Well, it’s not exactly the extravagant castles that one sees in movies. This was at Collège Lycée Notre Dame d’Orveau, a Catholic boarding school at Nyoiseau, France. When I first saw this building, I was beyond amazed. It’s not the typical building that one sees in the middle of downtown Toronto. Together with my team, we were welcomed by the owners and had a quick tour of the premises.

Of course, I had to take a snap and send it to my friends back home. Here are some responses:

“Are you really working there? It looks like you’re on vacation!”

“Wow! You must be ‘living large’ over there.”

“How many rooms were there?”

To respond to these comments, yes I really worked there. No, I was not living large nor enjoying the rich French life. I do not know how many rooms, though. I didn’t even get to see the whole castle! In fact, we even struggled to have great Internet connection. Facebook was blocked (yes, I know. I am not in China).

The field in front of the castle was used for most of the activities. At an ordinary afternoon, I will see the students playing football, running around, or gathered in a circle to listen to talks and lectures. There were also basketball courts, where I spent most of my time for stress release.

Overall, this place is a retreat from the bustling sights and sounds of Paris. Also, did I mention that the students had no access to their mobile phones?