Flexibility is the Key

Pages From Jan's Travel Journal: Friday, June 16 2017

The forecast was for beautiful weather and we thought a little day trip might be in order. After coffee and pastries, we decided that we would like to show Janey the castle being built at Guedelon, and since it's difficult to reach by public transportation, we were in need of a car. We didn't feel right about borrowing one. Des and Craig checked with some car rental services, but that fell through. We were disappointed but not upset. There is a lot to be said for flexibility, however, and it was simply too nice to stay indoors. The four of us went to Parc Floral to play miniature golf, which is always a hilarious pastime. 

It was perfect weather for mini golf.

It's not easy to hit the ball into a basket.
Janey was the only one who succeeded that day!

That evening, we invited Desmond's neighbor, Mathieu to have dinner with us at the new burger cafe which had opened just a few feet away from the apartment. Mathieu was pleased that we had included him. He speaks very good English and has visited America. He had even been to Wichita! 

Les Burgers du Boucher in Orleans France

We were all impressed by Les Burgers du Boucher. The decor was modern, with a touch of rusticity in the exposed stone walls at one end of the restaurant. The menu had a wide selection of burgers from which to choose. Many of them were served with seeded buns, and not just the ordinary sesame seed variety. These had a mixture of sunflower seeds, rolled oats, poppy seeds, pine nuts, and more. Quite tasty. And the fries! France always seems to do fries right, and these were no exception. Our meals were brought to us on wooden cutting boards, and each large, juicy burger was skewered with bamboo. 

Dinner is served! You must try Les Burgers du Boucher.

Scrumptious, and more than I could finish.

It was good to see that the restaurant was busy. They were preparing a lot of carry-out orders, which is still a bit unusual in France. We were happy to have another restaurant so close to home. We'll be back. 

We ended our evening with a sitcom and playing with Azur. After a while, even he was ready to call it a day.

Blossoms and Butterflies

Pages From Jan's Travel Journal: Monday, May 16, 2016

A Monday holiday is such a treat! Desmond was off work that day. It was sunny and gorgeous so we decided that a picnic at Parc Floral would be a great way to enjoy that extra day off. After coffee and a delightful lemon tart, we packed a lunch and were soon on our way to one of my favorite places in Orléans. 

It was the perfect time of year for a walk through the lovely botanical garden. We walked slowly, admiring the gorgeous blossoms, lush ferns, and flowering trees. We were serenaded with cheerful birdsong as we strolled the grounds. It was almost as if we had the place to ourselves. Parc Floral is quite large and even on busy days there are many times when no other people are in sight.

Beautiful flowers at Parc Floral in Orleans, France.

We saw many varieties of trees, some of which were the weeping type, whose branches form private, shaded bowers and little nooks where it would be pleasant to spread a blanket and read. The iris garden was beautiful, though it would be another week or so before the flowers would all be in full bloom. I was already planning to return with Craig after he arrived in France.

More gorgeous iris at Parc Floral.

We visited the butterfly house and walked slowly through it, hoping to catch a glimpse of some of the rarest and most flamboyant butterflies in residence. There was one large one with exquisite iridescent blue wings trimmed in black. I tried to photograph it, but it simply wouldn't hold still!

A butterfly luncheon party.

We found a shaded bench surrounded by climbing roses and sat down to enjoy our lunch. We had a pretty view of the pond, and behind it was the lovely stone chateau that, until recently, housed the administrative offices of the University. There were flowers everywhere, and a chorus of frogs calling from the banks of the pond. I ate a sandwich of ham, butter, pickles, and cassis-flavored mustard on a crusty baguette. Everything tastes so much better when eaten in such beautiful surroundings. We finished off with juicy nectarines before gathering up our things and heading toward the miniature golf course.

This was our lovely view during lunch.

The mini golf course is such fun, with some challenging holes that had us laughing as one or the other of us tried repeatedly to sink a shot! As we walked the course or paused to make a putt, we were often showered with tiny pink flowers that rained down on us from the trees above. In some places, the ground itself resembled a pink carpet.

Desmond attempts the maze at mini-golf.

When we left the park and drove home, the weather was still so beautiful that we were reluctant to be indoors. We walked over to a bar across the Loire and found a vacant table outside. I sipped a sweet cherry beer while enjoying the view. After that relaxing interval, we returned home to begin preparations for the evening meal.

We started our meal with tasty onion blossoms and fries, which we dipped into a wonderful sauce The Des had whipped up. Then, I helped prepare Brazilian beans and rice. It was made in a rice cooker and was a delicious combination of smoked sausage, chick peas, rice, chicken broth, bay leaf, and lots of garlic. Ice cream rounded off the meal. It was a fabulous day!

Another glimpse of Parc Floral