A Very Orange Stairwell

Pages from Jan's Travel Journal: Friday, July 17, 2009

That morning, Desmond showed up at the hotel with fresh pastries. We woke up over coffee and conversation, and then left the hotel to explore. Our first stop was the public library, or bibliothèque. That may seem like a strange destination for tourists, but with the three of us having worked at our own local library, we just had to take a look. The library in Orléans is a large, modern structure not far from the train station. There are some lovely views from the huge windows overlooking the town. 

The library in Orléans. 

I couldn't resist taking a photo
 of the very orange stairwell at the library.

Once outside again, we took a wrong turn and were momentarily lost in a very old and lovely residential area. We soon located the tram, which took us across town to Auchan. Desmond and I enjoyed showing Megan around the huge store. I bought some cherries, which were sweet and delicious. The weather was drizzly and cool, but that did not prevent us from going back into town to shop. There are many unique stores on the main streets in Orléans and we had fun poking around in them. 

An interesting place we visited was Halles Chatelet, an indoor market with a wide variety of shops. The hall was built in 1882, and in 1977 was enclosed. There are bakeries and delis, in addition to clothing stores, a cheese shop, a butcher, and gift shops. I picked up a small container of strawberries at a fruit market, which were tiny and delightfully sweet. I couldn't seem to get enough of the delicious fruit there!

Dinner that evening was at Bombay, an Indian restaurant situated on the Rue de Borgogne. The food was wonderful and we had the added bonus of entertainment provided by a trio of musicians. Desmond and I purchased one of their CDs as a souvenir.

Desmond's year of study had almost come to an end. He would soon be returning to America and said he would definitely miss his friends in France, as well as the beautiful country, food, architecture, etc. 

Poulet Roti

Pages from Jan's Travel Journal: Friday, February. 27, 2009

Desmond arrived midmorning and we headed out to Auchan to buy groceries for him, but first stopped in Flunch for a quick breakfast. No shopping on an empty stomach, right? I enjoyed my tasty trio of beignets - plain, raspberry filled, and chocolate filled. Des chose a marbled chocolate and coconut tart. Craig ordered a triple fruit tart which was made with apple, raspberry, and rhubarb atop a layer of custard.  It was such a fun experience to walk around in a large French superstore. The prices were interesting, with some items much higher than I though they would be. For example, a little plastic basket with suction cups for the shower: 11 Euros! Many other items were much less than I had expected, such as a baguette for 37 cents, a big bag of onions for 1 euro, and a large jar of jam for 50 cents. That same jam is imported to the U.S., where it sells for nearly $5 a jar! Anyway, it was fun. We went back to Desmond's apartment to put everything away.

We visited this park, which is built atop a movie theater.

A nice view from the rooftop park 

We then wandered around Orléans for a while, stopping to see a little park near Desmond's apartment. It is unique in that it is built atop a movie theater. There were nice views from up there and I could see just how beautiful it would be just a little further into spring. 

We spent some time on the banks of the Loire, before finally heading back toward our hotel. We made a quick stop at a market, where we purchased a golden brown, crisp, rotisserie chicken and some chips and fruit to eat in our room. Now, let me tell you about that chicken! In France, you will often see the rotisserie chickens (poulet roti) in wheeled, glass ovens out on the sidewalk in front of a shop. The plump birds roasting on their slow-turning spits send enticing aromas wafting up and down the street. You will be tempted to buy one of those chickens even if you aren't hungry! Below the spits, you will often see a pan heaped with cubed potatoes which are being continually basted with the savory, fragrant drippings from the meat cooking above. In the hotel room, we tore into the juicy chicken with our bare hands, as not one of us had remembered that we would have need of utensils! It was a tasty and memorable meal, as we talked and laughed, using some of my precious washcloths as napkins. The chicken was amazingly delicious and tender. The chips were like a cross between Munchos and Chipsters and were shaped like little smiling ghosts or monsters. The grandkids would love them! In fact, they were called "Monster Chips". I had purchased a bottle of Coke - the first one I had tried in France. I had forgotten that Des once told me how much better the soft drinks taste here, because they are made with sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup. I could really taste the difference. When we finished our indoor picnic, we walked across the street to the train station to purchase our tickets to Paris. Our trip was beginning to draw to a close.

Craig and Des enjoy a quiet moment beside the Loire.

TRAVEL TIP: You may want to pack some of your own washcloths when traveling to France. They are not provided in many hotels. The French prefer to use bath mitts, but I have yet to find one in a hotel there.

Art Museums and Creperies

Pages from Jan's Travel Journal: Thursday, February 26, 2009

We were a bit lazy that morning, and just sat around for a while drinking coffee. I'm very glad we had purchased that coffeemaker several days ago. It has been wonderfully convenient as well as a money-saver!  A cup of coffee at a cafe runs about 2.50 to 3.50 - and that's in Euros! The Illy espresso we bought is delicious. It's actually an Italian espresso. It's very fragrant and flavorful; strong but smooth. 

Des arrived at the hotel around lunchtime. We walked over to Stratto, where we had eaten once before, and since I still wasn't quite ready for lunch, I ordered an apple tart. Craig and Desmond had sandwiches. There was some commotion in the street outside the cafe. It was a parade of protesters - the teacher's strike, I believe- and some of the streets were blocked for a while.

Soon, Des had to leave for school. Craig and I walked over to the art museum, Musée des Beaux-Arts. We really enjoyed our time there, though I wish more of the information had been in English. Or that my French was better! The museum has a nice collection, which includes paintings by Picasso, Gaugin, Van Dyck, and sculptures by Rodin and Bandinelli. They also have the largest collection of pastels in France, outside of the Louvre.

We later browsed in some of the shops in town. I enjoy looking at the clothing, though not much of it is suitable for a 57-year-old grandma! It was inevitable that we found a pastry shop, where we purchased some treats to take back to the hotel. There, we brewed another pot of fragrant coffee and enjoyed our little snack.

I'd like to try ALL the pastries!

Desmond joined us at the hotel after he returned from work. We walked to a little bar where we met his friends, Mathieu and Arno, for a drink. Arno is a very nice young man who speaks flawless English. Craig and I enjoyed trying a Monaco for the first time. It's a refreshing drink made from mixing carbonated lemonade with grenadine and beer. Arno joined us for dinner later at the Cafe Bretonne. It is a creperie, and we were looking forward to trying the galettes (savory crepes) that Des had spoken of. He said that these are the best he had tried outside of Brittany. We enjoyed our evening very much. The creperie was a charming place; long and narrow, high ceilings with old beams, the walls decorated with collections of teacups and old coffee grinders. The heavy wooden farmhouse tables were spread with cloths in warm colors. Fresh water arrived at the table in a hefty earthenware jug with cups to match. I'd like to have a set like that, myself!  We shared a bottle of fermented, sweet cider from Brittany, which is traditionally served in pottery cups or mugs. It was delightful. Our gallettes were fabulous. It was difficult to choose, but I had one made with mushrooms, herbs, and creme fraiche. Desmond ate one which featured potato, ham, cheese, and caramelized onion, which he gave me a taste of. It was outstanding! All of the gallettes are served with a huge pat of butter melting on the top. For dessert, we all simply had to order - what else - a crepe! Mine was a delicious combination of banana and caramel, Des chose chocolate and orange, Craig ate a caramel crepe, and Arno a Nutella crepe, and Mathieu enjoyed a crepe flambe of apple and pear. It was such a fun meal. We had all been trading tongue twisters and words that are difficult to pronounce in both languages, and we were often laughing until tears came to our eyes! 

Here are just a few of 
the many coffee grinders decorating the creperie.

After dinner there was just enough time for us to drive over to Auchan, which is a large chain store somewhat like a Super-Target. We bought a crock-pot for Des and we also got him some speakers for his computer. He often enjoyed watching movies on his computer, since he didn't yet own a tv. The speakers would make it a much better experience. Our son was thrilled with the  gifts. He said it felt like Christmas! Tomorrow we would like to buy a toaster for him. And some groceries. Yep, even in France we have that need to feed.

Recipe: Don't be intimidated by this recipe for French cream puffs. It's really very simple. Your friends and family will be awed by your expertise!

Who Turned Out The Lights?

Pages from Jan's Travel Journal: Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Last night I had made the mistake of closing the drapes all the way. It was very dark in our room and since I hadn't set an alarm, we slept very late, not awakening until Desmond phoned at 10 AM! He told that he would be over soon, and so we quickly showered and dressed and started a pot of coffee. Our son arrived with a surprise - an enormous pain au chocolat! It was the size of a football and was more than enough for the three of us. After breakfast, we zipped over to the nearby mall to do some shopping. Craig found a nice, lightweight jacket and I purchased some souvenirs for the grandchildren and a cute little camera case for myself. It was a little brown owl with huge eyes and fit my camera perfectly. Though we had been inside the supermarket previously, we hadn't really looked around much. Des gave us a little tour and we marveled at the huge variety of meat and seafood available. There were the usual cuts of meat, plus kidney, tongue, whole skinned rabbit, horse meat, tripe, quail, ostrich, veal head, fish of every kind - even a large one which looked to be about a hundred pounds. It was on a bed of crushed ice and you simply asked the butcher to cut off a chunk and - voila! There were three huge aisles of wine, and many more of cheese. And this was not what I would call a large supermarket! We then wandered around town a bit more, looking at the lovely architecture, and also window shopping a bit. I have never been one to go crazy over shoes, but there were many adorable styles for every member of the family. At lunchtime, Desmond chose a very nice Chinese restaurant that offered a buffet, which is rare in France. The restaurant itself was very elegant and beautiful, and the food was great. We finished our meal with a dish of rich, French ice cream.

The Hotel de Ville, which is Orléans' City Hall.

Our next stop was the Museum of Natural Science. Though it was not a huge museum, it was very well organized, with many interesting displays in clever settings. There was a group of small children in a line, undoubtedly on a field trip from school, who were chattering excitedly as they toured the museum. 

After leaving the museum, Desmond steered us toward a wonderful shop called "Leonidas", which is one of a chain of Belgian chocolatiers. The chocolates were stunning! Each one was a miniature work of art. The young man working the counter kept pressing us to try different pieces; he was very generous with the samples. Des presented me a lovely golden box filled with exquisite fruit-shaped candies, sparkling with sugar. They resembled shaped gumdrops, but were nothing of the sort. They were called fruit pates and were made from fruit puree and sugar. Each small pear, cherry, orange, apple, plum, lemon, fig, or pineapple was topped with a tiny wooden pick on which a little green paper leaf was attached. They are soft and sweet, with very intense flavors. I have never tasted anything like them. 

Pates de fruits, my new favorite confection.

I am delighted with the way food is so artfully presented in France. Whether it is bread, pastry, candy, or cake, everything is decorated and displayed with many creative touches. Even the packaging is artfully done. I feel pampered whenever I purchase anything.

As we walked through town, gazing into shop windows and just generally enjoying the novelty of our surroundings, we were treated to an impromptu concert by a couple of roving musicians. I enjoy the romantic old accordion music very much, though it has lost popularity in France. The young man who sang and played the tambourine was also quite entertaining. 

We stepped into a unique little place called Autour de la Terre, which served coffee, tea, and hot chocolate from around the world. They also offer some alcoholic beverages and a few pastries and such. The menu is actually a book, mostly filled with blank pages, in which the patrons are encouraged to write and draw. The cafe itself is decorated in a very eclectic style and is crammed with a mismatched assortment of sofas, chairs, and tables of every shape and size. Many of the chairs were draped with bright throws or fringed scarves. There were shelves crammed with books and board games, a piano against one wall, and a large Chinese umbrella in a corner. Plants are tucked into every nook and cranny. It really is a very charming place to linger and savor a beverage or snack.

Autour de la Terre is tucked into a corner of the buildings on the right.

That evening, we enjoyed a casual meal at the Grec Gourmand, a kebab shop on Rue de Borgogne. It's very popular with students, as the food is inexpensive and the servings are generous. It was too cold to eat outside, so we sat at a table in the back, where we devoured the flavorful lamb sandwiches and mounds of crispy fries which were served with a garlic mayo. It was an inexpensive meal and a very filling one. As were going back to our hotel, we noticed a large group of people surrounding the statue of Joan of Arc. Many of them were carrying torches, the kind that you see in old movies! We were intrigued, but too cold to consider getting off the tram to investigate. We wondered, since it was Fat Tuesday, if this was somehow related to Mardi Gras festivities.

Travel Tip: If you plan to make a lot of purchases on your vacation, pack a suitcase-within-a-suitcase before you leave home. Upon arrival at your destination, you will have an entire empty case in which to pack your treasures.