First real Saturday

If this town believes in one thing, it's that weather is fickle. Today has been, cold, hot, sunny, rainy, and everything in between. I guess this is why past students warned us to always wear layers and always bring sunglasses and an umbrella.

This is going to be a mostly pictorial update with a running commentary.

I woke up early (ish) and took a walk along la Boulevard Heurteloup, which is beautiful, probably thanks to Napoleon and his lining of trees down the roads.

This road leads past the train station (fountains are found absolutely everywhere in Tours)
And if you keep going you'll get to the Hôtel de Ville (and the beautiful garden in front of the hotel - there's another one identical on the other side of the street making a half a circle with the shops)


If you continue on this road, which changes to the Boulevard Béranger, and it's a Wednesday or Saturday you will see the open air flower market, as well as the open clothing/bag market and food.































Eventually on this road, I turn right (every morning for the past week) and make my way up the Rue de la Grandière to the Institut de Touraine, which is near the oldest part of the town.


There are beautiful churches in this part (this one I think looks like where Cinderella's ball should have ended up...except in a palace not a church!)

This is part of the old Cathedral, le Saint Martin.
If you keep continuing in this direction you run into the Loire, these are the stairs you can walk down to get to the river. The bar to the right is a great place at night apparently for music and there's a dance floor. It opens when the weather is nice in the spring and closes on September 20th. A bunch of the girls and I are going there tonight to listen to some jazz music!

This is one of the bridges to get to Tours-Nord (North Tours). I love the flags that run along side it.


Just on the other side of the bridge is the public library and a memorial dedicated to the United States.

At noon all the Bucknell girls, along with Mme Fazelly, Professor Jordan, and his wife and three kids met up at a crèperie and ate lunch - really yummy! And Mme Fazelly informed me that the economics class that I'm going to be in is weird and will be starting on Monday - two weeks before any of the other classes! Very exciting (and nerve racking!!!)

Then we took (another) tour of Tours (3rd one in a week!) with the coolest tour guide ever. She's a professor of art history and knows so much about the city. And she had a great sense of humor (not to mention being entirely and utterly enthusiastic).

After the tour, Caroline, Stephanie, Melissa, and I decided to get some afternoon tea at a little café. Seriously amazing tarts.


Tomorrow will probably be another picture update - in the morning we're going shopping at the open market on one of the main streets for fun then going to the Musée de Beaux Arts because it's free every first Sunday of the month! Then seeing a movie (Prince Caspian of Narnia...in French!) Should be fun!