Chateau De Chambord

This is the last castle we visited on our road trip through the French country side. I must admit by the time we made it hear I was fighting a little car sick feeling and we were all exhausted. This castle was built to be a mere hunting lodge for some French royalty. Wowza! You do not want to see the concoction of a hunting lodge (questionable term) my husband and Dad come up with compared to this. Let's just say, theirs doesn't have as many windows! Ha! 

 

Chateau De Chambord

 

This is the largest original staircase, there is something fancy about the fact that it is straight and not spiral. Apparently, that was a brand new posh style to build in the day. Can you tell how much attention I paid to the details?

 

This is one of the king's 3 heaters. He must have been a little cold natured because this sucker was huge! Oh, and I read that the other rooms only had 1 about half the size of this. He was also hospitable is sounds!

 

Just some of the keys to all the doors and gates in this humble hunting lodge!

Now, we see fire places like that in Arkansas!

 

 Beautiful entry room

 

Hall of Horns!! I actually loved this, the dates were under every set.

 

There were hundreds and hundreds of acres that go with this castle. You can't have a hunting lodge without places to hunt! The grounds are known to hunt deer, birds, squirrel, fox, rabbits, and many other critters. 

 

 

 

 These are views from the inside courtyard. Gorgeous!

 

 This is the front of the castle.

 

I absolutely loved this trip! I would suggest this adventure to anyone coming to visit France. It was very kid friendly and we all felt so much better after getting away from the city.

 

 

Until Next Time,

Megan

 



Chateau De Usse'

 

I wasn't able to blog yesterday due to an awesome appointment we had with a French immigration office. It included a full physical. It was awesome! Ha!

 

This is the first castle we found Saturday afternoon. It was starting to rain and the kids had been in the car for about two hours, so we were all so excited to be here. This is Chateau De Usse'. This is the actual castle that Disney used to model Sleeping Beauty's castle in the movie. They played up that fact well with all the props and mannequins in the front tower. The chateau really did look like the movie, but the pictures don't make it as obvious. It is set in a hillside and there are large retaining walls to keep the commoners away, so full chateau pictures were not easy to capture.

 

 

 

Chateau De Usse'

(that is Scout's head, not a finger!)

 

 

The Chapel

 

 

This room was part of the entry way into the main castle. This is a ceiling and was painted to resemble marble.

 

 

Scout loved the model of the chateau, maybe more than the actual full size!

 

This is a secret passage that ended way in the woods. An escape root!! We were allowed to walk down into it and it was cold and dark. Super SPOOKY!!

 

 

The only original piece of furniture that is still in the house.

 

 

Beautiful Staircase

 

Awesome Mannequins on the staircase!!

 

Formal Dining Room (in bright yellow!)

 

Bedroom

 

Main Hallway facing the Courtyard! GORGEOUS!

 



 

 

We finally made it up the hillside to the stables and found this cart that was similar to originals from the time period the castle was built.

 

 

There were large storage rooms and cellars in the hillside. (Again cold, dark and Super SPOOKY!!)

 

 

We climbed over 100 old, wooden, creaky stairs to the top of Sleeping Beauty's tower!!

 

And, if you look really close we found an actual princess at the top of the tower!! Princess Emma!

 



 

 

Then to let off even more steam the kids and I raced all around the gardens. This is a memory I don't think I will ever forget. The scenery was gorgeous and the kids and I were having so much fun!

 

 

 

 

This chateau was beautiful, but overall a little spooky. I was all set to stay the night in a castle, then with this being our first one to visit I quickly backed out of sleeping in one. I thought it was amazing to visit in the bright of day though! Emma obviously loved this one the most. Attach Disney to anything and my kids are totally...SOLD.

 

 

 

Until Next Time,

Megan

 

Inside of Chateau De Chenonceau

It has been blistering cold here in Paris yesterday and today! And..it has been snowing here all day and piling up like small blizzard. To top it all off there is construction going on in the store front underneath our apartment and it is LOUD. I thought it was drilling AKA jack hammer. Now  I am onto the theory that it must be a very loud generator because it never takes a break. You would think if that was a drill the person running it would need a break. Right? So, it has to be generator. I am really not into reading blogs of just whining, but today I am gonna whine. Either the snow needs to dry up and go away so we can get out of our 700 square foot of heaven OR the generator needs to go.

OK, I'll stop. Onto happier things!

It was gently brought to my attention by one of my devoted readers (my dear Aunt Nancy!) that I did not post any pictures of the inside of the castle yesterday. She thought maybe we weren't allowed inside. But, we were!! I just forgot about the inside. So, today after my rant and raid about the conditions and noise I will leave you with pictures of the inside of Chateau De Chenonceau.

 

The chapel inside the castle

 

Servant eating areas

 

Kitchen

 



Grand Hallway

 

 

 

 

 Bedrooms

 

 

Until Next Time,

Megan

Chenonceau

 

We have had a gloomy, gloomy last few weeks in Paris. My family has went through a terrible tragedy with my precious uncle loosing his battle with cancer after only three weeks. Jarred and I were unable to get home due to the ice storm that hit at the exact same time as his passing and it has just been sad. We have done several fun and new things in Paris, but I have been unable to blog or even really enjoy these things because the sadness and loss have been so present in our hearts. Our family has never went through something this hard and I have had the hardest time not being there with them. So, to try and adjust the scenery Jarred took the kids and I on a little road trip this weekend. We went through the French country side in search of "real" castles. By no means are we "over" our loss, but changing the surroundings, riding in a car, feeling the sun, and just being out of the city has been a good distraction.

 

 

LOOK WHAT WE FOUND!!!

 

We found an AMAZE BALLS castle!!!

 

This is  CHATEAU DE CHENONCEAU!

 

 

Isn't it unbelievable?? It was built over a river and dates back to 1499.

 

The kids had an amazing time. Scout thinks real "primpresses" live in the castles we go in and continually yells "Primpress come out!" The other tourists do not find it as enduring as his mother. What's their problem??

 

 

 

Obviously, Emma feels that this is Rapunzel's castle because there is a tower for her to let her hair down!! We were not allowed to climb this tower. The kids were sad. My thighs were happy!

 

This was my favorite castle!! It has beautiful gardens, fountains, a farm, ducks, goats, old cars, a moat and a draw bridge. Yes, a working draw bridge!!

 

We saw several and I will write separate blogs about each one, but this was just my favorite. Walking through the gardens here I felt a peace. I did not have on a coat, the weather was beautiful, we were there on a Sunday morning and I just felt peace. It was nice.

 

 

Oh, BTW I want one!! I told Jarred I need no more shoes, clothes, handbags. I now NEED a castle!! The Chateau De Megan...now that has a nice ring to it!

 

 

Until Next Time,

Megan

 

A Lesson In Being Chic!!

When Jarred and I found out we would be moving to Paris it seemed like everyone talked about how chic and glamorous this city is. It seems to be known for fashion and it does feel like everyone around here has way more time invested in their appearance while doing small tasks. I mean right outside of our apartment you can easily see a seventy year old woman walking her dog in heels and a fur coat. I mean REALLY?? Back home I run to the mailbox in a house coat and slippers. Now granted I am praying to Jesus please do not let anyone see me, but still...it happens!

The point in my comment is we Americans have one little task that I feel we could teach these Parisians a little chicness. What is that you might ask?? Well, going to the grocery store and hauling your groceries home. That's right! You heard me.

Last night we had went to a museum and then to dinner with friends and on the way home I offered to stop at the market and pick up a few things we needed at home. I was a little more dressed up than usual because of our afternoon/evening plans. So there I am at the market with my fashionable jacket, dressy jeans, and clogs (I said somewhat dressed up!). Now, when you walk up to the line you have to unload your groceries from the basket and put them on the belt (like in America...hang in there), then the cashier simply runs the groceries across the scanner and gives you a total. (it must be noted the cashiers do not dare get off their stools in this task!) Now, you have to sack up all your groceries and if you forgot your reusable tote you get to pay for their plastic Wal-Mart like sacs. Now I say Wal-Mart like because they are tiny and clear. Not frosty, clear. And, not everything fits. I point this out because if you need any personal items...they are no longer personal in this process! Ha!

Now I am worked up into a half sweat sacking up all our groceries and paying in my winter bundle and I am headed out the door. This is when I realize I must blog about this. I am walking down the gorgeous, chic streets of Paris headed home in my "dressy" clothes carrying four clear sacks of groceries in one hand and a large package of toilet paper in the other. I then realized it is quiet difficult to look and feel chic while hauling your TP home like a pack mule!!


Until Next Time,
Megan

Happy Valentine's Day!!

I hope you all had a very lovely Valentine's Day!! We had a lot of good fun here in ole Paris!! We did get another mouse like rat on our trap the week before (the head was all that fit on the trap, therefore I will continue calling them rats!)

My new friend Stephanie (and yes, that is what I call her every time I reference her in conversations to others. Ha!) took our kiddos to a chocolate museum called Choco Story the morning of the love holiday. The kids had a ball and yes, we did eat quite a bit of chocolate!!! We read about and saw exhibits on the history of how chocolate was first discovered and how recipes have evolved over time. (I was particularly impressed with the Spanish recipe. Go figure!!) We saw many tools that are used in making chocolate and we even saw several pretty cups that were used exclusively for drinking chocolate. Then we watched an actual chocolatier make chocolates and he let us eat them!!! He said you have to study and apprentice a minimum of three years to be a chocolatier. Wow!! That is a long time to study chocolate! Before we left the museum we each had a delicious cup of hot chocolate!! Can you say HEAVEN!!! A whole museum of chocolate.

On our way home the kids and I were mesmerized by all the yummies in the windows of the boulangeries and we just had to bring home a strawberry something that tasted unbelievably good (because we were still needing sugar after a whole museum of chocolate, right?) and a heart shaped baguette with two hearts for my two Valentines.

Jarred brought home roses and other treats for the kids and we had a great dinner in!!

All in all it was a pretty great day!! Hey, check out Scout in the pictures! I could not get him to cooperate and give me a normal smile. He is such a little ham!!!


Until Next Time,
Megan