Two weeks has passed..rapidly. Back to normal life. Unlike most frenchies who take 3 or more weeks during summer vacation, frenchguy and I decided to keep some vacation for later..when bébé arrives.
This summer vacation has been particularly calm. Yep, no more vagabonding with our tents trying to discover more of the French countrysides and some neighboring countries. Everything has been planned.
So to keep with my planning, here is how we devoured our vacation:
Starter:
Appetizing! Just the right entrée to boost the appetite. The 11km hike was well worth it, just can't keep my camera from capturing the beauty of this island. I would voluntarily restart the hike if given another chance. The weather was great, just can't ask for more.
The island was 40 minutes away from the continent, standing proudly in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. We skirted the côte sauvage to have a good view of the ocean and the inviting bordering cliffs - a view which reminds me of Brittany, north of France.
Click the picture and visit the island with me.
Main Meal:
The castle hopping was equally interesting. Well, Chateau d'Ussé (known also as Castle of Sleeping Beauty - left photo) was effectively for kids hehe, aside from the fact that the author of the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty was inspired by this castle to write his novel, nothing else really captured the curiousity in me. I should have waited for bébé before visiting. 
Chateau de Chambord (right photo) on the other hand is a must-see. The architecture was superbe, no wonder it's one of the most visited castle in the region. The history behind every wall is equally interesting, showing every trace of King Francis I's reclamed supremacy. King at the age of 20, he wanted to show the world how powerful he was - this castle was just one of his signatures. In fact, the castle was constructed on a swamp in the middle of the forest (imagine the foundation!!), destined to lodge the King and his alalays during the hunting season.
Castle-hop with me. Click the pictures for more.Dessert: 
Reading lazily at the beach while licking my favorite ice cream, excitedly waiting for the sunset, ignoring the fact that I'll be nognog as ever, need I ask for more? Ok, how I wished the sea was hotter than it was, just can't push myself to swim, brrrr. Frenchguy and his niece and nephew were of course having fun juggling between playing beach badminton and having swimming competition while I watch them, imagining him as a future papa. Oh well, I guess he will be the most kulit papa on earth!
Another twist during the vacation, I just transformed myself into a shopaholic! Yep, shopping for the bébé. I guess my nesting urges are starting to surface, I was just as excited to end the vacation to prepare my bébé's room and arrange her closet.
Excited maman, as always!
14 comments:
welcome back Ana! glad you had a wonderful time on your vacation. nag-enjoy ako browsing your photos, ang gaganda ng mga kuha. =)
take care!
Ang tagal kitang inabangan ah. May castle hopping pa kayo, no. hay naku para na rin akong nakapunta sa mga castles na yan. Teka, nakakapasok ba kayo sa loob? Wala kayang mumo?
Nao, just taking advantage habang madali pang gumalaw. Atsaka dito, we're obliged to take at least 2wks summer vacation, kesa naman mag pusoy dos na lang kami araw araw ni frenchguy hehe, yayaman ako nyan kasi tatalunin ko sya palagi hehe...i like walking kasi kahit sa park lang, mas napapagod ako pag nakakulong ako sa bahay...my MIL is worried na nga for me kasi baka daw mapagod ako hehe...
Sha, i love the night life in Spain too, very lively! we were there last year, skirted the east coast down to barcelona, i love the mini concerts by the beach where everybody dances chacha, salsa..name it! enjoy your vacation too...kinda cold tho for a summer!
Ligaya, great that you enjoyed the pix, medyo trying amature photographer kuno kasi si ako e hehe..
Bel, sabi naman sayo, walang mumo dito e hehe...pwedeng bisitahin yung loob ng castle, where you could see the rooms of the kings and the queens, their function rooms etc, hiwalay kasi palagi yung rooms nila, pati yung visitor's hall nila, hiwalay din...and that's for all the castles in France. me natutunan pa nga ako e, nagtaka kasi ako kung bakit ang ikli naman yata ng beds nila, puro ba sila pandak noong araw? yun pala e they sleep ng nakaupo, kasi pag nakahiga, position daw yun ng mga patay na...o di ba?
oh wow!
so socialite and daring naman ang 'arrive' ng madame Ana! o say? sexy pa rin!
i've always heard of La Belle au Bois Dormant's castle and been wanting to visit it -- well actually it's for Cléms sana but since it would mean 6 hours drive from here, tsaka na lang.
alors comment va le bébé? Avez-vous deja réflechi au prenom de votre boutchou?
take care!
boks
Boks, asows, sa picture lang yan, they start to call me moby dick sa office, kainis!
Le chateau, it would be interesting for Clems, effectivement, mais le reste, ça ne m'a pas vraiment intéressé..we just visited it coz it's on our way and since we have to be tranquil with our vacances, sige na nga hehe...with no conviction at all!
le petit boutchou va très bien, ako ang hindi makatulog, elle n'arrettait pas de bouger, surtout avant dormir..pour le prénom, on garde ça pour le fin hehe...bises!
hi ana! wow, seems like your vacation went well. welcome back to the (non)holiday world! hehehe. hope you and the baby are doing fine ;-)
kala
ang ganda ganda sis! at ang mga pictures! postcard perfect!gand apati ng pose mo :) with the castle di halatang buntis!
Kala, thanks, im still on vacation mode tho..kakatamad na!
Duke, salamat pow. Sobrang ganda lang ng background so kahit anong pose, ok pa rin ang labas hehe...pinag aralan ko ng husto yang pose na yan ha hehe...
Chateau's d'Usse and Chambord are lovely!
This is definitely one of the beautiful and enchanting things to experience anywhere we go (either we vacation or live here) in Europe is castle sightseeing. We just can't miss them.
I enjoyed your fotos. Glad you had a great relaxing time and was able to shop stuff for your new family addition during your vacation.
exactly, amazing how they could preserve these richesse after all these years..
Wow! Ang gaganda ng pics mo. Para akong nananaginip habang tinitignan ko. Hehe! What a lovely vacation! :)
Hi Patrice, great that you enjoyed the pix...the visit was all the more enjoyable..visit europe and you'll get a lot of these great sites!
Congratulations on the upcoming baby. Nice pictures. Mukhang magaganda ang mga sights diyan sa Europe. Love the castles! Take care
Hi NiceHeart, thanks! Europe - the old continent, if you want to experience being sent back to the past (medieval ages, for example), visit Europe. It's a concentration of old castles - great architecture and the arts. You will not be disappointed, im sure.
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