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Published: April 7th 2018
Spring has finally sprung! The temperature in Tours reached 73 degrees by mid-afternoon, under mostly sunny skies, and we made the most of our good fortune. We decided to walk to the nearby Botanical Garden, and afterwards ride the #4 bus to reach the Château de Tours on the south bank of the Loire river.
The Jardin botanique de Tours is a municipal botanical garden and arboretum, established in 1843, that occupies a plot of land along the western side of the Boulevard Tonnellé. Admission is free, and it turned out to be quite a bargain, because we spent more than an hour admiring the diverse array of flowers and plants, representing some 2000 taxonomic groups, which are spread out over 12 acres of lush lawns and gardens.
There are also more than 150 kinds and species of trees and shrubs between the main entrance and the playgrounds in the southern part of the garden. Many of these trees are now in bloom, and hopefully our photos convey a sense of the kaleidoscope of colors we witnessed. Virtually every path we wandered led to another beautiful vista, and the glorious weather only enhanced the experience.
The garden includes
Up close and personal
Botanic Gardens, Toursa small menagerie of animals, which draws a lot of attention from local children. At present, the animal collection is oriented towards exotic species, e.g., wallabies share their enclosure with an emu. In the center of the garden, an aviary is home to parrots, parakeets and canaries, while flamingos, ducks and geese enjoy the pond on the property. We even spotted a lone peacock strutting his stuff.
After we exited the garden, at its northern boundary, we immediately located the bus stop, and waited less than 15 minutes before the next #4 bus arrived. In about 15 minutes, we arrived at the stop across from the Château de Tours, a castle built in the 11th century, that at one time was the residence of the Lords of France. Currently, the building houses contemporary exhibitions of paintings and photographs (including works by Joan Miró); and the workshop of Tours history, where historical documents, models, and films on the history of Tours are shown. We decided to visit the castle another day, opting instead to have lunch, and then return for a closer view of the Loire from the pedestrian suspension bridge that spans it at this point, crossing the tiny
Ile Aucard before reaching the north bank of the river.
We walked a short distance along rue Colbert before sitting down at a table for two at Les Canailles, where we ordered white asparagus and chorizo appetizers, followed by grilled steak and potatoes. As was the case yesterday (at Le Laurenty, further down the street), the presentation and flavor of the dishes were excellent; and the chocolate mousse dessert was a real treat! We each drank two glasses of wine, relaxed, and enjoyed ourselves before paying the bill and returning to the riverside.
The little suspension bridge was interesting, but it swayed a bit as people and scooters drove across, which made Dee a little squeamish. So we did not cross to the other side today. Instead, we watched the river flow for awhile, then took some photos of the embankment, which was reminiscent to us of the banks of the river Seine in Paris.
Before starting for home, we returned to the Tours Cathedral, a couple blocks south of the river, to visit the La Psalette cloisters we had missed yesterday. The cloisters, which are connected to the northwest part of the cathedral, were the place
View of cathedral facade
From terrace level of La Psalette cloisters of work for the canons (clergy who served on the staff of a cathedral) as far back as the 15th-century. The term "La Psalette" refers to the psalms that were sung in the adjacent choir school, where children received musical and religious instruction before going on to hold important Church positions.
These cloisters, facades, and the galleries surrounding them, illustrate the gradual transition from the Gothic to the Renaissance architectural styles. There are two levels accessible to the public, and the views of the cathedral and the courtyard from the terrace (reached by a medieval-spiral staircase) were sensational.
After leaving the cloisters, we made a brief stop inside the Beaux Arts museum to locate "Fritz", the stuffed elephant we missed yesterday; and then relaxed for awhile on a bench in the Place Francois Sicard, along with other locals enjoying the warm weather today.
Dee's comments: We got a bit of a late start today, as our blogger was busy writing this morning. The botanic garden we visited later was outstanding, with its many beautiful flowers, trees and green, green grass; and the animals I just loved! Made me wish we had parks like this back home. Not
all the animals were out and about, but lots of little children were playing.
Caught the #4 bus to a stop by the river, then ate an earlier lunch (for a change). It was very good, but didn't compare with yesterday's experience at Le Laurenty. While eating our lunch, I noticed a family with three children (probably 8-, 6- and 5-years-old) at the table next to ours.
The children were very well-behaved, and their table manners so impeccable, that I complimented their parents. Each of them placed the napkins in their laps, and handled their knives and forks in the European fashion so gracefully...better than a lot of adults!
I had to take off my jacket, as the temperature had reached 73 degrees, by the time we walked back to the river---first time I've been hot after 50 days of cold! Visited the cloisters in the cathedral, and the elephant on the museum grounds, which we missed yesterday; then returned to the villa by bus (buses here are very efficient and clean). Great to sit outside for Happy Hour, soaking-up some vitamin D, while listening to the birds sing!
Au revoir for now...
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Jeni
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I wish we had parks like this one here too. Absolutely gorgeous with all the colors and of course the animals make it even better! Another beautiful spring day, here’s to many more of those.