After a jammed packed, see-all-you-can-in-little-time 4 days spent in Paris, Dad and I headed south towards Tours, France where I live. We were ready for a little slower paced environment, and the Loire Valley was a good place for that.
To get to Tours from Paris, we took the high speed train (TGV) as they are very popular across Europe. The train ride took only 1 hour (compared to a 3 hour drive), was very smooth, departed and arrived on exact scheduled time, and even had priority (or it’s own tracks) over the freight rail traffic. Dad and I would both agree that the TGV was a little different experience than Amtrak in USA.#USAneedshighspeedtrains
We arrived in time for me to attend volleyball practice with my team, I am thankful that my coach let me miss a couple days so I could spend some time with my Dad in Paris.
The next day was Dad’s birthday, so I planned for us to go see a nearby castle and then see the Tours men’s pro volleyball team play that night. We drove about 15 miles from where I live to one of the most fascinating castles of the Loire Valley, Chateau de Chenonceau. The overcast weather couldn’t take away any of the castle’s beauty! 
We really enjoyed our time spent at this magical place. I will be happy to take visiting friends here again and again.
What a royal way to spend a Birthday so far! After spending a few hours at the castle, we headed back to my place to get ready for the volleyball game in Tours. This was Dad’s first time seeing a men’s professional game or even a men’s volleyball game. Tours Volleyball is currently the top team in France. My French teacher and her husband joined us for the night, and we really enjoyed their company!
The next day was followed by more volleyball, Dad finally got to see me play again after about 4.5 years! It definitely wasn’t the best game of my career, but I am still glad that he was able to see me play again. We got the win 3-0, to remain undefeated on the season!
Besides seeing castles and volleyball, we did what you must do while visiting the largest wine producing region in France, visit a winery and buy wine! We went to a place called Chateau de Valmer known for it’s gardens and wines. It is located near Tours in a town called Vouvray, which is a commune known for it’s production of some of the best white wines in all of France. Fun fact for my wine lovers: Vouvray is made from the Chenin Blanc grape that only grows along the Loire River. I may or may not be a wine snob when I return to the USA..
Since we had spent so much nonstop time together already, Dad explored the city of Tours on his own as well as took a trip to a town along the Loire River, Amboise. Dad also helped me to take care of Shop by taking him on walks and giving him a lot of attention.
Overall, the 5 or so days spent in the Loire Valley were well spent, exploring castles and wineries, Dad finally got to see me play volleyball again after all these years, and he also got to see and experience what my life is like while living abroad. It had been a great experience so far. We didn’t think that it could get any better… until we saw Switzerland and the French Riviera…more adventures coming soon.
The Aud Blog 