Simple Things

Pages From Jan's Travel Journal: Monday, April 25 2022

We awoke to a beautiful morning and the sweet sounds of birds chirping in the courtyard below. A tarte citron, coffee, and milk made a yummy breakfast. We didn’t have big plans for the day, as Desmond would have to go to work that afternoon. A long walk beside the Loire that morning was just perfect and the weather couldn’t have been better. 

A pretty blooming tree

Swans float serenely on the Loire.

Craig and Desmond on the river path

On the way home, we cut through the Jardin des Plantes and enjoyed seeing the gorgeous blooms and unique plants. Des veered off to a market to pick up items for lunch, while Craig and I ambled through the gardens. 

For lunch, Desmond made a delicious dish of goat cheese ravioli topped with grilled eggplant. He left for work while Craig took a nap. I threw a load of clothes into the washer and after Craig awoke we had afternoon coffee and a game of Scrabble before taking our clothes to a nearby laundromat to dry. The laundromat was directly across from the Loire, so we had a nice view while we waited for our clothes to dry. 

Desmond had made pizza dough before he left the house, and for dinner that evening we had a treat. Pizzaclettes! This was a little invention of his, using a raclette oven to bake the dough. We then cut the dough into small wedges and topped them with fresh mozzarella, mushrooms, red bell pepper, and grilled eggplant. The filled raclette trays were placed under the heat until the cheese bubbled. It was such a fun and tasty meal. For dessert, we enjoyed oranges and some bread topped with Desmond’s homemade chocolate spread.

Pizzaclettes!

Baking pizza in the raclettes oven

Bonjour France, I Have Returned!

Pages From Jan's Travel Journal:  Saturday, May 7 2016

As usual, I could hardly contain my excitement to be back once again in France! The flight from Chicago was smooth and uneventful, though we were about 45 minutes late leaving the terminal. I knew that Desmond would be tracking my progress and hoped he wouldn't be inconvenienced. I made it through immigration/border control within ten minutes and was soon plucking my bag from the luggage carousel, with a little help from a fellow passenger. As soon as I spotted the smiling face of my son, I felt a rush of happiness. With nearly a month of vacation ahead of me, I was in a state of bliss! 

A busy day lay ahead of me, and I was glad that I had managed to sleep a bit on the plane. When we reached Orléans, we made a quick stop to pick up lunch - at a pizza vending machine! That's right, we bought pizza from a vending machine and it was really very tasty. There are two of these machines in Orléans, both owned by a local restaurant called Cantine. After our selection was made from a large screen, the pizza was quickly baked at high temperature. In just a few minutes, it was automatically transferred to a sturdy box and then it slid out of the machine and we were on our way. 

We called Craig and had a nice visit before setting out again, this time for the grocery market. Desmond apologized for taking me along on this weekly errand, but I didn't mind a bit. I enjoy grocery shopping in France. There are always new and interesting things to see. I even picked up a few items for myself.

I hear it's addictive!

After the groceries were put away, we walked across the bridge over the Loire and on toward Campo Santo to attend the last night of the Medieval festival. I didn't feel tired at all, and was happy to be a part of the lively atmosphere as soon as we entered the ancient archway into the walled compound. Colorful pennants fluttered in the breeze as we made our way through the crowd and managed to find a table beneath a large tree. Desmond stood in line at one of the food booths while I held our places. The food was plentiful and quite good. We ate lentils which had been cooked with a few vegetables in duck fat, and topped with grilled duck sausage. On the side was a serving of crisp fries. I sipped on a kir which was flavored with a chestnut cream liqueur. What a wonderful welcome to France!

Campo Santo, where the festival took place.

We enjoyed a hearty meal of lentils and duck sausage.

We were soon joined by a couple of friends, Arno and Jeremy, and we all began to wander around the compound, looking at the many unique items for sale. Des bought a bottle of Mead and a beautiful tooled leather bag. I purchased some pates des fruits at one booth and a dry sausage at another. It was one that I knew Craig would enjoy - made with Beaufort cheese. Arno presented me with a flower and ribbon crown. I felt very welcome and very much a part of the festivities. 

Lots of sweets from which to choose!

We sampled the Mead at this booth.

We could hear bagpipes playing and soon noticed a band of Scotsmen who were there to honor a 700-year-old alliance with France. Many people at the festival were wearing period costume, including the children, who were adorable as they dashed about on a grassy slope while brandishing their wooden swords. It was a perfect evening, with a light breeze blowing. However, by 9:30 I was beginning to feel the effects of my lengthy travel day. We returned home, pausing to view part of a long parade that had been winding its way through town. We finished our evening with ice cream before I crawled into bed, still smiling from the events of the day.