After visiting Paris, Cliff and I rented a car and drove to Tours, France, to see our friend Matt. Matt lived in this town for a year while he was studying for the French Bar. Before coming, he kept telling us how excited he was for us to see Tours because its authentically French. We got the experience some of that "Frenchiness" (Matt's word) our first night here when we sat outside at a cafe chatting, dining, sipping on wine, and enjoying the beautiful weather. It was pure magic, and it didn't take me long at all to fall in love with the town of Tours.
At 130,000 people, Tours is the largest village in the Loire Valley, and is one of the most quaint, charming places I've ever visited. The people of Tours have so eloquently mixed old (the buildings in the first photo below this text are from the Middle Ages) with the new, and the community's history is fascinating. It predates the Middle Ages, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Joan of Arc came here, and more recently, the town pioneered methods for preserving community history. I could see myself living here, and have pitched the idea to Cliff that we retire here!
The rest of the Loire Valley is known for its lush greenery and scenic river lands. For centuries Kings, Queens, and other noblepeople chose this area of France to build castles and chateaus, dozens of which still exist. This is truly the land of fairy tales!
It was also in the Loire Valley where my favorite part of our entire vacation happened. Scroll down to learn more about the surprise and see photos of something truly magnificent! Don't forget to follow me on Instagram, where I'll take a behind-the-scenes look at some of our favorite vacation photos!
At 130,000 people, Tours is the largest village in the Loire Valley, and is one of the most quaint, charming places I've ever visited. The people of Tours have so eloquently mixed old (the buildings in the first photo below this text are from the Middle Ages) with the new, and the community's history is fascinating. It predates the Middle Ages, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Joan of Arc came here, and more recently, the town pioneered methods for preserving community history. I could see myself living here, and have pitched the idea to Cliff that we retire here!
The rest of the Loire Valley is known for its lush greenery and scenic river lands. For centuries Kings, Queens, and other noblepeople chose this area of France to build castles and chateaus, dozens of which still exist. This is truly the land of fairy tales!
It was also in the Loire Valley where my favorite part of our entire vacation happened. Scroll down to learn more about the surprise and see photos of something truly magnificent! Don't forget to follow me on Instagram, where I'll take a behind-the-scenes look at some of our favorite vacation photos!
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Château d'Amboise
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This is where Leonardo DiVinci is buried.
Being able to pay respects to someone who shaped so much of human history was quite special.
Being able to pay respects to someone who shaped so much of human history was quite special.
Château de Chinon
Joan of Arc came here
Joan of Arc came here
This is one of my favorite photos from our entire trip. It's just magical!
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This beautiful little restaurant is inside of a cave. Matt recommended we eat here and I'm so glad we listened. This was truly a one-of-a-kind experience!
Château de Villandry
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The next set of photos are so special to me. On a whim, our friend Matt told us to get in the car. He wanted to show us something -- but he wouldn't say what. We had previously discussed visiting a French winery, so I assumed that's where we were going. We drove for about an hour before Matt had us pull over by a tree in the middle of a farm field. He told us to turn around and I was struck dumb with astonishment and awe. Behind us, in what felt like the middle of nowhere, were the ruins of a Roman Aqueduct. Being able to walk up to this, see it, touch it, feel it, and just be with it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life, and something I will not forget anytime soon. We stayed here for about an hour basking in the beauty of the moment.
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