Day 16 - The Chateau

As I was crossing the Atlantic on my first ever trip to Europe back in 2002, I have to admit I had a pretty naive idea of what was awaiting me. I’d basically jumped on the plane having done next to zero research on what life in France would be like and I guess I essentially thought that Paris would look like something out of a medieval painting sprinkled with little Peugeots here and there (because, after all, this is the 21st century).

My first clash with reality came while riding in the taxi from Charles de Gaulle Airport to the city centre. As we approached the city limits I suddenly saw them: The Projects!!! Wait a sec!!! Paris had ugly, 50-storey high, grey, graffitied buildings just like the ones you see on the northern part of the Periférico in Puebla? WTF??!???

One by one all my pretty little cliché ideas of what life in Europe should be like came crushing down as I slowly discovered that France, too, had 4-lane highways and glass skyscrapers……

But I think the biggest disappointment of all was during my first visit to a French Castle. I remember it clearly because not only was it my first chateau, it was THE chateau to see: Versailles. And yet, I couldn’t believe it: there it was, the home of the last King of France looking like a big, rectangular, pink, overdone Malibu mansion!!! Where were the pointy dungeons and the drawing bridges? Where were the flowing triangular flags and the swamp around the entrance? Where were the towers that look like the ones you see on chessboards? And the enchanted forest? Didn’t anyone in France see Sleeping Beauty?!?!?

Hey, don’t blame me… I come from the land of Haciendas … the closest we Mexicans ever get to a castle is the Castillo de Kukulkán in Chichen Itzá. Of course my reference in the subject of fairytale castles is going to be Disney!

Eventually, someone was kind enough to explain to me that the castles I had in mind were more the style you would likely find in England and that those things I commonly referred to as “big old mansions” where in fact the authentic French Chateau style. Just like the Castle of Sceaux (today's pic) which is in the town hubby's parents live and where we had a picnic with some friends this afternoon.

I have slowly come to terms with this. Heck, we even celebrated our wedding in one of these so called castles, the pretty Chateau de Malsherbes (which btw looks nowhere near like Cinderella’s although I guess you can say those towers on each side do look kinda pointy).

I just hope this doesn’t mean there is no such thing as an Aladdin Palace in the Middle Eastern countries!!!
Fned.