A Day Trip to Blois

Pages From Jan's Travel Journal: Wednesday, June 14 2017

Desmond had to work all day, so Craig, Janey, and I decided to take a little day trip to Blois. We all headed over to the bakery, where we purchased pastries and Desmond bought lunch for us to eat on the train. We had coffee at home while enjoying the pastries. I had a delightful apricot and custard tart. After Des took off for the university, the rest of us prepared for our little journey. We arrived early at the train station, which was a good thing since we had difficulty purchasing tickets from the automated kiosk. We finally went inside and waited in line at the ticket counter where a young man very kindly assisted us. Soon we were boarding the train, not forgetting to validate our tickets!

Janey and Craig at Gare d'Orleans

The smooth train ride was comfortable; the scenery lovely. About halfway into the ride, we pulled out the lunch treats from Des and shared a tasty baked sandwich and some surprisingly good pizza. We had bottled water and cans of Orangina as well. It was Janey's first train ride, and she enjoyed the journey. 

Arriving in Blois, France

We stepped off the train to a bright, sunny day that was rapidly warming. After a couple of wrong turns, and an uncooperative GPS, the three of us asked directions to the Royal Chateau, which we knew was not far from the station. We approached the castle from the back, through a park and some lovely gardens. At the ticket counter just inside the entrance, we waited patiently for our debit card to be processed. Craig commented on the slowness of the machine, and the man who was helping us replied with a wink, "Well, it's an old castle." 

Approaching the Royal Chateau

The beautifully restored chateau has many interesting artifacts. I was glad the interior was cool, because every time we stepped outside, the rising heat slammed into us. Each gallery and room brought new, or I should say, old wonders to discover. The King's opulent bedchamber was fascinating to Janey, as was the display of medieval weaponry in another part of the castle. We all enjoyed the Roman ruins displayed there. There was so much to see, and yet we were only able to tour about 1/4 of the structure before it was time to make our way back to the train station. But first, we had to visit the souvenir shop, where Janey purchased a lovely sketchbook and I found a pretty eyeglass case. 

A view into the courtyard of the castle

Medieval weaponry

How would you caption this gargoyle?

Janey on the steps of the Chateau.
 How many feet have trod those stairs?

The ornate bed of a king

When we returned home, we refreshed ourselves with cool drinks. Des arrived from the university and we nibbled snacks while we all relaxed in front of the fan. We had plans to meet Jake at Oh Terrior for dinner at 8:00. The restaurant was very crowded and somehow, in all the chaos, our orders were mixed up with those of another party. We were too hungry to wait for new dishes, so we ate and enjoyed the meals. Jake had secured a table for us in the coolest part of the restaurant, where we lingered and talked for quite some time. He is an astronomer and had many interesting stories to tell. We always enjoy meeting Desmond's friends. It was a fun evening. We walked slowly home along the Loire, with Jake accompanying us for most of the way. 

Pausing along the Loire for a photo with Jake

A Good Day to be Outside

Pages From Jan's Travel Journal: Tuesday, June 13 2017

Craig and I awoke before anyone else, and enjoyed coffee together while we talked about events at home and his journey to France. He was thrilled to be in Orleans again. When Des got up we walked across square to "our" bakery and chose pastries for breakfast. Because Janey was still asleep, we picked up a bag of chouquettes for her. 

Our breakfast treats.

Desmond had to go to work, and since the morning was sunny and comfortably cool, Craig and I decided to take advantage of the wonderful weather by weeding in the overgrown courtyard. A quick jaunt to Mr Bricolage supplied us with gardening gloves and a few small hand tools. Our efforts definitely made a difference, though we could understand how it had gotten out of hand. No one in the building, except Desmond, had ever pulled the weeds or trimmed the bushes. We could understand why the task had become overwhelming, since Des had not possessed any yard-care tools. After a couple of hours, we halted work so that we could get ready to meet our son at the university, where we would be able to sit in on a conversation class.

The "savage" garden

Craig, Janey, and I arrived at the designated spot, and Desmond joined us with his students as we gathered outside at a shaded picnic table. A cool breeze was blowing, but very quickly we were overwhelmed by a rank odor. We all moved to a distant table, but the nasty smell followed us. Someone in the group informed us that a building on campus had been flooded and the cleanup had likely begun, which was probably the cause of the horrible odor. Back to the classroom we went, where the conversation commenced. We enjoyed listening to the bright young men and women, who were diligently practicing their English-speaking skills.They had amusing and interesting stories to tell.

Des was able to leave after the conversation class ended. We decided to have lunch at Mt Fuji. Many of the items in the buffet were unfamiliar to Janey, but she was a pretty good sport and tried several new dishes. Before heading home, we had a bit of shopping to do. We went to Le Clerc, and it took longer than we had anticipated to find a new SIM card for the phone we had brought to France. We also purchased a few groceries and other items.

We had eaten such a big lunch that none of us were very hungry for dinner. We nibbled on fruit and cheese, and heated some leftovers. The fresh melon I ate was far better than any I had ever tasted in America! After our light supper, Des suggested a walk in his neighborhood, with Janey accompanying us on Desmond's bicycle. We strolled along the peaceful residential streets in an area which Craig and I had not explored on our previous visits. The area was quiet and charming, with lots of trees and green spaces. Janey enjoyed the bike paths while the rest of us walked around, admiring the pretty park we had found ourselves in. It was surrounded by lovely apartment buildings, many of which had large, inviting balconies. 

Janey enjoyed riding a bike to the park.

It was a perfect evening for a ride.

Desmond pointed out that we were near the beautiful old church, St Marceau, which we had often passed by on walks to one of our favorite patisseries. We were behind the church, where Desmond showed us the gorgeous flower gardens there. We could imagine that this must be a popular place for weddings and other celebrations, as it was obvious that in the spring, the garden would be a riot of color and scent. Exploring the garden was a lovely way to end the day.

A garden behind the old church

There were many flowers still in bloom.

A pretty back entrance to St Marceau