After a weekend of much needed rest, more travel and bonding with our host families, it was time to jump back into our intense itinerary. Monday morning was spent on a giant tour bus headed to the Amboise Castles.

Arriving was a cold affair and our first guided tour was through the Clos Lucé Castle. The building had a mostly brick exterior, which our tour guide explained was used to keep in heat. I was not convinced; it was just as freezing indoors as it was outdoors.

The Clos Lucé was originally the home to a minister of King Charles VIII. After it was vacated, Charles VIII invited the renowned Leonardo Da Vinci to stay in the house. We toured Da Vinci’s workspace and office, filled with everything from skulls to protractors to paintbrushes. They even had a mini-exhibition showcasing models, produced by IBM, of Da Vinci’s drawings.

Lunch was eaten on benches in the meticulously trimmed lawns. A group of four ferocious little ducks waddled right up to us and showed off some impressive skills by stretching and stealing granola bars right out of people’s hands. After fighting to save our food, we left Clos Lucé for the Royal Castle of Amboise, which was the king’s home and a true fortress.

Giant concrete walls blocked our view from the street of the detailed stone architecture and lush lawns. The Royal Castle of Amboise has been the home of kings since the 15th century. Ancient tapestries hang on the walls with once green thread now turned blue. Monstrous fireplaces illuminated vast rooms supported by columns engraved with the crest of Britannia and the royal Fleur de Lis.

One chapel was separated from the castle, but still within the fortress. It is the burial place of Leonardo Da Vinci. The chapel was made completely of polished stone and was decorated like a gingerbread house with hand chiseled patterns in the stone.

While the Royal Castle of Amboise was bigger than the Clos Lucé, it has actually been reduced in size. During war time, the government and royalty needed more money so instead of choosing to refurbish or restore sections of the castle, they tore it down and sold the materials. A large portion of the castle was unfortunately destroyed during this time, but it is now privately owned and is by no means lacking in ornateness.

Arriving back in Le Mans Monday evening was bittersweet. The last night with our families was finally here and it was almost time for goodbyes. Everyone had a sit down dinner like normal, but the conversation was focused on returning to Le Mans and visiting the United States. My host family and most others took down every piece of contact information we had available and sent us with enough food to survive for weeks. My favorite gift was the sizable block of cheese I crammed into my suitcase.

The last day at school was spent with our correspondants and their friends, who were always excited to learn about American culture and our weird pronounciations. We left le Lycée Notre Dame at 3:40 for the tram, some accompanied by their correspondants. After exiting the tram we waited with our correspondents for the train to arrive and take us to Paris. It was a sad goodbye but there were many promises of returning for future visits.

Our last night in Paris was spent in a cozy restaurant where we all sat recalling funny stories from our families and exchanging our weird and awesome experiences. The food was delicious and seemingly endless. It was certainly worthy of capping off our French adventure.