Day 4 in the Loire Valley

[1April]

Another gorgeous morning here in Tours. And we slept in again. But we're fortunate to have the time to enjoy being leisurely, no pressure to rush here or there to see a thing or get in line to visit something old and important. Nope. Just sit and sip coffee and this morning our treat was a scrumptious brioche feuilletée we bought at the boulangerie at the market yesterday. A quick warm-up in the oven and we were back in the world of French Tarte treats.  

Last night we ate our first serious meal at home. I blanched a big pot of potatoes, let them cool , and then smashed them with some olive oil and herbs and then into a very hot oven to get them nice and crispy. Meanwhile, I turned to blanching some broccoli -- a head that reminded us of the broccoli we get at our farmer's market in the summer, large and tight and oh so good. Washed down with a lovely rosé from Anjou. A tasty meal, as it turned out, enjoyed by all.

Eventually the blue sky and warm sun drew us outside. We walked over to the rue Nationale, the main shopping area and along which runs the light rail/tram that runs from airport and northern suburbs to south of the city. After a stop in the Monoprix we bought a pair of day passes for the public transport. The ticket kiosks were a bit confusing at first but we soon figured out how to use our credit card and with passes in hand we waited for the next tram.

Once aboard we settled in for the next hour and a half or so and rode the tram all the way south and then all the way back north just to get a sense of the city and its environs. 

The seats were comfortable, the ride smooth and quiet (the tram is electric). It's a wonderful way to see a city that one wouldn't normally experience when just visiting for a few days. Although it lacked "tour guide" information it was almost like the ubiquitous hop-on-hop-off tour buses we have used in the past - but at a fraction of the cost and without the crowds.

We eventually disembarked along rue Nationale near rue Colbert and made our way to the old quarter, which is also close to Les Halles, our last stop for the afternoon.

at the edge of the old quarter

in the old quarter

place Plumereau

place Plumereau

We popped into Les Halles market mid afternoon to pick up a rotisserie chicken for dinner but discovered that most of the vendors were closed up. We were perplexed and puzzled to say the least (we eventually assumed they would reopen later in the day for the evening traffic and we would be right). So we walked home and enjoyed a delicious late lunch -- most places had closed up until supper time -- consisting of local bread and wonderful cheese, both of which we had picked up at Les Halles yesterday.

A little after 5:00 pm (1700) we left the apartment and headed back to Less Halles (yup, we're doing a lot of walking). School had just let out and the teenagers were everywhere, including at all the outdoor cafes, smoking, laughing and just enjoying the life here in France.

the Monster

We ambled over to the market and it was hoppin'! All the vendors were open waiting for folks to come in looking for food for dinner tonight -- just like us.

our vendor of choice for rotisserie chicken and roasted potatoes

the small round of cheese in the center is local goat cheese and recommended by the cheesemonger

Leaving Les Halles we tried a couple of kitchen stores looking for a cheese slicer (we found one). This one store had a guillotine. . . but it was only for sausage.

And finally, here's tonight's dinner with fresh broccoli and a Saumur-Champigny! And for those not familiar with how this works, the large rotisseries are set up so that the chickens roast slowly on racks of spits and their droppings fall onto the potatoes layered in a large tray at the bottom. Efficient and incredibly flavorful way to cook.

Tomorrow: Day trip by train to Blois (we hope!).