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