THURSDAY 21/10/2010 contd
Had a drink in the hotel conservatory and dinner at a nearby Creperie: Mike had roast pork and I had PAVE VIROIS GILLE which is Andouillette sausage [stomach I am told] very nice: Check trains situation on our return to the hotel and all looked good for tomorrow:

FRIDAY 22/10/2010
Rima the receptionist checked the trains again and all was ok so we set of for the station and on out train at 10:42 to arrive in Caen at 10:55am: We had travelled with Molly and Brad from LA and when we arrived in Caen they said they would have to go back as she had left a backpack containing an iPad at the hotel: Just before the train pulled out they came on and explained that so,eone else who was staying at the hotel was going to bring the backpack to Paris and meet them there: VERY LUCKY! After arriving at St Lazare in Paris we caught a taxi to Montparnasse as this we were told was the best thing to do: Was that interesting with Paris traffic and a van which was blocking our passage down a narrow street: 25 minutes and 16euro clocked up we decided to give him 20 euro: Our next train to Tour was on time and then we boarded our last train for the day: It was very full and then more and more people got on: We had chosen to sit near the entrance so that we did not have to drag our bags too far: This area began to fill and then a man with a bike got on: A train staff member came to the door and said something and when I asked the lady near me what was happening she asked where we were going and said we were OK: They had asked that some people get off and take another connection: The space was soon filled again by a disabled girl in a wheelchair with a type of guide dog attached: The train left Tours 10mins late and qrrived in Chinon 10 mins late at 6:10pm: The walk to our cottage was noted as 15 to 20 mins and as the weather was good we decided to walk and checked out restaurants on the way: Restaurants do not open till 7PM: Arrived at La Touraine just before 7pm and after checking out our lodgings for the next week headed to the supermarket for breakfast supplies: Asked a customer in the supermarket where she had purchased her pizza and she told me: As she left the checkout chick called her boss and he took us across the Square to another pizza place and asked them to look after us:  Pizza was good washed down with a local red: Home and bed about 10pm: A full day:

SATURDAY 23/10/2010
Into the Square for the Market but only 2 stalls today: To the Tourism office for information and Mass times: On the way back we bought 2 individual quiches and a loaf of bread and to the butcher for Rillon which are a marinated and cooked pork spare rib which is lovely as well as 2 Tourlouse Sausages for dinner another night: We had our lunchat home and were thinking of going out at about 2pm but it was raining: It rained until about 5pm when we went back to the supermarket for a couple of things and then the _ or so minutes walk to 7pm Mass: Dinnr tonight was the Rillon and veg which was very nice: Cheese,pear, apple and wine after dinner:

SUNDAY 24/10/2010
Did the French thing today and slept till 8:30am; had baguette and coffee for breakfast: Put on some washing and left about 10:30, wandered around and then up to the Chateau for the next 3 hours. It was amazing with some Joan of Arc artifacts because this is where she lived for a while and there is also a big statue of her in one of the squares. On our return back down into the square which was only 5 minutes walk we found we had missed out chance to buy lunch as it was after 2:30 so back to base and a packed of dehydrated Minestrone soup left by a previos occupant. People have left non perishables for others to use. Read for a while and went for a walk from 5 till 7pm. Lots of couples, family groups out at this time. Home via the wine shop 50 metres at the top of our stret on rue Voltaire and a bottle of local Rose which was very nice with the scrambled eggs I cooked. Lots and lots of steps at the Chateau. We turned on the TV for the first time and put in a DVD Down came a Spider which we both enjoyed. Lights out at 10:30pm

MONDAY 25/10/2010
This would have been Mums 89th Birthday and we were both feeling a bit flat. We walked off our town map to the east and then found a bakery to buy two Pain du Raison which we know as snails. We were both feeling quite heavy headed and went back to base for a break. Weather was good with sunshine but a sneaky breeze. Had a coffee at a little Brasserie on the square where we had been before. Dinner was the Toulouse sausages and they were really good. Anne and Jeff they were not unlike the Cumberland sausages we had in York. I keep saying goodbye when I should be saying hello but the locals are really good about this.