France

Hello,

Sorry for the delay in putting all of this up. Tour has been quite exhausting. After South Africa, we went to France, hitting Margaux, St. Emilion, Le Mans and St. Aubin Sur Loire all within the space of a week. This was, in my opinion, one of our best stops of tour. In the Margaux/St. Emilion area in the heart of Bordeaux, we were forced (sometimes, life is so difficult...) to taste multiple wines every day, and, before and after concerts, were given glasses of wonderful wine. Not only this, but we were given tours of multiple vineyards and given an insight into exactly how the delicious beverage that we were drinking was produced. Truly an amazing experience.

In Le Mans, we sang in an old church with some of the best acoustics of any space in which I have ever sung. Every song sounded great in that space, and it was really a pleasure to hear our group in such a beautifully and acoustically perfect space. Not only this, but we also had the opportunity to visit the cathedral in Le Mans, a cathedral which, upon seeing a postcard of an aerial view, I realized I had studied in Art History class. Very cool.

As our last stop in France, we stayed at The Chateau St. Aubin in St. Aubin sur Loire. Built in the 18th century, the chateau used to belong to the governor of the area. 10 years ago, the chateau was, unfortunately, in quite a state of disrepair. This was, of course, until the current owner gained control over the grounds and started renovations. You can see the before and after pictures here: http://www.chateaudestaubin.com/ as well as some other photos of the grounds. We sang a concert right inf ront of the main entrance to the chateau, followed by a delicious dinner with (I love France) more exquisite wine.

In France, we learned yet again that the quickest way to a Whifenpoof's heart is through his liver. We are all suckers for wine.