Together Again

Pages From Jan's Travel Journal: Friday, May 20, 2016

At last! This was the day that Craig would arrive in France! We were all happy that he would soon be in Orléans, but at the same time we shared concerns that he could arrive late due to a transportation slow-down. Imagine Desmond's disappointment when that proved to be the case. He had been looking forward to meeting his dad at the train station and spending a bit of time with him before going to work. Only about half the normal number of trains were leaving Paris, and Craig was caught up in a delay that set him back by a couple of hours.

Des was dejected as he boarded the tram which would take him to the university. At the same time, I boarded a different tram that would carry me in the opposite direction, to Les Aubrais. My husband came in on the 2:00 train, tired but happy to have finally arrived after his long overnight flight. We hopped aboard a crowded tram for the ride across town. After a short, restful break in the apartment, we decided to do some shopping. We walked over the bridge to Halles Chatelet, where we browsed for a while, and then went down the street to Mr Bricolage. We purchased a fan there, for the bedroom, and as it was such a lovely day, we wandered over to the French Coffee Shop where we enjoyed a refreshing beverage. Craig was smiling happily as he looked at his surroundings. He was looking forward to a much-anticipated vacation and some quality time with his son. 

Craig was very happy to be back in Orleans.

After Craig and I returned to the apartment, it wasn't long before Desmond arrived home from work. Happy greetings followed as we prepared to sit down to apero. We toasted one another with cold beer and then munched our way through chips, tiny cubes of cheese, the wonderful sausage I had purchased at the festival, and some squares of pizza warmed up from the night before.

Azur snuggled up to Craig right away. 

For the evening meal, we treated ourselves to Oh, Terroir. The three of us walked slowly through the cool, evening air to the restaurant and were then faced with the difficult decision of choosing from their enticing menu. I ordered the barbecue burger and fries, which was wonderful! The fresh, local ingredients truly made a difference in the quality of the meal. Des bought a little mason jar in which were nestled two tiny macarons which Craig and I shared. After returning to the apartment, we didn't stay up late. Craig was tired from his long travel, and we had an exciting day planned for the morrow.

The food is always top quality at Oh Terroir.