Chinon, France

On our last day of European exploring we drove to Chinon to see the Royal Fortress.  This medievel castle was where Richard the Lionhearted was born and where Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc) came to meet with Charles VII.  It was lofty and majestic hanging over the hillside over the top of Chinon.  With the Loire Valley light, sunflowers and vineyards in the foreground, it was a living postcard.  The castle grounds had period movies describing events that had taken place there.  The girls loved this.  There was a lot of “why are they wearing that Mama?”, “what are they doing Mama?” and “what’s that Mama?”  History is such a difficult concept at Sophia and Madelyn’s ages.  It was a great way to teach it by experiencing it.

And guess what… Madelyn lost ANOTHER tooth while she was clowning around with Peter in the green lawn.  She officially cannot eat corn.

Next on the agenda was wine tasting and selecting some wines to bring home!  There was a beautiful vineyard just outside the castle grounds so we stopped there and picked up a gorgeous, award winning rosé.  The girls were tired from walking all over the castle, so Peter took them for a drive so I could stroll  down the medieval section of Chinon.  I love walking in the footsteps of centuries of living.  I feel their ghosts walking with me, living, working, laughing and it makes me feel a part of history.  It was nice to do this quietly and alone.  I didn’t take any pictures.  I just absorbed.

While Peter was out driving he found a wine cave.  This is exactly what this wine enthusiast wanted to see!  He picked me up and took me straight there.  He said with a big grin “I’m driving, you have fun.” The Cave Monplaisir is an actual geological cave that stores wines for several vineyards in Chinon.  The cave contains around 700 barrels and tens of thousands of bottles.  It is long, huge and so damp and cold that the bottles, the light fixtures, the barrels were all covered in mold.  So cool.  The lady doing the wine tasting was very nice and knowledgeable.  Peter interpreted for me as I selected some more wines to bring home.  Chinon is known for its reds… and for good reason.  Yummy!

Our last day in France was actually the beginning of our return trip home: checking out of our apartment, driving to Paris, checking into our Charles de Galle airport hotel and returning our car.  Fun stuff.  The girls always love a new hotel room though, so they were happy.

My next post will include a resource itinerary that you can print and file away for future fun.

And then I will start in on a trip from the past… above the Arctic Circle with a 9 month old anyone?

Driving to Chinon we found this chateau for sale.  

Chateau anyone?  

Yes, we all scaled the fence to check it out.

Our itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny rental car.

Lots of rolling hills that daddy went up and down reallllllllly fast.  "It's like a roller coaster Mommy!!"  Great... I almost lost my cookies out the window.  Everyone thought that was hilarious...

Yes, Sophia has her Christmas PJs on.  

She didn't want to change.  

I didn't feel like fighting about it.

The view down on Chinon from the castle.

You can get a workout anywhere.

... and a nap...

A medieval castle is only complete with horses.  

No problem there; these two are always horses.

The second lost tooth.  

And, yes, it is true... while in Europe the tooth fairy delivers Euros!!!

This one hittin' DONE at lunch.

This one?  Not so much...

All vacations require ice cream and you can find that anywhere.  

Europeans love their ice cream.

Life's tough.

This man can have fun anywhere.

Loire Valley, Castle Valley

We all slept in until 9am the day after Hell Day for the Bag Family.  But I woke with a start:  “Shit!  It’s Bastille Day!”  Bastille Day is similar to July 4^th in the USA.  Whereas at home stores are still open - this is France!  They close for two hours every day just for lunch.  I felt panicked.  Were we going to be able to get groceries?  Do laundry?  We NEEDED to do laundry.  The girls and I had no clean underwear and  only a few clean clothes.  (Peter somehow always has less clothes and less laundry.   MEN!) 

So as my PJ clad family was settling into the couch rubbing their eyes and drinking milk and coffee,  I jumped in the car.  And yes, I was commando (too much information?).  I saw a Intermarche (chain grocery store in France) when we drove in last night.  I brought the GPS, but decided to wing it.  We were in a small town surely I could find it…. Please, please, please be open…. Yessssssss it was OPEN! 

So began my first lovely morning in the Loire Valley.  I was able to slowly browse the isles without kids yanking at my pants and desperately asking me for chocolate (Sophia), gum (Madelyn) and toys (duh, both).  Next I drove into the village center and headed to the TI (tourist information office).  All… by… myself!    I figured out our castle viewin’ and wine tastin’ game plan.  The Loire Valley has everything: Wine for mama and real princess castles for the girls.  We have been calling it Castle Valley rather than the Loire Valley.  For Peter…. Hmmm… its farmland ie no rocks for climbing.  Well, maybe it doesn’t have everything…

Our first?  Châteaud’ Ussé is supposedly the true home of the Sleeping Beauty story, as well as, inspiration for Walt Disney’s castles.  We figured that was a good bet and the girls were officially awed.  Madelyn took a ton of pictures.  We were able to see most of the castle, including the attic (Peter and I thought this was uber cool – bunch of old stuff gathering dust in an ancient castle), the church, cellars and the stables.  The Château had a good collection of different types of horse drawn carriages with descriptions of what situations they would be used. 

Ummm... Madelyn?  Big, old, amazing, real castle behind ya... 

but Mommy these pebbles are sooooo neat!

Our second day was spent at a castle catering to kids, Château et Jardins du Rivau (http://www.loire-castle-rivau.com/).  We did not hear one complaint from MJ and Phia all day except having troubling seeing during the jousting competition.  We first toured the castle, then we had lunch in front of the castle, then we watched the horse/knight/jousting show and finally walked around the grounds.  This Château had people walking around in medieval costumes and entertaining the children (well, and us too): sword fights, juggling, etc.  They also had a chance to explore and try out medieval competitions like sword fighting, archery and jousting.   

lunch next to the castle

lunch time entertainment

live jousting competition

the castle grounds were filled with artwork; very cool

Phia practicing her skills at sword fighting

trying out a cross bow (yes, yes, it has a soft end)

on the playground

After dinner in our tiny apartment we headed to the pool.  A brother and sister played tag with Madelyn in the pool while Peter acted as interpreter.  Julian and Monique didn’t speak any English and MJ didn’t speak any French but kids have an international language called play.

Our days in France have been very slow and unrushed.  I just love it.  At home as soon as my legs swing out of the bed and hit the floor I am running to accomplish everything in our over scheduled lives.  Here we have no timeline or deadlines. 

We have been waking up late around 8:30am or 9am.  First item on the agenda, after a cup of cappuccino in our apartment, is  a run to the boulangerie for bread and croissants.  We finally get ourselves brushed, washed, shoes on, organized and in the car by 11am.  We sit down for a lunch out around 1pm and are done around 2:30pm.  Then we continue our activity until about 6:00pm.  We head back to the apartment to make dinner for ourselves and swimming pool time.  Bed time has usually been no earlier than 11:00pm for all of us.  Refreshingly different than at home, but Peter and I still have these nagging thoughts… “they should be in bed now!”  And then  “oh ya, we have no schedule to keep… ”  Is it really kids that need the routine or the parents?

We are all starting to feel sad about heading back home.  None of us want to leave.  I am looking forward to being in my home again, but I am not looking forward to the commitments and requirements.

~Lisa

July 16