cobblestone streets. We walked to the Metro, (side note: I love the Metro and think it is genius), we walked to the Musée d'Orsay and then walked all around the museum. At this point, my feet were still sore from the Louvre the day before. After the Louvre, we went to the base of Montmarte in search of a shop suggested to us by a friend (we couldn't find it) and then went over near Bastille to try and find another shop suggested by a different friend (we also couldn't find it.) From there, we took the Metro to Notre Dame and walked around the Île de la Cité until I could hobble no more. I decided I know why the Parisians have the reputation for being so thin. 


Despite the long day, I wouldn't trade my blistered feet for any part of it, especially the Musée d'Orsay. Again, the place was over-crowded and I stood shoulder to backpack to shoulder to another shoulder in a massive groups in front of many pieces of art. The crowds made it impossible to linger in front of pieces that required time to absorb.


Just wandering around the museum made me want to paint and I can barely doodle. Something about the brush strokes of Van Gogh and Manet and the colors of Cézzane, Pizarro, and Seurat make it seem like creating a masterpiece would be a simple task.


Tomorrow we leave Paris. Sitting outside the Notre Dame earlier this evening, my mom and I basked in the sun, watching the tourists walk in front of us. It seems like all of Europe is visiting Paris this week and we usually try and guess the nationality of each person passing before they speak.


Today we were just content to sit and sip our limonade without speaking. After sitting in comfortable silence for a bit my mom announced that she wouldn't mind living in Paris. I agreed.


Things I love about Paris:
-limonade
-the convenience of the Metro
-the incredible history and age of the city
-the narrow streets and apartments with flower boxes on their terraces
-the variety of people and languages

Mona Lisa and her adoring crowds

If I thought that the diverse crowds at Sacré Coeur were incredible, the Louvre was a completely different story. Languages of every kind filled my ears as my mom and I filed through the lines.

I tried to guess each one. German? Dutch? Japanese? Many were Italian.

Although we got in the museum only a half hour after it opened, already the crowds pressed in around us. Not only was I overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people, but also the sheer size of 

the Louvre. It was first a palace has three separate wings connected by marble staircases and long hallways. Many of the ceilings are ornately painted with marble statues standing in sharp relief against the walls' murals. I felt like I was walking around with my mouth open.

We walked through a hall of Egyptian artifacts (including mummies), halls of French paintings, Roman and Greek antiquities and finally decided to brave Dedon, the Italian paintings wing and thus, the home of the Mona Lisa.

Dedon was incredibly crowded for a August Monday at noon and it was easy to tell any famous painting because of the small crowd that gathered around it.

The painting that gathered the largest group by far was, of course, the Mona Lisa.

Three guards stood post by the small frame. A plane of glass covered the picture and straining crowds were held back by velvet ropes. Every so often one of the guards would come up to the crowd, unsuccessfully trying to push the people back.

At first I couldn't even see da Vinci's masterpiece except for the backs of people holding their cameras high above the heads, clicking picture after picture.

Worming my way through I finally got a glimpse of the smiling portrait. 

I wanted to sit and study the painting, to try and understand her draw and her fame. But with crowds pushing me, I only stayed to snap a photo. 

My mom wrote August 23, 1978:

"Today we went to the Louvre. I finally got to see Mona Lisa. What a crowd around that picture; everyone snorting and stamping over a piece of canvas."

I don't know if I can decide on a favorite part of the Louvre. My mom told me she would pick Napoleon's apartments...or the Egyptian cat mummies. (And I think I can agree with her.)

Napoleon's apartment (left)

and Egyptian cat mummies (right)

Two more things to note about the Louvre:
1. My mom and I were chastised by the guards for taking pictures of the crowds. Luckily the guard didn't seem to mind.  
2. I set an alarm off by pointing at a painting. Apparently my finger crossed one of the infrared beams.

Sacre-Coeur

Debbie writes:

August 20th, 1978

"We went to Basilica Sacré Coeur on a hill overlooking the city. The basilica was so beautiful, I just loved that church. The view from the hill of the city was fantastic. "

My mom says she doesn't remember everything from her two months in Europe but her trip to Sacré Coeur, Sacred Heart still resonates. It was one of the few things she insisted that we see in Paris. 

We took the Metro to the base of Sacré Coeur and walked up the hill to the church. The variety of people and languages was simply astonishing. The steps of church were filled with people from all walks of life, and nearly as many countries. 

Vendors hawked their wares from striped blankets, while musicians played accordions and guitars for loose change. One group had a large boom box playing French hip-hop and a few were dancing while others watched. It was like a strange block party. Little has changed from the '70s. My mom noted in her journal that there were a lot of "groupies" around on the church steps even back then. (Groupies translation according to Mom: Lots of people smoking, drinking, hanging out.)

The atmosphere of the cathedral was a marked difference. People somberly walked through, admiring the statues while a nun sang from the front altar, her voice echoing off the walls. 

We sat through part of the service and I tried desperately to understand what she was saying.

It's weird to be in a city that's full of such beautiful churches yet has one of the lowest church attendance; it seems like such a juxtaposition. 

The view from Montmartre 

the hill where Sacré Coeur sits.

Montmartre is the highest point in 

Paris and was an artists hangout for

Van Gogh, Pizzarro and more. 

After walking through the church, we went to grab food in the narrow streets of Montmartre. La nourriture! That is something that I have not spent enough time writing about, but simply, the food in Paris, even when you're trying to find the cheapest option, is delicious. 

'the misadventures of Debbie & Erika'

When I began this blog, my mom asked me if it really was going to be about our misadventures.

I laughed and dismissed it.

But we've already had our first misadventure...but first let me explain how it became a misadventure. 

After arriving in Paris, we had a small lunch in a cafe then returned to our cute hotel for a short nap. We left an hour later and walked to the Place de la Concorde and soaked in Paris, taking pictures of the fountains and Eiffel Tower off in the distance. 

We then wandered to the Seine where my mom insisted that we catch a river boat. It was one of the things that she remembers loving from her first trip here. I was less enchanted by the ride, but content just to be in Paris, taking it all in.

Parisians sit on the sides of the Seine in small circles, drinking wine and laughing as the city gets darker. It was Saturday night and everyone was out, some even dancing in courtyards along the river.

The last stop was the Eiffel Tower. After taking our token pictures of the icon, we attempted to find the nearest Metro. Once we finally found it, it was another small challenge to decide what route we needed to take.

The train was taking forever to come and I was confused so as the next train pulled into the station, I announced to my mom that we should just take it. 

We were both exhausted by this time and it was nearing 11:30. Sitting down felt good and we relaxed as the train sped through the dark tunnel.

Ten, twenty minutes passed and my mom began to worry as mothers do.

"Where are we?" she asked me.

I didn't recognize any of the station names from the map. 

"Maybe they don't list every station on the map," I replied confidently. I could speak French so of course I understood the Metro. (Inside I began to worry and I put my face closer to the map, attempting to guage where we could possibly be.)

"Uh-oh," I said. "We're going the wrong way." My mom stared at me.  "Let's get off at the next one," I told her.

She sighed and the next station, we piled out to stand at the station to wait for a train going in the correct direction.

We had gone several stops outside the center of Paris and as we sat and waited for the next train, my mom worried.  

"Didn't you ride the Metro when you were here?" I asked her. 

"Yes, but only once," she informed me.

Looking around at graffitti decorating the station walls, I began to worry a little too and was relieved when  a train finally squealed to a stop in front of us. 

Sitting down on old leather seats, we began our trek back to the Center of Paris and closer to where we should have been.

We didn't get home until well after midnight. 

Luckily our beds were comfortable and the room was quiet and dark. A little too dark and quiet, because as we slept, the sun rose, Parisians ate their breakfast, and then their lunch...

When I finally stirred, realizing that my alarm clock didn't ring and I slept through our w

ake-up call, it was three in the afternoon. Both of us, exhausted from traveling and our night adventure, had slept until mid-afternoon.

Debbie's friend Dawn

on the Seine river boat

1978. Notre Dame is 

in the background. 

Below is the Seine today.