If anyone finds my December, please let me know. It seems to have gone completely missing. Sorry about that, was caught up in edits then getting ready for a blog tour for my new release. Please welcome Under the Sicilian Sky to my list of publications.
We'll continue the blog from where we left off in Venice. Our adventure continued through the southern Alps and across the French border. That’s also when the wheels fell off our mode of transport. Trains in Spain and Italy had run with clockwork efficiency and comfort. As soon as we crossed into France that all changed. I won’t bore you with all the details but suffice to say we were very glad when we eventually arrived in Tours, especially as it meant we wouldn’t have to take another train for a week.
If you picture a map of France, Tours is almost in the middle of the country, and one of my favorite places in France. My husband and I had visited here eighteen years ago (pre-children) and had such a great time we’d always wanted to go back. Tours has changed a lot in nearly two decade; it is no longer the quiet French town but a bustling, modern city. But it still holds onto its uniqueness with modern and ancient blending together.
It was also Bastille day weekend, which probably accounted for why the trains weren’t running properly. So we saw an amazing fireworks display and there was also an incredible light show on the face of the cathedral. If you check out my Facebook author page you can see a very brief video to give you a flavor. But the main reason for coming to Tours is that it’s the gateway to the Loire Valley’s chateaux. We did two day-tours and the bonus of being a big family, for most of it we were the only ones in our van.
Here’s just a selection of the ones we saw:
It staggers the mind to think of how much money went into building and maintaining these places. Kind of also helps you understand the reasons behind the French revolution. As a romance writer, however, my imaginations went to secret trysts and assignations in the corridors and gardens. Even today, it’s a great place to meet a knight in shining armor.
Too soon it was time to brave the French trains again and head off to the capital. Until next time...