Tours (France) Continued

Pages from Jan's Travel Journal: April 18, 2014

Before continuing with "A Tour of Tours", I must take a moment to mention a couple of my favorite blogs. Lynn McBride, over at Southern Fried French, is an expat hailing from South Carolina who writes charmingly of her life in southern Burgundy. Her wonderful blog is filled with recipes, anecdotes and some fabulous photography. I recently purchased her book "How to Learn a New Language with a Used Brain" and have hopes of learning French. At the age of 62, my brain is certainly "used"! I also recommend that you take a look at French Word a Day, by Kristin Espinasse, an expat from Arizona who now resides in Provence. She, too, writes of her life in France and is also a published author. With the help of her husband and children, Kristin introduces French words and phrases that tie into the theme of each post. She offers stories, recipes and lovely photography along with a few life lessons as well. And now, back to April 18 in Tours...

We met Desmon's colleague and friend, Erica, at la Place Plumereau at the appointed time. Erica had not lived in Tours for very long and was still becoming acquainted with the city. We began walking toward the university, which is situated along the Loire. There is a lovely pathway beside the river. We followed her as she walked briskly into the library and continued onto an elevator which whisked us upstairs to the roof. We were treated to a sweeping view over the rooftops of Tours. From that vantage point, we could see for miles.

The rooftops of Tours, France.

 A closer view. I love the ivy-covered house!

We continued exploring, with Erica narrating our walk, and eventually found ourselves at Les Halles, a large, covered marketplace. We were all eager to go inside and have a look, as even Erica had not visited it before. It reminded me of Halles Chatelet in Orléans, though larger and with a much wider variety of shops. There were several enticing shops offering carry-out, and of course, patisseries, boulangeries, fromageries, and so on. I wanted to purchase some of the famous Tours rillettes, and soon had a jar of the tasty terrine wrapped in paper and tucked into a little bag.

All I need now is a glass of wine and a crusty baguette!

We had hoped that Erica could join us for lunch, but she had a previous engagement. As we walked with her toward the tram stop, we learned that the Tram de Tours had only been in operation for about six months. Unfortunately, it wasn't convenient for us at that time, because we had decided to turn back the way we had come in order to find a place for our midday meal. We had a difficult time deciding; there so many cafes, restaurants and brasseries from which to choose! Finding ourselves back at Place Plumereau, we were approached by the proprietor of a British-style pub who was so friendly and persuasive that we couldn't resist. We elected to dine inside for a change, and were charmed by the interior. The pub was much larger than it appeared from the street, and we were soon seated at a roomy booth toward the back. The old stone walls were warm and inviting; the leaded glass windows provided us with a view of a side street bustling with tourists. I ordered the croque monsieur, which was served with a side salad, while Des opted for a planche, which was really something! He had not expected so much food, but did his best to finish it. 

A traditional croque Monsieur.

 The planche looked like a tasty choice.

TRAVEL TIP: Before your trip, use Google street view to "walk" around the neighborhoods of potential places to stay. You will be able to see if there are restaurants, a pharmacy, a bakery, and attractions within walking distance. Cyber-walk to the nearest metro stop or taxi stand. You won't feel disoriented when you actually arrive.

A Tour of Tours

Pages from Jan's Travel Journal: April 18, 2014

No time for pastries! Desmond and I woke at a reasonable hour, but decided on toast and coffee for a light breakfast before we caught the train to Tours. I had been looking forward to this little day trip for quite some time. Tours is the second largest city in the Centre region of France, and has a beautiful "old town" with a maze of cobblestone streets lined with lovely buildings. The train ride was just over an hour from Orléans, and we arrived on a slightly overcast morning.  

Our first order of business was to locate a patisserie (you didn't think I'd miss my morning pastry, did you?) which had been recommended to us. It was said to have the largest pastries at the most reasonable prices. It wasn't far from the train station. The pastries were almost comically large! Des and I decided to share a strawberry and cream filled delight. We carried our pastries to the popular Place Plumereau, where we found a sidewalk cafe to savor a hot beverage along with our tasty treats.

 

                            Cafe creme and a pastry at a cafe in la Place Plumereau.                              

I like the apartment at the top right of this photo, 

with the large balcony and trailing wisteria vines.

La Place Plumereau is a bustling, beautiful square in the heart of old Tours, though it was only beginning to wake up when we were having breakfast. There you will find many bars, cafes, and restaurants. It was wonderful to sit in the picturesque place, enjoying the view with my son. The architecture surrounding us was fabulous. Even the noise of the recycling trucks picking up the previous nights empty wine bottles did not deter us from enjoying the scene.

One of the beautiful half-timbered 

houses on la Place Plumereau, Tours.

We were fascinated with the houses surrounding the square, many of which were built during the 15th and 16th centuries! I have always loved the look of the half-timbered houses like the one pictured above, but found myself intrigued by the slate-clad homes as well. At first glance, it looked as if those homes were shingled (see photo below).The slate tiling helps to make the structures fire-resistant.

A slate-tiled home in old Tours.

Some of the homes on la Place Plumereau displayed intricate carvings, like the one pictured below. I'm sure the occupants must be used to the hundreds of tourists snapping photos all day.

A medieval carving on a slate-tiled home in Tours, France.

We wandered around after breakfast, taking in the sights. The cobblestone streets are lined with many shops and restaurants and we checked out a few places for souvenirs along the way. Our meandering took us to the courtyard of the Museum of Fine Arts where we gazed upon an amazing cedar of Lebanon which was planted there in 1804. The massive tree is a sight to behold. If trees could talk, what stories we would hear!

The cedar of Lebanon in the courtyard 

of the Musée des beaux-arts, Tours, France.

While in the courtyard of the museum, Desmond spotted an old "friend". He had met the tabby cat on a previous visit to Tours. At that time, the furry feline had been curled on the steps of the museum with his back to the milling tourists. Des had cautiously approached him, camera in hand, and softly cooed, "It's okay old fellow, I won't hurt you. I just want to take your picture", when the turned and gave him a ferocious glare. He got a great photo, but wondered just who should be afraid of whom? The cat must have been in a mellow frame of mind when I drew near and took a photo; he looked almost bored. 

This fine fellow must the guardian of the tree.

Travel Tip: Comfortable shoes are a must for tourists, which goes without saying, but taking frequent breaks at cafes and parks is another great way to avoid foot fatigue. Plan your day to allow for these interludes. You won't feel quite so harried and exhausted at the end of the day.