A Flooded Loire River

Saumur with the Irish Girls

Four of us Irish girls headed to the town of Saumur on a bank holiday Thursday in April. We had a learned castle historian in Roisín (who had taken a class on them in the University of Tours) so we couldn't go wrong! Kate was in charge of the map while Shona and Roisín minded the excellent drawings of our Irish friends who couldn't physically make the excursion.

The castle at Saumur I learned was a defensive castle (thank you Roisín) and it also served as a prison. It is the vocal point of the town and rests on a hill over-looking it. It differed greatly to the one I witnessed at Angers and appears to be plucked straight out of a fairytale story book when viewed from far away.

Even up close one can dream of what life was like in this castle hundreds of years ago for the inhabitants of Saumur. We did not get to see much of the castle's interior but it was a worthwhile visit none the less. You get lovely views from the castle and the company that day was great wondering around with three of my very entertaining fellow country women!

Chateau de Chenonceau

This is the most beautiful chateau I have been to thus far. Chambord looks utterly amazing in photographs but it's proving difficult to get there. Chenonceau is easily accessible by train from my base in Tours and it really is stunning.

The gardens were my favourite part, especially this pink garden. The Chateau itself is jaw-dropping and it is built on the river Cher. It is huge inside with many rooms and plenty to see. My personal favourites were the kitchen and the gallery. I first saw a picture of this Chateau in my first year French class at college but I never thought I would get to see it in the flesh.

There was a small farm and also a gorgeous labyrinth in the grounds of the chateau. The whole estate, if it can be called that, was just utterly beautiful to walk around and take in.

I travelled that day with a party of American and Canadian students and also an Australian student, some of which were my classmates. They were a great bunch to explore with and I hope our paths cross again very soon!

Amboise: Sunday's Finest

April 14th we bound a train for nearby Amboise for the large regional farmers market and to check out the town itself. We were blessed with a beautiful hot day and it made our trip even sweeter. Experiencing a French market is a must and the sights and smells caught our eyes and taste buds. From live foul to huge cheeses to enormous bottles of wine and even clothes and mattresses... this market had it all!!

With our mouths watering it was time for some lunch and we dined outside on the town square... only getting slightly burned!! We then decided to explore Chateau d'Amboise and we were not disappointed. For me the highlight of the day (apart from the weather) was in the chateau or rather what was in its chapel. Here lies the tomb of the great Leonardo de Vinci. His tomb is simple yet elegant and the tiny chapel which houses him is beautiful.

The Chateau itself is very well preserved and nice for all age groups. Once we had exited the building we found an ice-cream stand and we took our cones to the grass and enjoyed the long awaited sunshine.

With a few hours to kill we had a few beverages in the shade once we had had enough of the heat (my slightly red skin in particular needed a break). Amboise is a lovely town and a great spot for tourists and locals alike particularly on market day. The chateau gives lovely views of the Loire river and the gardens are very well kept also. The town itself is beautiful in the sunshine and the little square provides lots of nice cafes and restaurants.

Vendôme... no more than a two hour stay

On the 13th of April we ventured to Vendôme, a small town in the Loir-et-Cher region. We arrived off the train expecting to be in or very near the town centre. We soon found out we were two to three miles outside the town and had to get a bus. The bus trip turned out to be a comic one... 
Shona "vous allez au centre de la ville?"
Bus driver "oui,où aimeriez-vous aller? "
Shona "je ne sais pas?"
Bus driver "pour rendez-vous?"
Shona "non, juste pour un voyage"

Vendôme is a pretty little town with little rivers everywhere and beautiful flowers and plants. As the heading suggests one can cover this town in two hours with lunch. It has the remains of an old castle looking over the town and if you wish to venture up the steep hill to it you will be met by a lovely garden and seating area over looking the surrounding areas. For me the nicest areas of the town were those by the water and in particular the old gate into Vendôme.

Angers: A Medieval Dream

Accompanied by my classmate, Ann, from my home college, we ventured to Angers on a cold final March weekend. This town is graceful and simply elegant with the Chateau d'Angers as its vocal point.

The castle is a beautiful structure built in the 9th century and is home to the Apocalypse tapestry. Much of the castle was closed off and from what we experienced it is only worth venturing inside on a warm sunny day. You are able to see most of its beauty for free from the outside.

The Musée de Beaux Arts is very impressive according to my travel partner Ann who is a lover of galleries and it appeared so to my eyes also. We stumbled upon a gallery full of fantastic sculptures next to the Musée, housed in a restored church building with a glass roof. It was most certainly the find of the day.

Walking around this charming town is an attraction in itself. The cobbled streets go uphill and downhill and are full of pretty flowers and dainty shops. Adam's House is a well known tourist spot and a very different shop with many wonderful crafts.

The tourist office in Angers are extremely helpful and you can cover all of the sights in a few hours. Apart from the magnificent castle my highlight of the day was the grounds of the Jean-Lurcat museum. The following photos will hopefully do it some justice...

I would have to admit that Angers is the most beautiful of the few towns I have visited so far. With its castle, clean sandy coloured buildings and streets, and beautiful tourist spots it really is a gem. The only element missing that day was the sun! A must for those who wish to explored a medieval and picturesque town.

Like Mother like Daughter

Just found some old photos of my mother's trip to La Rochelle in 1975 when she lived with a French family. She was 15 then. A bit of history repeating itself I suppose.

La grand-mere francais et ma mere avec la tour de la lanterne

                                                               La Rochelle 1975

The Beautiful Town of La Rochelle

This pretty port town is a must visit during the Summer or late Spring. We were blessed with the weather the weekend we went.

Three of us Irish girls travelled here. We walked around all day Saturday and explored this enchanting, medieval town. There are signs of its ancient past all around the old town and this is especially true when one sees its Hotel de Ville (or mayor's office). It appears as more of a medieval castle inside than the usual large house one is accustomed to when visiting a French town.
We also took the boat to Fort Boyard, a fortress built in the water a few miles from La Rochelle. The sun was shining and we got some great views of both La Rochelle and the surrounding coastline.

Fort Boyard is a very impressive structure and a nice relaxing tour on the water where you can pass by windsurfers, sailboats and trawlers. It is also fascinating to imagine how the structure was built so far from land.

The three towers in La Rochelle are also a nice attraction. We decided to venture to the lantern tower where you can see the graffiti of pirates and sailboat captains among others. If you are a European citizen between 17 and 25 and you present your passport you will gain free admission. The boat to Fort Boyard costs 14 euro.

Things to note: Restaurants by the waterfront can be very expensive. There is a nice Irish run pub called Fitzpatricks on the pier and is a nice spot for a drink and for football and rugby matches. There are also some lovely boutiques and branded stores on the streets of the old town. Overall it is a beautiful town especially on a sunny day. Some beaches are a few kilometres nearby but the town is a great spot for a weekend of sightseeing and shopping.

Day Trip to Disneyland Paris

Okay so maybe it's not very French but it is a major tourist spot for all ages. It was my first time ever in a Disneyland resort and I was like a little kid. We thought being February that it wouldn't be that busy but it was a Saturday so the place had quite a big crowd. We decided just to hit the park with the little time we had.

                                                                             

Due to light snow that had fallen the previous day some outdoor thrill rides seemed to shut down every so often such as Big Thunder Mountain which was a bit disappointing. Pirates of the Caribbean was shut down for repairs. That was an even bigger disappointment due to that the fact that it is such a famous ride and I am a big fan of the movie franchise also. What we did go on for the few hours we were there was Space Mountain, Mad Hatter Teacups and Buzz Lightyear Space Adventure. Space Mountain is a must although maybe not for all kids. It travels at a crazy speed and has amazing light effects also. The Teacups are a famous Disney ride and you would get on them quickly enough while Buzz Lightyear is a fun interactive shooting ride primarily aimed at kids.

   

We stumbled upon the daily parade and it was very entertaining. For food we went to The Lucky Nugget Saloon in Frontierland. For €14 we got big pork spare ribs, french fries, onion rings, a drink and a coupon for a coffee/tea in another restaurant after 3pm. For such a huge franchise like Disney it was a good value meal and it filled us for the remainder of our trip. It didn't taste too bad either!! We had to buy some kind of souvenir for the day. As with all brands there comes a price and the only thing you can get under €10 is either small sweets or a keyring. We opted for Minnie Mouse ears for €12, again not bad value for a franchise product. After six hours and a lot of walking and queuing (yes there will be many queues) in the cold we got our train home. We wouldn't have minded staying in one of those comfy Disney hotels though. Well one can dream!!

Food

So cooking without an oven or a grill has been an experience. You either microwave, fry or boil. Our pride and joy has been our fajita dinners. Our attempts at making chips are ongoing but improving. The main difficulty I find with French grocery shopping is the lack of fruit sold. They will only sell the fruit that is in season so at the moment it's kiwis, apples, bananas and oranges. We cook a lot of chicken as it is the cheapest meat here. Baguettes go stale after two to three days so they do for a lunch or too. Cooking dinner together is great fun and costs a lot less!!
 They're tricky the French but we're getting the hang of them!!

Paris in the Snow

Our planned trip to Paris didn't go quite as planned. Our train was delayed and we saw first hand the power of French persuasion or perhaps just their ability to get their own way. Within a few minutes we had a new train to Paris boarded thanks to our fellow passengers. A lovely French student Charlotte took us by the hand and brought us to the train and also onto our connection train. Being the cheeky young Irish women that we are we rode first class to Paris and arrived several minutes earlier than our original train would have.
     Once in the capital we ate some of our packed lunch (no fancy Parisian dinner for us ERASMUS women). We then started our explorations... in the slushy snow. I quickly realized cheap tennis shoes are not the best choice for this foreign weather. Shona soon realized Uggs don't like the slushy snow either. The result being two pairs of wet feet trudging around Paris.
      Making our way to Champs de Mars and the Eiffel Tower the excitement was building. Through the fog Shona screamed with delight when see spotted it in the distance. We decided not to look again until we rounded the corner at the military school.

  Paris really is the city of love. You will notice it instantly by the many couples holding hands and the occasional romp in the snow. Once we had taken our many photographs and watched the several snowball fights under the tower we made our way across the river to the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysees. By then it was extremely cold along the Seine so we stopped in a small cafe called Bert's and had the most delicious hot chocolate we ever tasted. After that brief stop it was a short walk to l'Arc de Triomphe and the famous Champs-Elysees.
     

 Making our way down the beautiful and very long shopping street we eventually reached the Louvre. It costs eleven euro once you get in to see the museum. Most people go to see one painting... The Mona Lisa or in french La Joconde. While queuing for our tickets a very nice Englishman heard us speaking and offered us two tickets and replied that he was finished seeing the museum. It was a lovely gesture and a great surprise. We really met nice people that day. The Mona Lisa is quite a small painting but it has such a presence in the room it occupies along with the crowds it draws. On our way back to the station we popped into some shops. If you are ever making a trip to Paris in January be sure to have a little money for the sales. Finally after walking twelve kilometers in total around Paris that day we boarded our train home to Tours tired and a little snow-damaged. I had never been too enticed by Paris and its sights beforehand but after that day I fell in love with it. A Summer trip will most definitely be on the cards. 

(All photographs are my own)

Ma voisine

After three days of the mysterious pounding noise beside my room we discovered it's my extremely sexually active next door neighbour. I had to knock and ask "tu écoutes le bruit?" to which she replied "non" half dressed and hiding behind the door. Oh well maybe she'll be quiet in future.

The Bus

Our first solo bus trip was meant to take ten minutes but turned into two hours. Right bus route, wrong direction!!

First Night Out

So a Saturday night seems like a busy one in Tours. Seven of us Irish girls headed out at 10pm. The buses run until 1am which is a useful and cheap way to get to town. Irish Garda Age cards are accepted straight away to our delight. The drink in the clubs is expensive as I found out when paying six euro for a vodka and coke in order to gain entry to the dance floor. However bars can be more reasonable.
     Dress code: heels are a no. Short dresses are more than likely a no. Tights or pants are the norm. Fake tan is a never.
     The men, as you would expect, are very flirty but most are good craic also. We experienced a few scary moments on our walk home at 5am (yes the clubs stay open until then, 6am in fact!). Shona and I were followed by a car full of guys we had met in one of the bars. They were very persistent and we had to alter our route home a few times. Luckily we met a group of lovely locals our age and they walked us some of the way home. The French are not so standoffish after all!!
     We will have more nights out to come for sure especially with the price of alcohol in shops being far more reasonable than in Ireland. One last thing to note is that you definitely consume more drink on nights out here and I certainly paid for it the next day! A bientot mes amies!!

Arrival

As first time travelers to France my classmate Shona and I thought we had planned our journey from Cork Airport to the large town of Tours quite well. Upon arrival to Charles de Gaulle Airport we could not have been more wrong. All the usual things such as collecting our luggage had gone swimmingly yet the moment we reached the exit we were approached by a staff member informing us of a taxi strike. We then proceeded to ask where we could get the AirFrance bus as we needed to get to the centre of Paris to board our TGV train. The man's directions led us on a wild goose chase involving trips to all three terminals several times. Eventually after much pulling and dragging of our luggage up and down one of the largest airports in the world we boarded our bus to Montparnasse station. Two hours later tired and somewhat emotional we finally boarded our TGV to find very little space to place our heavy suitcases. People stopped and stared in the cabin as the two small Irish girls attempted to lug 30 kg each down the narrow walkway. Eventually an elderly woman directed us where to place them. It took us twelve hours to reach our penultimate destination that was our hotel. 

      It was our first taste of both French transportation and French society. I'm sure we'll encounter more of these along with many other cultural differences in the months to come. Stay tuned!