Une semaine française avec Aunt Marie

I got out of bed today, several hours after bidding Aunt Marie farewell, saddened to not have anyone for whom to prepare the pot of tea that had become my morning ritual over the past week.

We had an amazing time in Paris this past week, from our first afternoon together picnicking in gardens at the Institut Pasteur with pastries and sandwiches on fresh baguettes all the way to our last night together dancing and drinking sparkling wine along the banks of the Seine. Though the list of places I'd hoped to show Aunt Marie could have filled up several more weeks, our week didn't disappoint. We spent an evening savoring ice cream and watching the Olympics Closing Ceremonies on a giant screen in front of the Hôtel de Ville, cheering and singing with an enthusiastic bunch of Brits seated beside us. We climbed the tower on my rooftop for a full view across the city of Paris just in time to watch the Tour Montparnasse and the Eiffel Tower duke it out with their respective light displays. (The winner wasn't hard to pick.) On Fernando's suggestion, we finally made it to Chez Gladines, a French Basque restaurant I've been meaning to visit for years, along with Fernando's boisterous, affable crowd. Aunt Marie drank and joked with the rest of us as several bottles of rosé got us through the standard hour-plus long wait. Testing her spirit of adventure, Aunt Marie learned how to vélib, or use Paris's public bike system, to get around the city. We even ran across an art expo in the Orangerie of the Luxembourg Gardens on our last afternoon together where the sculptures on the theme L'étincelle de mouvement (the spark of movement) by François Lavrat particularly impressed us. The evening wrapped up with an MIT Club de France pub night where we both got out engi-nerd on before retreating to the nightlife along the banks of the Seine. All in all, not bad for a week in the city of lights.

Despite the draw of the city, Paris's borders didn't hold us in: the day after Aunt Marie arrived, we boarded a TGV headed straight to Dijon, a short ride from one of my favorite destinations: Beaune, in the heart of the Côte d'Or of Burgundy. Here we indulged in a farmer's market full of amazing colors, scents and flavors; a medieval town with winding cobblestone roads; endless vinyards and blue skies; and one hell of a wine tasting to cap off the day. I even treated myself to a very special bottle I've put into storage in my basement until after my thesis defense. (How much should I bet that I forget about this baby until I'm packing to move out?)

We had a positively regal Sunday, sleeping in to recover from the biking, then heading out to Versailles, where I relished still being young: the train ride out as well as the castle admission were entirely free just because I am a European resident under 26. (I am in denial about what happens in about six months' time.) Versailles was a bit particular as a considerable number of rooms, even including the Hall of Mirrors, were sporting modern art works nestled between or placed on top of the classical décor. The art works included shoes bigger than me made entirely of cooking pans and lids, crocheted coverings for marble lion statues, chandeliers made of plastic utensils, and best of all, the lilicopter: a helicopter covered in pink ostrich feathers, Swarovski crystal, and gold plating. It's probably the most ridiculous thing I'll ever see at Versailles, which is somehow appropriate as it's so ridiculous that only the French king himself (or the queen) might have ever ordered one.

Before heading over to catch an evening mass in Versailles, we stopped by the Monument Café in the center of town which I would highly recommend for its fresh yogurt and home-made fruit preserve toppings. I had to help Aunt Marie resist the temptation to lick her bowl clean. ;) 1 rue Maréchal Joffre, 78000 Versailles.

Perfectly timed mid-week, Wednesday happened to be a national holiday. Once again we set our alarms early and headed out of town, this time to explore a destination I'd yet to discover: the Loire Valley, known for its chateaux. We set off first for Chambord, reputed to be the most impressive of the lot. The estate itself is as large as the city of Paris. Though it is extraordinary, it rarely tempted its owners to pick up residence: King Francis I who ordered its construction spent a mere 72 days of his 32-year reign at the chateau. In fact, during the century in which the castle was most often occupied (the 1700s), it was only lived in for twelve years. This doesn't make the castle any less impressive. Leondardo da Vinci may have even been roped into designing the central staircase. The castle is ornate and houses a collection of telling portraits and paintings. I was particularly fond of the portrayal of men's footwear as captured in a few of the photos I've shared.

Running to barely catch the shuttle bus, we castle hopped to Cheverny. We dined outside the Orangerie, the very place where the Mona Lisa was hidden from the Nazis during WWII. This place, unlike the prior, impressed us even further in that it is a privately owned and still fully operational chateau, complete with a collection of hunting hounds. Indeed, though a very informative booklet walked us through every room in the central chateau, the wings we didn't see serve as home to the marquis, the marquise, and their three children. Just imagine being a kid and getting to play hide and seek in a room full of real suits of armor, or playing with your dinner at a table where kings once dined. (Sadly these kids are a bit too young for me to hold out on hopes of marrying into a title of French nobility... though it did inspire me to put out my radar: there's got to be some eligible bachelor out there somewhere looking to fill his chateau and bestow the title of duchess or marquise or something like that, no?)

All chateau'd out, we sat down from dinner in view of yet another chateau in downtown Blois, where we'd first arrived at the train station that morning. I can now sigh nonchalantly about all those French chateaux which "all start to look the same after a while." What's a girl to do? May as well start looking for a café table where I can prop myself with a coffee and a cigarette.

Now left without a buddy to offer second opinions on shoe choices and a morning tea selection, I'm surprised by how empty the apartment feels. But Aunt Marie is off to continue her adventures in Italy, so bon voyage, or as they say, buon viaggio!