Visiting Tours

There are two very special reasons we enjoyed our visit to Tours and the Loire.

The first, and foremost was an opportunity to travel with our good friends Richard and Pauline. It's always a fun time no matter we are at the moment and sharing such incredible experiences as we have had, including the visit to the Loire, is priceless.

The second reason was getting a chance to experience a place we had only heard about or read about, a part of France that had so much to offer in the way of attractions (fantastic chateaux) and really good wine.

Contrary to what the American travel writer Rick Steves says, Tours is worth sleeping in. It's a perfect location for traveling to many if not most of the famous châteaux, most of which are accessible by train from the city. 

The city itself has much to recommend it: an old quarter, a very nice indoor market, and a user-friendly public transportation system centered on a sleek tram that runs north to south. Our apartment, in the medieval part of town, was just a few meters away from rue Colbert, which had many restaurants out of the tourist maze, with food options including Lebanese, Ethiopian, Asian, one dedicated to just cheese dishes, pubs, pizzas and, of course, several traditional French cuisine eateries.

Naturally there are plenty of neighborhood boulangeries and pâtisseries that produce incredible breads and pastries. 

It was also nice that we planned our stay during a less crowded time of the year. And speaking of time, it was further confirmation how important it is to not rush during these trips, but relax, to act as if one is back at home, to treat wherever one is staying as if it is home. Of course, it helps if someone is a bit under the weather, as it was in my case, forcing one to go slow and enjoy where you are.