Planning for Next Year

The Euro is finally moving in the right direction.  Next visit will be more value oriented.

July 17

We are back in Texas.

Sent from my HTC Inspire™ 4G on AT&T

Last Full Day in the Country

Today is our last full day in the French countryside.  Tomorrow we head into Paris to fly out on Sunday.  Not sure of our feelings but we are getting mentally committed to getting back and getting busy.

One thing for sure, we are going to have to sort out the milk situation for London.  She loves French milk and it is going to be difficult to find a comparable product in Dallas.

Chenonceau - Part Deux

Our New Kitchen

Beautiful Baby!!!

In the Maze...Right?? Left??

On the way to the end

Guests

As we wrap up we want to give our guests acknowledgment.  So, here we go in order.....

Shannon, Tandy, Doug, Linda, Huck, Kathleen, Ron, Ann, Maddux, Jessica, Lindsey, Carolyn, Marsella, Mike, Jean, Keri.  Holy Moly, we enjoyed time with over 15 guests.  We loved every minute of our time with our guest and want to start over.

We are returning as changed people and a different take on our lives.  Let us know if you notice.

Steve, Sherry, London

Chenonceau

On July 12th we made our way over to Chateau de Chenonceau which is a bit south of Amboise in the Loire Valley.  For reference sake, this is one of the three must see chateaus in the Loire Valley.  It was designed by women and reflects that in that the rooms are spacious, the kitchen is awesome and the layout is unbelievable.  The chateau is built on the river Cher, where the unique beauty of its architecture reflects in the water, the Château de Chenonceau is the Val de Loire’s finial.  An interesting point is that the River Cher was the line of demarcation between free France and occupied France in World War II.  The French resistance (all 4 of them) would go in the north door of the chateau, thru the chateau and out the south door into free France.  Quite the Hogan's Hero's operation.  

Château des Dames as recorded in the French history books, Chenonceau owes a large part of its charm to women: it was built in 1513 by Katherine Briçonnet, then made even more attractive by Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Médicis, and saved from the rigours of the French Revolution by Mrs Dupin.

The lovely surroundings, the formal garden and the park surrounding it add to the impression of delicate grace emanating from the castle.

We had a great time and ended up having lunch at the L'Orangerie on the grounds and then touring the vegetable and flower garden with a final stop at the Garden Maze.  Maddux quickly conquered the maze.

From a "must see" or not point of view I would say maybe.  The chateau grounds are unbelievable but the structure is not much more than a stretched out Preston Hollow McMansion.

The Walk into the Chateau

London hitting the puddles with her boots

In the Main Passageway between North and South

How Cool...a Chateau straddling a River

Note the size of the doors.  Little people during the years gone by

The Maze successfully conquered

Which way do I go???

Bastille Day - July 14, 2011

Tomorrow is Bastille Day in France, which apparently is the equivalent of the U.S. 4th of July.  We are planning on viewing events in Laval and painting our faces the blue, white and red, which is the tradition.  

Bastille Day is a day of celebrations of French culture. Many large-scale public events are held, including a military parade in Paris, as well as communal meals, dances, parties and fireworks.  There is a large military parade in Paris in the morning of July 14. Service men and women from various units, including cadets from military schools, the French Navy and the French Foreign Legion, participate in the parade. The parade ends with the Paris Fire Brigade. Military aircraft fly over the parade route during the parade. The French president opens the parade and reviews the troops and thousands of people line the route. Other people spend the day quietly and eat a celebratory meal or picnic with family and close friends.

The Bastille is a medieval fortress and prison in Paris. Many people in France associated it with the harsh rule of the Bourbon monarchy in the late 1700s. On July 14, 1789, troops stormed the Bastille. This was a pivotal event at the beginning of the French Revolution. Fête de la Fédération was held on July 14, 1790. This was a way to celebrate the establishment of a constitutional monarchy in France.

Official celebrations were held in Paris on June 30, 1878, to honor the Republic of France. On July 14, 1879, more official celebrations were held. These included a military review in Longchamp near Paris and celebrations all over the country. A politician named Benjamin Raspail proposed that July 14 should become a holiday in France in 1880. The law was enacted on July 6, 1880. Bastille Day was a public holiday for the first time on July 14, 1880.

The military parade in Paris has been held every year since 1880, except during World War II.  The Free French Forces paraded on this date in London, England from 1940 until 1944.