chateau living
a week ago friday we awoke in the pre-dawn hours to catch our flight out of Iceland for Paris. Svavar's mother was already in the kitchen with coffee and fruit; she couldn't have gotten more than three hours of sleep. Svavar drove us to Keflavik, all of us exhausted. I doubt that I will ever forget their kindness.
the train ride from Charles de Gaulle into the city was mercifully peaceful & when we arrived in the city it seemed too good to be true: spring had surely arrived. it was far too warm for even a thin jacket and after checking into our cheap hotel near Gare du Nord, I was running around the streets in sandals.
our only full day in paris was spent walking; the river, the churches, the neighborhoods that are finally starting to feel familiar to me. many of you know that Paris and I have had our differences in the past, but this time she seemed to welcome me back almost graciously. it was a brief but satisfying visit. and...
as was the case with Iceland, I realized on this, my third visit to France in as many years, that you cannot truly see a country until you have left the city limits. the train ride from Montparnesse to Angers, and then on to Champtoce-sur-Loire (outside of which we now make our temporary home), was nothing short of breathtaking. I wish I had written all of the various impressions down at the time, but my senses were truly overwhelmed. the Loire valley is spectacular & I find myself now truly enamored of France, and though my spoken French is as terrible as ever, I have actually been making an effort.
the Gignoux family, friends of Natalie's mother and proprietors of the Chateau du Pin, have been the most wonderful hosts one could possibly imagine. I will write more about Wendy, Henri, and their amazingly brilliant eleven-year-old daughter Hannah soon, as well as the grounds and buildings about which we have had the luxury to roam this past week. hopefully by then I will have had time to take some photos of my own as well; in the meantime, you can visit the chateau's website
here
and see it in all its glory.
the train ride from Charles de Gaulle into the city was mercifully peaceful & when we arrived in the city it seemed too good to be true: spring had surely arrived. it was far too warm for even a thin jacket and after checking into our cheap hotel near Gare du Nord, I was running around the streets in sandals.
our only full day in paris was spent walking; the river, the churches, the neighborhoods that are finally starting to feel familiar to me. many of you know that Paris and I have had our differences in the past, but this time she seemed to welcome me back almost graciously. it was a brief but satisfying visit. and...
as was the case with Iceland, I realized on this, my third visit to France in as many years, that you cannot truly see a country until you have left the city limits. the train ride from Montparnesse to Angers, and then on to Champtoce-sur-Loire (outside of which we now make our temporary home), was nothing short of breathtaking. I wish I had written all of the various impressions down at the time, but my senses were truly overwhelmed. the Loire valley is spectacular & I find myself now truly enamored of France, and though my spoken French is as terrible as ever, I have actually been making an effort.
the Gignoux family, friends of Natalie's mother and proprietors of the Chateau du Pin, have been the most wonderful hosts one could possibly imagine. I will write more about Wendy, Henri, and their amazingly brilliant eleven-year-old daughter Hannah soon, as well as the grounds and buildings about which we have had the luxury to roam this past week. hopefully by then I will have had time to take some photos of my own as well; in the meantime, you can visit the chateau's website
here
and see it in all its glory.