Anyway, since I didn't have school, I had the wonderful opportunity to travel with my host family to the Loire Valley to tour the castles (chateaux) that the region is so famous for. France is home to some of the most beautiful Renaissance castles in the world, all because, once the Europe made it out of the Medieval Era, a whole bunch of French nobles and royals rose significantly in power and wealth, with way too much time, money, and renowned artists on their hands. Needless to say, things got a little extravagant.
Amboise
Chambord
Chenonceau
The Clos Luce, a museum and garden housing working models of inventions suggested by Leonardo da Vinci
Cheverney
Moulinsart, the fictional home of Tintin... which looks suspiciously like the central structure of Cheverney...
Even outside of the chateau region of the country, the preservation of history and culture is extremely important to the French. Small cities and even little villages almost always have an tourism office in the center of town, which I found strange when I first arrived. Now, I can see that even in seemingly insignificant little residentially areas, the community has taken extreme care to preserve their local history. Local, national, and world history are stressed in school from a very young age, and French children really do grow up with a knowledge (not necessarily an appreciation, but at least a knowledge) of the way the past has shaped the present.
As a history-lover myself, I find this all absolutely incredible, but it's amazing to see how many people take it for granted here. It's almost as if they're under the impression that every country has thousands of years of documented history, or that everyone has some castle, battlefield, or national monument within a thirty minute drive from home. I've really surprised some people here by mentioning that there's no museum in my small American hometown; in France, it's as if every little village has something historical to preserve: old documents, artwork, a chair that Napoleon once sat in, anything! (A quick note here: I've actually just learned that my hometown of Hollis, NH actually does have two small museums- which I used to drive by all the time without even realizing it- that actually contain a whole lot of very interesting history! I'm hoping to visit as soon as I go back home, especially now that I feel more perceptive to the history all around me. It's funny to think that, while halfway around the world, I'm more eager than ever to learn about the local history of the place I call home. :) )
It goes beyond just preserving objects too. Nearly every school, park, street, etc. in France is named after some historical figure. I was once told that there was supposedly a Rue Victor Hugo in every town and city in France. I'm not sure about every town, but I can say with certainty that there is a Rue Victor Hugo in all of the umpteen towns I've been in so far. That's right. All of the towns I've been to. Buildings and street signs typically have town maps on them, and I have a habit of casually strolling over and seeking out a Rue Victor Hugo somewhere in the town. I haven't been let down yet.
I personally am very happy to see a country take such pride and such responsibility in preserving its history. It's fascinating, from a tourist's perspective, but I'd like to think that it also serves a bit of a higher purpose. It might be wishful thinking, but I truly believe that if we put so much stress on learning our history, we might actually end up learning something from our history, and that we might not repeat the mistakes of past generations. I guess time will tell.
Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total; of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/robertkenn135396.html#LMdGAmIJj3L1HVuT.99
Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total; of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/robertkenn135396.html#LMdGAmIJj3L1HVuT.99Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total; of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total; all of those acts will be written the history of this generation. ~ Robert Kennedy
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/robertkenn135396.html#LMdGAmIJj3L1HVuT.99
Hi Emma,
ReplyDeleteOne definitely becomes a "time traveller" while touring Europe. But, when you return you will definitely have to visit the "small history museum" in your NH home town: http://www.hollishistoricalsociety.org/. In the mean time, you can do the next best thing by visiting the virtual museum compiled by many members of our community who value Hollis and New Hampshire historic and cultural heritage: http://www.hollisnh.org/windowsonhollispast/. Then you will appreciate that many of our Hollis roads are named for long-time Hollis families, including the Wright, Rideout, Powers and Farley families. But I would agree that Americans typically value the "shiny new" and overlook the lessons from history. So glad you are reminding us to look carefully to see our past within our present.
Thank you so much for the information, Mrs. Starr! Though I saw the two historical buildings all the time at home, I had no idea they were museums; I'll definitely be checking those out this summer! That's also interesting that so many of our roads are named for historical families- it's funny to think that I've lived in this one town my whole life and never realized it had so much history behind it. Having some adventures with Hollis history just flew to the top of my to-do list for this summer! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Emma,
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing about your experience, I have enjoyed reading your travelogue and your personal comments. Keep them coming.
Best to you,
Krishna Mangipudi
HB Rotary Club
Thank you so much! I'm really enjoying my time here, and I love being able to share my experiences with friends back home!
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