The busy day!!

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The "Valley of the Kings" has certainly earned its title over the past 500 years!! Last Thursday, Alliey and I had planned to spend the whole day visiting various castles and the medieval village of Saumur. However, as fate would have it we would not only see some amazing sites but we would make a new friend. While we were at breakfast a girl came sat down at our table. Once she realized that we spoke English we began to introduce ourselves and discuss our plans for the day. Her name was Sophia and she was a French teacher in Chicago. She was traveling around France for two weeks before traveling to Madrid for a 6 week Spanish class. She was trying to get her teaching license expanded so she could teach Spanish and French. Sophia was traveling all along and told us that she was planning to take a guided walking tour around the city....well since we had a car and we had all of these cool places to visit we invited her along. So the three of us made our way to Chateau du Villandry. The castle itself was not as large as some of the more famous ones but the gardens we particularly interesting. There were over 300,000 plants and trees planted around the castle. The overall theme of the garden was love so everywhere you looked there we hearts and arrows tucked in everywhere. The rose garden took my breath away. There was this whole section devoted to the various colors and varieties of roses. There were purple, pink, red, yellow, orange, white, light green, and magenta. Some of them were bigger than the palm of both my hands put together!!! The garden also had many herbs, fruit trees, and vegetables. After leaving the castle we drove through the countryside towards the Abbeye du Fontevraud. However, on our way we drove past the most amazing fields of poppies and lavender...Sophia and I were in awe of the vastness of these fields.
When we arrived at the abbey it was practically empty except for a few people. When you walk into the main hall the entire place is white, serene, and quiet. The vaulted white marble ceilings are sort of mesmorizing. Towards the end of the great hall there are four tombs. The colors on the tombs have faded and it really does seem as though these four people are having eternal peace and rest!!! On a tiny plaque are the names of the four people (which almost made Alliey and I drop our stuff) were Eleanor of Aquitane, Henry II, Richard the Lion Heart, and Princess Isabelle. It turns out that this is the final resting place of the last Plantagenets!!!!WOW!!! Alleiy and I just fell in love with this place.
Then off we went to the village of Saumur...well it was a bit touristy but nevertheless there was a nice castle in the center and some great vistas from the top of the hill that the castle was on....We had a nice lunch with Sophia and we really found a lot to talk about...

Overall this was a great day!!!

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Photos

Travelling Companion
Sophia from Chicago

Belles Fleurs
Belles Fleurs

Comments

[Lo Lo Mo]

*jaw drops....*
No FRIGGIN way!!! Omg the history major in me is absolutely green with jealousy right now!!! Wow, that is amazing!