Day 1 & 2

Hi everybody.

We made it to France.  It has been a long 36 hours.  Our plane left Mpls at 4:30PM CDT on Saturday, March 21.  We arrived in Amsterdam at 5:45AM which is actually 11:45PM in Minnesota.  This time zone is 6 hours ahead.  We then caught a connecting flight to Paris at 7:45AM and arrived in Paris at 8:30 AM.  After having to report one person's suitcase missing we spent a couple of hours in Paris before taking a bus to Blois which is a 3 hour ride.  I was able to sleep about 1.5 hours of the entire trip.  

In Paris we roamed the open air market that takes place every Sunday and Thursday.  The varieties of goods available was outstanding.  There were florists, fruit stands, fish mongers, butchers with fresh meat, fresh dairy products and eggs, pastry and bread booths, booths with wonderful cooked meats and dishes, clothing.......anything you can imagine.  We had a breakfast of wonderful chocolate croissants.  Other people purchased fruits, cheeses or whole loaves of bread.

Upon arriving in Bois we took a walk to do some sight seeing and then toured the Royal Chateau of Blois.  The Chateau has a long and interesting history.  It is made up of four distinct wings that were built during seperate royal periods so each wing has its own distinct personality and design.  The oldest portion of the Chateau was build in the 13th century as a royal medieval fortress and it is known as the Hall of the Estates General.  It was built by the counts of Bois.  The next wing was built between 1498-1503 by Louis XII.  That wing is of red brick and stone and bears ornate embelishments carved from the local white limestone.  The third Wing was built between 1515 and 1524 by Francois I and it bears much influence from renaissance Italy.  The 4th and final wing was build by Gaston d'Orleons between 1635-1638.  It was never finished.  Gaston was in line to the French throne until another male heir was born that was of closer relationship to the then king.  Gaston was unable to pay for the final construction.  This historic castle was inhabited by a long line of French royalty including Henry II and Catherine de Medicis.  

Blois is a beautiful city located in the Loire Valley of France.  We had the opportunity to do some sight seeing today but tomorrow after touring another castle we will be able to spend more time in the city.  We will be able to spend some time shopping as well.  Tonight we were fortunate enough to have a local establishment stay open late just for us.  On Sundays most businesses close early but our group was large enough to make it worth while for the proprietor to stay open to serve us dinner.  The food was excellent, especially after such a long day of walking and traveling.  

It is now Sunday night at 10:00PM Paris time.  Back home it is Sunday afternoon, 4:00PM.  We have basically been awake and on the go since 6:00AM CDT Saturday - nearly 36 hours straight.  The bed is going to feel great.