Introducing an American Teen to the Culture of France by Various Travel Authors on Creators.com

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Introducing an American Teen to the Culture of France

As a Francophile, I chose France for Ariel, my 15-year-old southern Californian, granddaughter's first foreign trip. Don't all parents and grandparents hope to broaden their kids' minds and enrich their experiences? So, I planned a variety of glorious places that I loved — royal chateaux, private chateaux for overnights, Gothic cathedrals, and gardens — hoping to impress her with grandeur, antiquity, and history.

But my planning was colored by worries as well. What if she became bored or overwhelmed? What if she asked to go home early?

In a rented Renault auto on a sunny day in May, we drove southwest from Paris to the Loire Valley. An impressively tall allee (avenue) led to Chateau de Chenonceau, the palace given by Henri II of France to his "favorite" Diane de Poitiers. On Henri's death in 1599, his rejected wife, Queen Catherine de Medicis, took revenge on Diane by kicking her out and installing herself.

Inside, we rented Apple iPods and listened to descriptions of the antique furniture, paintings, and tapestries. These rooms with their dramas of love, jealousy, infidelity, and revenge captured our imaginations.

Afterwards, we strolled through the chateau's gardens and gazed at the building's reflections spanning the Cher River. "Like it?" I asked.

"So cool. I like how it's built in the river. It was for his girlfriend," she said.

What sort of moral lesson was this? I worried. Broadening her mind too widely?

The following day, we visited Blois, another historic royal chateau built from the Middle Ages to the Neo-Classical period, and known for having been enlarged by various kings, including Louis XII in 1498 and Francis I in 1515.

Next, we toured the 16th century Chateau de Beauregard. Lining the grand salon's walls were 363 portraits of monarchs, courtiers, and important foreigners. In another room, the guide invited Ariel to open a wooden antique cabinet by placing her finger in the sinister, gaping, mouth-shaped lock, and pushing down on the metal tongue. Reluctantly Ariel inserted her finger and clicked it open.

"That was scary," she said, checking that her finger was intact.

South of the Loire Valley, we reached Bourges, the capital city of the Region Centre. We "oohed" and "aahed" at the cathedral's Gothic portal and nave — one of France's greatest.

South of Bourges, we toured Chateau d'Ainay-le-Vieil, a medieval castle. The owner, Madame de Peyronnet, led us up onto the crenellated parapets joining ancient fortified towers and impressed Ariel with the strategies of medieval protection. Madame de Peyronnet enthusiastically described how the occupants fought off attackers by pulling up the moat's drawbridge, lowering the portcullis, shooting arrows through arrow loops, and pouring cauldrons of boiling water on enemy heads through a hole in the floor.

"Cool, I like seeing where they shot arrows and poured water," Ariel said, peering through the hole in the floor for the third time.

As the days passed, we drove from site to site through beautiful, bucolic countryside, toured other sites, and stayed in private grand chateaux that welcome overnights guests.

Another highlight was our two nights stay in the magnificent, private Chateau de la Verrerie (a favorite of mine).

Owner, Count Beraud de Vogue invited us to join him for dinner. At the elegantly set table, we tucked into roast lamb, mixed vegetables, and chocolate cake. Astonished by the size and glory of the home, as well as its elegant rooms filled with authentic antiques, Ariel now understood why I loved sleeping in chateaux.

In Ainay-le-Vieil and Chateau de la Verrerie, Ariel noted the development of architecture from a thick-walled 13th century medieval fortified castle to a thinner walled 16th century Renaissance palace where the original tiny windows had been enlarged into picture windows.

Eventually all cool things must end. I realized that my worries had been unfounded. In fact, she'd set the mood by making me feel like a carefree teenager. And, along the way, she'd absorbed a great deal about the beauty of all things French.

IF YOU GO

Air France flies daily from several U.S. cities to Paris (www.airfrance.com)

Take the train from Paris to Orleans and pick up a reserved Hertz or Avis at the train station. For tickets or passes Contact RailEurope at 800-307-7309, www.raileurope.com

Great chateaux open for day tours charge a small fee: contact the Loire Valley Tourist Board www.visaloire.com and crtl.centre@crtlcentre.com. Passport Val de Loire about $30, entrance to 100 monuments, www.monum.fr; Chenonceau, www.chenonceau@wanadoo.fr.

Beauregard: www.loirefrance.com/visites/chateaux/beauregard

Chateau de Ainay-le-Vieil: www.chateauxfrance.com/ainaylevieil/

Private chateaux for overnights have about six rooms with private bathrooms. Rates depend on the room or suite: La Verrerie: info@chateaulaverrerie.com; www.loiredeschateaux.com

Hotel le Bon Labourer in Chenonceau has a swimming pool: www.bonlabourer@wanadoo.fr

Maison de la Magie (at Blois) gives a wonderful show for kids: www.musees.regioncentre.fr

French Government Tourist Office: www.franceguide.com

Patricia Woeber is a freelance travel writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.