Terra: The Rich History of the Old World
Creative Commons Image via The LEAF Project
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Something amazing about France and many other countries in Europe is that you can see just how astonishingly old the country is. Compared to the history of European countries, The United states’ history is just a blink. Of course I knew this before I went to France, but I never realized just how evident it is in the everyday lives of the people living there. I couldn’t walk down the street without seeing some near-ancient building still standing.
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Terra: Old World
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A huge amount of the cities and towns exist in France because they were once forts and castles meant for royalty or troops. Almost all of them were built on or near large rivers for the convenience of transportation just like most cities in The U.S. Some of the most amazing cathedrals in the world are in France too. A whole cathedral could take centuries to build so really you can walk from one end to the other and feels though you were stepping through a time machine. Some cities have even been able to preserve the town buildings that are so old they look like they are about to topple over. If you walk down a street of these old buildings you might feel like you were on the set of Les Misérables but it’s the real thing!
Terra: Old World
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Versailles was once just a hunting cabin for the king to retreat to but it has become a huge booming city. Châteaudun, Chambord, and Château de Chenonceau are a just a few of the twenty plus châteaux in the Loire valley alone! Just imagine driving by a 15th or 16th century castle on your morning commute every day, how strange that sounds from an American perspective!
Now you can step back in time when visiting this amazing buildings. Everything is kept as original as possible. It is almost like you can experience the same feelings the royalty did back when they actually lived in these castles—if only you could slip on a Victorian gown or something from King Louis XIV’s wardrobe.
Corrigan Herbert
LEAF Contributor
