Tours, Loire Valley

The sun came out today - hurrah!  Not only did the morning haze lift to deliver us a fine day but after another uncomfortable night of coughing and little sleep for either of us, Ross finally admitted to feeling better.  And suddenly Tours seemed like quite a decent place.  Funny how everything seems sunny again once the mood lifts.

We started with a walk down the main shopping street – a beautiful wide promenade with hyper-modern trams running down the middle with plenty of designer and upmarket stores on either side.  Past the impressive Town Hall, we ventured into the Old Town where the remnants of the once mighty Basilica of St Martin straddled the street – once a huge building, only two towers and the old crypt remain.

Tours Town Hall

Basilique St Martin

The old quarter oozed charm with its narrow streets and irregular buildings, many with their original timber facades.  Although approaching midday, the town was only just stirring. Shops and cafes were opening and vans and lorries competed with cyclists and pedestrians down the narrow one-way lanes to make their deliveries. 

Rue du Grand Marche

We made it to the banks of the River Loire before turning inland again to the Cathedral St Gatien, a major Tours monument.  Built in stages between the 13^th and 16^th centuries in a blend of gothic and renaissance styles, the cathedral had a magnificent exterior.  The monumental interior hosted an impressive array of stained glass which no photo could ever do justice.

The River Loire

Cathedral St Gatien

There was also an opportunity to visit the remains of the adjacent cathedral cloister.  The canons used to work here in the scriptorium and library, busily conserving the books of the chapter library.  

Psalette cloister

Just to prove I did visit Tours Cathedral and these aren’t random pics cut and paste from Google!

The cathedral viewed from the cloister

Cathedral interior

After grabbing a sandwich we embarked on a quest to find a supermarket for the simple task of buying some water and fruit.  Pharmacies are on every street corner but a supermarket?!  It was another Bienvenue en France moment…. We had passed more than one on our morning walk but couldn’t recall where.  Logic dictated there had to be one close to the railway station but queries to people on the street only took us to one that had closed down in April.  Finally success! A small store not too far from our hotel.

We had the luxury of a lazy afternoon before heading out again in the evening once the sun started to sink towards the horizon and the sky turned a nice rosy pink.  After almost laughing myself into a coma when we passed a self-service launderette (the French at least know how to wash clothes), we happened across a hidden gem tucked away near the Cathedral.

 

It was the old Episcopal residence, now the Musee des Beaux Arts.  Although the museum was closed, the garden was still open and it housed not only wonderful formal garden beds, the design of which changes every year, but also an old Cedar of Lebanon, planted in the early 19^th century and now a very large and grand tree indeed.

Musee des Beaux Arts with the grand cedar to the left and cathedral behind

The formal garden

 A fitting close to our first day in Tours.