Another Last Day

Pages From Jan's Travel Journal: Friday, June 23 2017

We had a wonderful day. At last the heat had broken! It was beautifully cool with a lovely breeze. I enjoyed one of Desmond's protein smoothies for breakfast. As much as I love pastries, I found that I had much more energy and stamina when I drank one of those shakes. I could always have a French pastry with my afternoon coffee. 

We wandered around town and popped into a few shops. It was so nice to be outside without being bombarded by oppressive heat. We visited the cathedral, and Janey was quite impressed with the awe-inspiring beauty and history of the huge edifice.  

Craig, Des, and Janey approach
 the cathedral of Sainte-Croix

The cathedral is a marvel.

We chose the Korean restaurant, Kogi, for lunch. Craig had never tried their delicious food and he was in for a treat! We all chose the bibimbap, a dish I had eaten there before. It was as good as I remembered. Our appetizer arrived as we waited for the main course. It was a divided tray containing tiny fishes and peanuts, pickled radish, and marinated bits of something I didn't recognize. Janey and I couldn't quite manage the little fishes, but Craig and Des seemed to enjoy them. We enjoyed our meal outside in the sunshine, with a refreshing breeze to cool us.

An interesting appetizer at Kogi.

A sizzling bowl of bibimbap
 at Kogi in Orleans, France.

After lunch we took our leftovers home and then picked up the baby clothes we had purchased for Chris and Mathilde's newborn, Robin. Baby showers are apparently not a thing in France, so we had chosen lots of adorable little items in several different sizes for the new baby. Robin was asleep when we arrived, but we got to see him. We all chatted quietly for a while but didn't stay too long, as we could tell the new mom was very tired.

That afternoon, we met Chris's parents, Marilyn and Rodney, at Autour de la Terre. They are lovely people and fun to be around. They live in New Zealand and had timed their visit to France to coincide with the birth of their new grandson. They are avid bicyclists and tour all over France on their bikes. 

In the courtyard of Autour de la Terre.

We had eaten such a big lunch that we weren't really very hungry for dinner. We ended up just snacking. But it was our last evening in Orleans for this trip, and we were having a wonderful time. We met another of Desmond's friends at a bar on the Rue de Borgogne. Kozmin is from Romania and was in the process of obtaining his PHD in engineering at the University of Orleans. He was also a student in Desmond's conversational English class. He had a fantastic grasp of the language and loved to kid around. We enjoyed his stories of life in Romania.

Lovely half-timbered buildings
 along Rue de Borgogne.

After saying goodbye to Kozmin, we went to another bar that is one of Desmond's favorites. Rue de Borgogne by this time was very crowded. The bars and restaurants along the street were all bustling and lively with conversation. We managed to find a table at the edge of the street. There was hardly room for a single car to pass. Suddenly, people around us were scraping their chairs back and pushing tables away. I looked up to see a huge fire truck coming slowly toward us. It barely managed to squeeze through on the crowded street. It was literally inches away from my chair!

Janey liked her "tipsy" glass!

At 11:00 we walked the short distance to the cathedral, where we were in for an incredible treat. There was a light show projected onto the outside walls of the huge structure. The theme was historical figures and we watched in awe as bright swirling colors and images appeared before us in a magical display. The effect was enhanced by stirring music that fit the theme perfectly. We were completely transported. It was a dramatic spectacle and one we will never forget!

The light show was an amazing experience.

The images and colors changed
 swiftly along with the music.

A Disappointed Trio

Pages From Jan's Travel Journal: Thursday, June 8 2017


I awoke at 7:30 with the sun in my eyes. I loved having the window open at night to allow the cool air to circulate, but I wasn't quite ready to get up! I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, but then the construction noise began and there was just no way. I'm not exactly sure what the workers were doing in the square, but it certainly made a lot of racket!

Des had the day off and we made plans to visit a flea market in a neighboring town. Desmond had been there before and described it to me, so I was looking forward to finding some bargains. We had a quick breakfast of chocolate chip brioche, which was very good. After checking the website to be sure the flea market was open, we rode the tram to the other side of town and then we boarded a bus for the long ride to the warehouse where the market was held. Poor Janey had motion sickness, but once we arrived at the bus stop, she began to perk up and was soon skipping along quite happily.

There was quite a bit of traffic on the road which the sidewalk bordered, and we noticed many cars and some pedestrians that were headed in the same direction as the three of us. After a ten minute walk, we reached the flea market and were soon disappointed to discover that they were closed while preparing for a big sale over the weekend! Well, that would have a nice thing to put on their website! We turned away and trudged in the heat back to the bus stop.

Walking to the bus stop after an unsuccessful journey.

Janey tried not to complain as her motion sickness returned. She sat quietly, slumped next to me, and I felt bad for her. Des and I decided to stop at the pharmacy on the way home to purchase some medicine for Janey. When we reached Orléans, we treated ourselves to tea at Autour de la Terre. Janey fell in love with the place, as we knew she would. This lovely little tearoom is a peaceful oasis near the cathedral. Actually, it's not so little. There is a cozy front room, a sunroom, and a garden. Each area is charming in its own way. Janey took her time choosing a tea while she paged through the menu/sketchbook. Sadly, none of us had a pen or pencil for her to sketch with.

Janey's tea was served in a lovely iron teapot. Des had chosen hot chocolate. The shop has offerings of coffee, tea, and chocolate from around the world, and I know how wonderful their coffee is, but I chose an iced green tea that was delicious and very refreshing. We promised my granddaughter that we would return another day so that she could add a drawing to the sketchbook.

This tea room is a pleasant place to linger.

Des and Janey at Autour de la Terre, Orleans France.

On the way home, we purchased ice cream cones and ate them as we walked slowly along the beautiful streets near the Loire. That evening, we treated ourselves to Chez Ming for dinner. It was a fun meal and we all enjoyed the food and the conversation. 

Can you spot the kitty?
We saw this on the way to the restaurant.

A beautiful view of the Loire and Orleans, France.