A Long Travel Day

Pages from Jan's Travel Journal: April 28, 2015

We had a very long travel day, making our way back to France. That morning we all grabbed a hot drink in the hotel breakfast room before trundling our luggage along to the bus station. We had decided to take this alternate form of transportation for a couple of reasons. One, it would give us different views and perspective to be on the highway, and two, riding the bus would save the three of us a total of £75. It would mean adding one additional hour of travel time, which seemed a fair exchange.

Near the bus station in Bath, Desmond discovered a Krispy Kreme donut shop! He walked over and picked up a box of assorted donuts while Craig and I waited at the bus terminal. That was a tasty treat for all of us, but especially for Des, who had not had Krispy Kreme for a couple of years, at least. My favorite was the speculoos-filled donut. 

A shopping arcade in Bath.

Farewell, Bath! It's been fun.

The bus turned out to be very nice, more like a charter bus would be in America. It had tinted windows and plush, high-backed seats. I enjoyed looking out at the lovely English countryside, though it wasn't long before we were driving through the outskirts of London. After we arrived at the terminal, we walked through Paddington Station and hopped on the Tube to St. Pancras Station where we soon boarded the Eurostar. Craig was quite impressed with the high-speed train and the idea that we were just a short ride away from Paris. On the train, we had seats that faced each other, with a table between which made it much more comfortable to read, snack, or play a game.

At Paddington Station in London.

The London Underground, aka The Tube.

Before we knew it, we had arrived at Gare du Nord, where we piled into a taxi for the ride across Paris to Gare d'Austerlitz. The train to Orleans wasn't crowded, which made for a quiet, pleasant journey. At the station, we transferred to a tram for the ride across town to Desmond's home. At that point, we had been travelling for 15 hours and were more than ready for something to eat. We deposited our luggage inside the door and walked across the bridge to Oh, Terroir where we had a delightful meal. We had all somehow decided on the same dish, which was the delicious ham in Dijon sauce served over spelt. Oh, Terroir is one of only a few restaurants in Orleans which allows free refills on drinks. We enjoyed the sparkling lemonade and a tasty blend of strawberry and blackberry juices.  

We're back!

When we returned to the house, Craig got the full tour of the new digs. He was impressed with the layout and with the way Desmond had decorated his home. We chatted for a while, and then went to bed exhausted. But it had certainly been a fun trip!

A Little R and R

Pages From Jan's Travel Journal: April 16, 2015

It was another great day of R and R for me! I was settling quite comfortably into my home away from home. Every day had given me a more relaxed and refreshed attitude. After my first cup of coffee, I walked several blocks to revisit a favorite bakery. It was the one closest to the apartment that Craig and I had rented a couple of years ago. It was hard to choose from the glass cases filled with delectable treats, but I selected a lemon tart and then slowly made my way back, enjoying the spring weather and the lovely views of the neighborhood.

 A delightful lemon tart.

Beautiful flowers in front of a church in Orléans, France.

At lunchtime, I decided to treat myself to a burger at Oh, Terroir. My cheeseburger was delicious. It had a thick, melting slab of Cantal cheese on it, along with fresh greens, roasted tomato relish, and Bearnaise. I sat at a little table outside in the fresh air and thoroughly enjoyed my lunch. I have never had a bad meal at Oh, Terroir.

Burgers at Oh, Terroir in Orléans, France.

On the way home, I stopped in at L'Occitane en Provence, where I did a bit of shopping. There were many wonderful and fragrant items from which to choose. I then picked up a few items at the supermarket before I returned home. Desmond came in from work feeling lighthearted, as it was his last day on the job before spring break. I told him that to celebrate, I wanted to treat us to dinner. Des chose a Korean restaurant called Kogi. It was apparently one of his favorite restaurants and we were greeted warmly upon arrival. We started with cocktails, and then an appetizer of miso soup followed by a salad. I had never eaten Korean food before and so I took my son's advice and ordered a main course called bibimbap. A very heavy and very hot granite bowl was brought to the table, filled with a sizzling combination of rice, bean sprouts, Japanese cucumber, kimchi, spinach, shredded carrots, and pork. A fried egg topped it off, and was quickly stirred into the meat and vegetables. There were some tasty sauces to accompany the dish, which was delicious and quite filling. It was a fun evening and we had a good time. When we returned home, we watched a movie and enjoyed ice cream bars for dessert.  

Dinner at Kogi in Orléans, France.