Tuesday, February 20, 2018

The Longest Day; The Hottest Day

Pages From Jan's Travel Journal: Wednesday, June 21  2017

Who knew it could become so hot in France? We had expected warm temperatures during our June vacation, but nothing like this. It was like being back home in Kansas! It was barely cool when we awoke, so we didn't have the windows open for long. We closed them and secured the shutters against the blazing heat to come. The temperature would climb to almost 100 degrees later that day.

Azur enjoyed a nap under a cool, damp cloth.
We remained indoors for hours, taking time to do some laundry and only going outside to hang the clothes out to dry. They dried quickly in the heat. At lunchtime, we picked up sandwiches from the little shop on the square. In the afternoon, Craig, Des, and Janey went to play in the Loire. That river is known for its dangerously strong currents, but there are a few areas that have sand bars surrounded by shallow water. The three of them splashed and waded for a couple of hours. 

Des and Janey in the Loire

Janey cools off in the Loire.
Later, Jeff came over. We all played a game of You Don't Know Jack. When Jeff suggested that we go out for drinks at Au Bureau and happened to mention that it was air conditioned, we willingly agreed. The lovely coolness was quite welcome. Mathieu met us there when he got off work. He told us there was no air conditioning or fan at his office. We lingered over our drinks and then decided to walk to the nearby restaurant, Le Don Vittorio, for pizza. It was a very nice place with lovely decor. We were thrilled to discover that it also had air conditioning. Janey and I shared a pizza that was topped with fresh mozzarella, Gorgonzola, mushrooms, and a type of ham called Speck. It was a fun meal.

Des and Jeff at le Don Vittorio, Orleans, France.

Pizza at le don Vittorio in Orleans, France.
June 21 is a day of country-wide music festivals in France. There were concerts in every square and park. Even little Place de la Bascule had its share of bands and street artists. We returned there just in time to hear the steel drum quartet. The artists were busy spray-painting their creations onto huge sheets of black plastic that were hung taut between two posts. One of the local restaurants had placed a grill outside, and the aroma of grilling sausages hung in the air. The bars on the square had a steady stream of customers. It was all very festive. The music lasted until 1:00 AM, so we were able to listen to it long after we went upstairs. It was too hot to sleep, anyway. The temperature had reached 98 degrees.

Music festival on the square.

An artist at the music festival.

More art at the festival.

It felt as if Orleans was on fire
 on the hottest day in France. Ever.

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