Tours, France

ok, now where did i leave off?? first off, i should let everyone know that despite the fact that on these keyboards, it seems just easier to stop trying to punctuate everything correctly, or use capitals for that matter... also, i am a couple days behind in this blog, so while this is called Tours, France, i am really in Barcelona Spain, but for the sake of the pushpins on the map I will write my Tours entry and then try to catch up to spain!!

So, i made it to tours. After having this yummy falafel from yet another falafel place down the street, i had my good nights sleep in my own room! i tried to get it to go, but the boys behind the counter had me sit with them and try to converse. mostly, i was happy to stay to watch the people coming and going out of the little restaurant. They also had this amazing minty tea that was sweet and probably really good for my cold and sore throat that i have had.

I even saw a black swan

The next morning i walked to a bus stop and went back to the train station and booked my day tour of the chateaux in the Loire Valley. It was a bit more than maybe i would normally spend, but it would be way easier than trying to get to each one by train, and this way i would have commentary, and since its what i do for a living, i thought it might be helpful... and it soooo was!! I got to see ALL the good ones - we started at Chenonceau - itøs the fairly tale one built over the river. I made two friends, an American girl, and a guy from new zealand. We found this really fun maze that we ran through in the garden, then we walked up to the chateaux + let me just explain, there was this morning fog over the land, the sun was just peeking through, there was dew and mist on everything and it was green and blue and lovely. I even saw a black swan in the moat... The building itself was lovely, the kitchen amazing, and it was just so cool to be there. We saw Amboise next, had lunch in the town where we splurged and i actually had some meat! and then a torte for dessert - nice change from the usual baguette! In the afternoon we drove by Blois and then visited Cheverny, I think, and then Chambord (god, it starts to blur, as i have been told it would!). Chambord was different because it was a wealthy family who actually still lives in the right half of the castle/mansion. so this is the most lavishly furnished chateaux, and finally the furniture made sense to me. The other chateaux fustrated me a bit, in such a way that the furniture never made sense - the order or the size... but we all know how much of a perfectionist i can be, and i like straight angles and order... anyways. These people know how to live, so lavishly decorated. I am taking tonnes of pictures!

The next day I spent walking around tours with my new friend. We saw the cathedral (obligatory stop in any town!) walked along the river, crossed some bridges, and then finally I found a laundromat and did laundry!! how nice!

I caught an evening train to paris, and then got on an overnight train to Barcelona. These trains are crazy. I had to get a couchette, which meant i did not have just a reclining chair but an actual bed. I shared the room with three other ladies, and it was fun to wake up every once in a while to the train rocking on itøs track... Oh wait + the experience getting onto the overnight train was something else. So i finally get used to speaking and understanding french, right. yes. I get off one train, a little sleepy, change platforms and am greeted with OLA! and then all this jibberish which i can safely assume was spanish and I literally burst out laughing. I felt so bad for the guy but it was such an assault on my senses, once more! He laughed and then said it all over again in french, and i just couldnøt bring myself to ask him to say it once again in english, so i did the usual smile and nod and kept walking. I am sure whatever he said was wonderfully nice and helpful. The next guy along the platform looked at my ticket and told me to keep walking basically + my train was at the other end. Train 84, bed 26. It was this bizarre mixture of Spanish, French and just a wee bit of English, but way less than <i was used to. In fact, no one in my room or hall spoke english. But we communicated in French mostly. Even went to the cafeteria car with one girl and had a tea.

Ok. so that was my trip to Barcelona. We arrived at about 830am, it was dark the entire time, until we arrived, and i saw palm trees, so i knew i was somewhere new. next battle - finding somewhere to sleep this new night, as i had not booked anything - remember I am winging it!! part of the adventure!

and off to the next entry!

buenos noches!