Taming the Savage Garden

Pages From Jan's Travel Journal: Thursday, June 15 2017

Desmond had the day off! The morning was somewhat cool, so we all worked on tidying the "savage garden".  Des and Craig bought a weed whacker, which was a huge help. The day began to warm up rapidly, but we carried on for two hours and really accomplished a lot. We had no way to dispose of the branches and trimmings. That's not something you can haul away on the tram! Instead, they were neatly and compactly piled into a corner where they will quickly decompose. 

Des and Craig clear the garden

A path to the terrace. Time for a barbecue?

After we all had cleaned up with cool showers, we decided to have lunch at a cafe on the square. There were many tables outside, with colorful umbrellas to provide welcome shade. Janey and I chose the plat du jour of lasagna and a green salad. The other special, selected by both Craig and Desmond, was pollock gratin. It was a very tasty, leisurely lunch and we were appreciative of the ice in our drinks. I spoke briefly with a nice young man who was dining with his wife and two adorable little daughters. I think he must have overheard us and wanted to practice his English, which was excellent. 

A lovely view on the square

After lunch, we walked across the bridge to take Janey to Sweety. It's a cute little candy store, and we all picked out an assortment of sugary treats. We noticed a granita machine in the corner, and soon were slurping the icy concoctions as we left the shop and headed toward the art museum.

Janey and Craig at Sweety, Orléans Fr

Des had suggested the art museum as a great place to cool off. We always enjoy the many displays of various paintings, sculptures and other art. The air conditioning was a bonus! We also paid a visit to the little Joan of Arc museum. It was a bit disappointing, though, because they were no longer displaying the many fascinating dioramas which had depicted the life of Jeanne d'Arc. We did, however, run into Celine and were able to chat with her for a few minutes.

Cooling down at the art museum

After leaving the museum, the three of us met Jeff for drinks at the Paxton's Head pub on Rue de Borgogne. The afternoon was still quite warm, and that cherry beer had never tasted so good! We talked and laughed for quite some time in cool, dark interior of the bar. Paxton's doesn't serve food, so after a while we wandered over to Delirium, where could have a snack. Ice cream was about the only thing that sounded good to me on such a hot day, so I ordered a banana split. It was enormous! Janey chose the flammenkueche, which is similar to pizza. She devoured it and then finished my ice cream.

Another good way to cool off on a hot day!

We walked slowly home along the Loire and then ended our day with a movie. 

Another Walk in the Park

Pages From Jan's Travel Journal: Friday, June 9 2017

Ahhh, I was able to sleep late! I had hung a towel across the top of the window, which effectively blocked the bright morning sun. Desmond had already left for work, so I sipped my coffee, nibbled a blueberry crepe, and then took care of some household chores until Janey awoke.

A beautiful day at Parc Floral
 in Orleans France

We had planned to meet Desmond at Parc Floral for a picnic lunch. I packed a baguette, along with cans of chicken and pork rillettes, potato chips (grilled steak flavor), and fresh fruit. It had rained during the night and the air was fresh and cool. After lunch, we had some time to explore the grounds. We meandered over to the children's section, where we viewed the animals, including a peacock that was perched on a low tree branch. Janey tried the huge slide, and liked it so much that she went down several times. There were many children in the park, obviously there on school trips. They seemed to be having a great day, as were we.

Des captures a posing peacock.

Janey on the climbing frame at Parc Floral.

Now, that's a slide!

A lovely scene at Parc Floral.

Soon it was time for Des to go back to work. Janey and I headed home, with the tram becoming more crowded at each stop. Even though we had stationed ourselves fairly close to the doors, we still had to fight our way through to disembark at our stop. We barely managed it!

Janey on the tram before it became crowded.

I called Craig as soon as we got home and learned that there was still no news regarding his passport. The lack of information was depressing. We were missing him, and were very eager to have him with us in France. 

When Desmond arrived home, he and I made a quick run to Carrefour. We took the groceries home, grabbed Janey, and hurried into town to meet Erica for drinks at  le Paxton's Head, an English style pub on the Rue de Borgogne. It was good to see Erica again. She and Des ordered beer and I enjoyed a tall, refreshing Monaco. Janey had a complimentary drink of water sweetened with mint syrup.

The Paxton's Head in Orléans France

We were famished by the time Erica left to catch her train. We ate kebab sandwiches and crisp, hot fries at the nearby Grec Gourmand, sitting at a table outside. Janey and Desmond were facing the cobblestone street, and they kept up a hilarious running commentary regarding the pedestrians. They would place bets as to which ones would fail to notice the  pile of dog doo which a passing canine had deposited in the middle of the busy street. Disgusting and yet somehow quite funny. 

Janey at the Grec Gourmand, Orléans France

As the evening drew to a close, we walked slowly home beside the river. A movie was a fun and relaxing way to end the day.