Day 5 - France (10 June 2019)

We started off the day around 9:00 a.m.  right before we went on the bus, a student tripped and fell and Heidi tried to help her up. She felt someone brush her skirt and thought someone had stolen her phone. We tried to find it, but had no luck. After a quick silent prayer that all would be well, we were off for the day!

The first stop was a wine tasting at Plou & Fils in the Loire Valley. It was pretty interesting to learn about the process of making wine and a lot of details about the evolution of how it’s made. We had one of the owners give us the tour and explain everything.

At the end of the tour, we had a sparkling grape juice tasting, which was surprisingly delicious. We also hiked up to the vineyard and took a few pictures before heading back down and appreciating the gorgeous flowers near the bus. 

We all piled back into the bus to go to Amboise. This town was the place where Leonardo Da Vinci lived for the last three years of his life. Did you know he died at age 67?  That’s pretty impressive!  

Francois I convinced da Vinci to go to France. So, he brought three paintings with him from Italy, one being the Mona Lisa, because he knew he would live out his days in France.  

When the bus dropped us off, we walked into town.  The first place we stopped in Amboise was Clos Lucé, which was the name of his house. On the lawn, there was a band playing live music as we peeked around the front part of the property. 

We then walked the few minutes into the main part of Amboise. It’s a darling town with small streets that you can stroll and experience all of the interesting things!  

But before we could do that, we needed to find a police station to report Heidi’s phone as stolen. So, we crossed the bridge to find it. Except, it’s an observed holiday (Pentacost), and it was lunchtime, so we missed the police station being opened by 15 minutes. We figured we would go to a different police station tomorrow instead, and headed back over the bridge. But, look at the view!

We walked back into town to get some lunch and peek in some stores before we needed to meet back up with the group. We stopped at a small shop, and I ordered the best croque monsieur sandwich I have ever eaten in France. Shannel and Ann also ordered one each when I explained that it’s like a grilled cheese sandwich with ham and cheese in the middle and grilled cheese on top. 

We also had a few free minutes to pop into the cookie shop, (with samples!), quick photo opportunity with a knight’s armor, and met back up with the students. 

After lunch, we met a local guide for a tour of two different castles.  Since we were already at the base of the Château d’Amboise, we started there!  What a beautiful castle it is!  How fortunate are we that this marks the 500th year of its existence and we are here for it too?!?

With the guide, we learned a lot of interesting pieces of information.  This is the burial place of Leonardo Da Vinci. He’s buried in the chapel on the grounds. When you walked into the chapel, it smelled strongly of lilies. What an inspiring moment that will be seared into my memory!

The history that is soaked up through those walls is amazing.  The castle used to be a lot larger, so it was really good to see what the footprint of the castle looked like. I also appreciated all of the fresh flowers everywhere too!

It is hard to wrap your brain around a time where only nobles would brush shoulders here, while servants waited in them. But there were sure some impressive details sprinkled throughout the castle!

We spent a little time looking out over the Loire River and grounds before heading back down to the exit. 

I thought it would’ve been easy to collect everyone after the guided tour, but that was before the gift shop doors wouldn’t let anyone out. Finally, the group that was still in the gift shop was released, but we were still missing a group who couldn’t get in to the gift shop to find the exit. They eventually made it through the entrance, but it took a minute to sort it all out. 

When we got back to the bus, our driver (Orlando) had found Heidi’s phone!  He said it was on the bus, but further back on the floor under the seats. Small blessings can change the whole feeling of the day. Can I get a hallelujah?!? 

Guess where we went next?  It’s special everytime I think about it. Château de Chenonceau 💕

 We had a guided tour through the castle, which is something I’d never had before with a group. I’m not going to lie, I was anxious to go explore, but the tour information was solid. 

What a special time I had to spend with Heidi and take a moment to relax a bit. The grounds are breathtakingly gorgeous. I think walking into them feels a little like coming home. 

When we got back in the bus, we were off to dinner in a Troglodyte Cave!  How cool is that?!?  They are ancient caves where people used to live. They have been turned into houses, restaurants, or even empty. The ambiance was fabulous!  When you first walk in, you can smell the fire for a special bread, that is kind of like a soft pita.

Today was definitely fabulous!  Sure, there were some bumps along the way. However, maintaining perspective always helps me when either the situation or myself is feeling a little off. 

One of my students asked if it ever feels like you’ve been somewhere before, knowing you haven’t. I explained that maybe it’s part of déja vu. It helps us feel like there is a little piece of home wherever we go. I’m grateful for good people, great places, and amazing cultures. It’s slowly helping shape how I fit in this world.