In Tours: day one

September 19, 2024

Susan’s right: Doctolib is a very helpful app. Unfortunately in our reading there’s nothing available today we can make an appointment for, so we brace ourselves for a trip to a nearby clinic that allegedly takes walk-ins. For some reason we envision this as some sort of emergency room setting and mentally prepare ourselves for what could be another long day. Wiser from our recent experience, we plan to arrive when the clinic opens and at least avoid a long walk home in the dark.

After a ten minute walk we arrive five minutes after it opens at 8:30. This looks much better we think after opening the door - it’s a small, nearly empty room with only one other person sitting there, presumably someone seeking a consultation like ourselves. There’s no one else though and no obvious door to knock on so there’s an anxious moment until a young woman walks in and asks why we’re here. We’d like to see a doctor, I say (I do the talking, because Rachael can’t hear well).

Well, I’m a doctor she replies, and then asks if we have passports. I answer in the affirmative - a lucky break, because we’ve got it with us only by chance because neither of us consciously thought about bringing it. I go on to tell her we’re self-financing, so she points us to a spot to sit and wait our turn. Our turn comes barely five minutes later when the other guy comes out of her consultation and Rachael takes his place. And then she’s out barely another five minutes later, a prescription for prednisolone and nasal spray in her hand and a bill for €26.50 added to our credit card. She’s been diagnosed with nasal congestion which is the cause of her earache and hearing issues.

A great outcome and experience obviously, and neither of us regrets not having another good story to pass on. We’ve been producing enough of those lately and don’t need another one for awhile.

We leave the clinic and walk to the nearest open pharmacy to get the prescription filled. On the way we stop long enough for me to take a few shots of the basilica because we needed something for a narrative break here and there wasn’t anything worth taking a shot of at the clinic.

The first abbey of Saint Martin was consecrated in 471 AD, built upon the tomb of Saint Martin, the patron saint of the city. The current reincarnation, built between 1886 and 1924, is at least the seventh. The earliest several versions of the abbey were destroyed by fire; ransacked twice by Norman Vikings; destroyed by fire again; sacked by the Huguenots during the French Wars of Religion; and finally disestablished and completely destroyed during the French Revolution.

The current version of the tormented Basilica of Saint Martin.

The bell tower, and presumably the figure of Saint Martin.

We’re back in the room by 10:00 - amazing, we’ve been gone barely an hour and a half. Rachael takes her first doses and then we hang out until it’s time to walk down the street to l’Akan, the restaurant we’ve booked lunch at. It’s a small place, maybe six tables, and we’re served delicious meals. It is so great to have the energy and enthusiasm to enjoy a meal again!

Also, while we’ve been waiting for lunch we spend some time planning out our next steps after we leave Tours. You’re the first to hear of them, other than for Susan whom we emailed our plans to already. First, the plan not taken: we’re not spending the next week biking slowly eastward up the Cher and Loire past Chenonceaux, Villandry and Chinon to Bliere, where weplanned to catch the train to Beaune and then start traveling south toward the Mediterranean along the Saone and Rhone. We’re sorry to be missing this, but it’s probably too soon on planning to ride even the short, flat stages we’ve mapped out anyway.

None of this is booked, but our plan had been to wait until time to leave this apartment before committing ourselves depending on our state and the state of the weather. We’re scrapping it now though because the weather forecast has clarified our thinking. It’s fine now, but will begin raining in a few days and continue off and on for at least the next ten days or so. It looks the same everywhere in the region until we get about as far south as Provence.

So it’s time to move south. We’ll take our time, with train journeys to Moulins, Brioude and finally Tarascon where presumably we can start biking again. And now that we’ve decided this, we’re quite enthusiastic about the new plan (of course; this is Team Anderson). Nearly two months in southern France and Catalonia, yippee! I’m pretty sure we should be able to figure out what to do with that.

Lunchtime at l’Akan: fish of the day and le porc.

We walk back to our apartment and we relax or nap for the next few hours. Later in the afternoon I take the camera and head to the nearby old town, with the idea that I’ll wander around for awhile, take some shots, and then find a place for a light meal. It doesn’t take long to find my way to Place Plumereau, its perimeter partially covered with tables from nearby cafes and the surrounding streets lined with beautiful half-timbered houses and mansions.

We’ve been to Tours once before, in 2007 on our loop from Bordeaux and back. We passed through the city midday sometime on the entire two days we allotted for chateau-hopping our way up the Loire from Montsoreau to. Blois. I’m startled this evening on entering the square because I immediately recognize this spot. We must have come to this square on our way through the city. Surprising because I have no photographs and no mental image of the place, but I’m certain. It’s startling to be reminded of how much is stashed away up there if you could just find the key to unlock the hidden memories.

This house on the corner of Plumereau Square, an old mansion perhaps, is really striking. Note all the carved wooden figures jutting out from its slate or tile walls.

This is the view I immediately recognized.

On Plumereau Square. Note the intricacy and pattern variety of the brickwork on this and its neighboring building shown below.

Plumereau Square. Note the brickwork again - every section has a unique pattern.

After wandering through some nearby streets I’m starting to lose my light, it’s nearing dinner time, and I’m feeling like I’ve been out long enough so I head back to the square to find a meal. And I find one too, a place that looks like it will serve me up a plate of cheapo pasta at a reasonable price. I’m about to be seated when I realize tha I didn’t bring my wallet with me so I couldn’t pay for my meal so I just head home. Good thing I realized this first!

I’m only back a few minutes when we get a phone call from a French number. Rachael can’t begin to tell what this woman is trying to tell her, but then says something about Booking and hangs up. She’s left a message there to tell us that she’ll be over in a few minutes and bring us something: sheets for the bed. She stops by, drops them off, and quickly leaves. And for at least the next ten or fifteen minutes we struggle with stuffing the mattress into them.

Another unique experience we won’t want to forget.

We already disliked this silly place for a few reasons, but this really tops it off. What kind of host knows they’ve admitted us to the unit without sheets, and not only doesn’t point it out (and yes, it’s surprising we hadn’t noticed, but we’ve been sick) and then just drops them off late in the afternoon the next day! We seldom leave negative reviews on our stays, but this time I think we’ll make an exception.

After recovering from that challenge we return to just-hanging-out mode until it’s time for bed. When time comes Rachael takes the lead, and as soon as her head hits the pillow she announces Full Moon! And she’s right, so for the next ten minutes I stand at the open window with the camera waiting for the moon to slowly edge its way toward a building so I’ve got something to contrast against.

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Suzanne GibsonSo good that the clinic experience was better than last time! Best story yet in my opinion. The new med is sure to bring relief. Yay!
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3 months ago

Kathleen JonesThings are looking up. That’s great.
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3 months ago

Kathleen ClassenSo happy for you that the clinic experience was a win. Tours looks wonderful. The lack of bedsheets is a great story. We are often amused when reading details about accommodation and they say ‘bedsheets’. We always thought that was a given. Evidently not!!!
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2 months ago

Jacquie GaudetTo Kathleen ClassenIt's usual, but not given. If you book accommodation on Hornby Island in BC, you are often required to bring your own linens or pay extra. This is because of the chronic water shortage on Hornby--visitors are expected bring their own linens and then take them home to launder.
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2 months ago