So I have never had a more difficult trip. Just ever. Not to say it wasn’t awesome. But I got lost many a time, traveled alone and carted around my twenty-pound backpack everywhere because I had a hotel in a different city every day. And now that I’ve given you the background of this trip, here’s what made it all worth it. (From least to most favorite).
Blois Castle:
The staircase here is awesome. Other than just looking really cool, it’s a testament to the fact that castles started becoming much less about actual security and much more about fan-fare. I mean, who would want to stand on an open staircase when people are shooting arrows and things at you? Not me.
And this thing has got to be the most comfortable-looking throne I’ve ever seen! Especially after reading Game of Thrones, this thing is just the height of luxury. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to be king…
Chateau de Versailles:
This is the Hall of Mirrors. It’s basically one of the coolest places ever. Lined with pictures of battles in which France was awesome (fun fact, the French aren’t really traditionally surrender-ers), it drives home the extravagance of the castle. Well, the famed extravagance. It’s basically what you would get if wall-paper, hundreds of sculptors and gold all got together and threw a gigantic party together. That lasted years. Straight. With no sleep.
And this is an example of garden art at its finest. The entirety of this absolutely massive garden is designed to be full of surprises, and let me tell you. It is. You would never know that the garden part of this picture was even there until you were almost on top of it. It just looks like a lake in the distance. Total design brilliance.
All those little flowers there are called Snowdrops. They are my favorite flower of all time. And there are HUNDREDS of them here! I about died. It was too freaking cool.
Clos Lucé:
This was a really sweet place to visit. It’s the home of Leonardo da Vinci in France and where he died (right in this bed apparently). Especially cool because of just how much of the Clos Lucé I share with my dad. It was a really awesome experience.
Amboise:
I think this was by far the most beautiful castle I went to, even though it was also probably the smallest. I mean, this picture sums it up pretty well. Open gardens, a view out over the Loire, a refined and not over-decorated castle. It’s a place you might actually live in and there’s a lot to be said about that where castles are concerned.
And this is one of the first throne rooms in France. Well at least in what we would consider a “traditional” throne room would be. François I actually saw people in this room, which was something of a first for the time. François I, by the way, was a total beast. Patron of the arts (he was the dude responsible for bringing over da Vinci), the start of the absolute monarchy (he rejected the supremacy of the pope over the king), and just generally a cool dude. He is, for the moment, my favorite French king. I’m sure at some point I’ll learn something awful about him though. He was, after all, a king.
And that was a quick summary of a really fantastic trip. Castles. I will always love you.
Adventures in Yonderland 