Tuesday.  David was planning another grand adventure for Wednesday and we needed some exercise anyway so we decided to walk to the train station to buy our tickets ahead of time.  I think David just likes talking to the employees at the train station!

It was a cool, damp morning and we took some pictures along the way.  Here are my artistic shots.  I like the dew on the spider webs.

When Kema was here, every time we walked by these plants she plucked some dried seeds from them to take home and plant at her house in South Carolina.  She asked David to pick some more for her and he did.

I don't think I've posted any pictures of our train station; train stations are called "la gare" followed by their respective names.

David purchased the tickets with ease and we headed home again.  We had passed this home many times on our walks to and from the train station but it's at a very busy traffic area so we never stopped to take a picture of it before.  I think it's lovely!

When we returned home, I had to do a little laundry and, because guests are joining us on Sunday, I had to press some pillow cases and get the bed made up.  We are VERY excited for Gail and Lisa to arrive!

After that taxing chore, we decided we needed to stroll over to Aux Cepages for a glass of wine.  When we approached it, we were surprised not to see tables and chairs outside.  And then I spotted a note on the door!!!  Of course we immediately thought they had closed for vacation like a lot of places have but, no, the notice said there was a change of proprietor-ship and the cave would reopen on October 2nd!  We could not believe it because we had just started to become friends with Joel and Eliana!!!  As we stood there mumbling to each other an upstairs window opened and a young man greeted us.  Then another man, who we recognized as a fellow patron of Aux Cepages looked out the window and David was able to speak enough French to him to find out he is the new owner.  A moment later the door to the establishment opened and there was a blonde woman we had seen many times there -- apparently she and the other gentlemen are the new proprieters!  She actually invited us into the closed wine bar for a drink but we thanked her and declined.  We told them congratulations and that we would see them on October 2nd when they reopened.  I have to say we still feel a little disappointed about the change but we feel confident we will see Joel and Eliana either there or walking around town like we have before.

We immediately walked to the place we call the "beer garden" that we now know is called the Cafe de la Poste or Cafe of the Post Office, to drown our sorrows!  It was another nice day so we sat outside and had our two glasses of beer.  

For dinner David made some excellent scrambled eggs with Emmenthal cheese mixed in.  With the eggs, of course, we had to have toasted baguette with butter.  Very, very good!  

Monday.  It rained overnight and David said he woke up once and heard the rain beating on our slanted window and he loved the way it sounded.  I didn't even hear it!

Not a lot going on today.  David kindly went to the patisserie for our breakfast, two chausson au pomme and a baguette.  Delicious, as usual!

We weren't in any hurry to get our day started because it was overcast and raining a little bit.  We needed to take our big load of recyclables to the recycling place by the big Super U.  Of course then we can't resist shopping at the Super U because they've got such great stuff!!!  Here are some interesting pictures of me recycling.

And a lovely photo of the Super U.

We did buy a few groceries -- and some ice cream!  Just the important things.

You'll recall that everything is closed in Saint Aignan on Monday so this is all I have to report.  We made potato/leek soup for dinner and ate it with the ever-present baguette and butter.  It was very good.

Sunday.  We didn't have any plans again today.  We did a few more chores at the house and folded and put away the laundry.  It was a pretty day and warm so we planned to walk to the "beer garden" later in the day to sit outside and have the blonde beer we like so much.  

We ventured up that way around 4:00 p.m. and guess what????????????  It was closed!!!  For some reason he had closed at 1:00 p.m.  The night before they had a concert and BBQ so maybe they just opened in the morning to serve coffee, etc., and then closed up.

It was disappointing because the weather was so nice and we wanted to be outside.  So we came home and opened wine, moved two chairs outside and sat out there just enjoying the weather and watching the passers-by.  

A few people stopped to ask if there were any restaurants open and there aren't any open on Sunday.  I told David we should make some sandwiches and sell them with a glass of wine.  It could help finance our "life in France!"

David has been taking care of watering the plants at our house and the big planters outside are looking particularly beautiful.  I thought you all would like to see them.

After enjoying the wine we forced ourselves to come inside for a light dinner of wheat bread and cheese.  It was excellent bread and we've never tasted bad cheese so it was a delicious dinner!

Saturday.  As you all know, Saturday is market day.  We woke up to the sound of vendors setting up their carts and booths AND to the sound of light rain.  But we cannot complain because the weather here has been glorious since we arrived!

We weren't in a hurry to go out since we didn't really need to make any significant purchases from the market.  We relaxed with coffee for me and iced tea for David and caught up on the news on TV.  We finally ventured out around 10:00 a.m.

We went to our favorite patisserie cart and bought a baguette, an apple pastry, two little sugar-covered beignets and two cheese pizzas.  Everything looked sooooo good!  The owner tried very hard to teach me to say "petit" correctly in French.  I think I finally said it to her satisfaction!

David wanted another macaroon so we went to that baker's table and bought two of those and, just to be different, a small loaf of dark wheat bread.  It just appealed to us for a change.  I wanted to roast the teeny-tiny potatoes again so we bought a small bagful of those too.  That was it for the food market.

We came home and put away our groceries and headed back out to check out the clothing market set up outside the small market.  I bought a very cute gray cardigan with pockets on the front.  It's a flat knit sweater and will be good for layering as it gets colder.  

Saturday afternoon we just stayed in and relaxed.  David did dart out long enough to the newsstand called Press for the weekend edition of the New York Times.  It was cocktail night, so around 6:30 David mixed our usual gin and tonics.  They were delicious, as usual.  For dinner we ate the cheese pizzas we purchased at the market.  

After dinner we were lounging around and all of a sudden we heard some loud clapping.  It was intermittent but we kept hearing clapping and more clapping.  We all know I'm nosey so I stepped outside to see what was going on and there were runners running through the streets and plaza.  It was dark so they were wearing lights on their foreheads.  They all had participant numbers pinned to their chests but I was unable to read what the race was about.  It seemed to be a charity run but we don't know for what charity.  

We wrapped up the evening reading the New York Times.

Friday.  It was a sad morning . . . Kema and Steve were leaving for Paris and the taxi was coming to pick them up at 7:30 a.m.  We all got up early and we had time for one last chat while drinking our morning coffee and David his black iced tea, shaken not stirred.  The train route took them to a town not far from here, St. Pierre des Corps, where they had an hour and 1/2 layover before boarding the train to Paris.  We sent them with the leftover sandwiches that Kema had made and some chips.  At least if they had to wait in a train station, they could eat their beloved baguette and butter!!!

After they left, David and I had a very low-key day.  He went to the bakery for a baguette and pastries.  He also went to the cheese store to buy some of their delicious butter!  I stayed home and did two loads of laundry.  The rest of the day we stayed home and read and watched TV.  I started catching up my blog and I also found time to watch a few episodes of "House of Cards" on my iPad.  Late that afternoon we strolled over to the wine cave, Aux Cepages, for beer this time.  The place got very packed, both inside and out.  After two beers we called it a night. 

For dinner David opened a can of lentils and doctored them up with tomato sauce and herbs and spices.  Lentils and bread and butter are delicious and this particular dinner was no exception. 

That was our Friday.  Sorry, everyone, not every day can be an adventure!

Thursday.  David had been reading about a city not too far from Saint Aignan called Bourges.  He really wanted to see it and Kema and Steve are up for any adventure so we decided to take the train to Bourges.  We didn't want to go too early so we decided to take the 12:40 p.m. train.

Kema and Steve got up before us and had some toasted baguettes.  Then Steve again walked to the patisserie and brought home pastries and more baguettes.  We had a relaxing breakfast together.  

Since we would be arriving in Bourges in the afternoon we needed to save time. Therefore, we decided to take sandwiches to eat on the train for lunch so Kema and Steve made them. Salami, ham and cheese for us and just cheese for David.  We also took chips and water. And I took a Coke Light for me.  I seem to be the only one who really likes soda!

By now the other three were dressed and ready to go but I still had to get cleaned up so they went out to shop at the local shoe store which David and I had visited the week before. It is called JDS Chaussures.  We thought it was a great store with a huge variety of very good shoes and boots for men and women.  But, alas, now the shoe store is closed for vacation!!!  There are good and bad things about traveling off season and various merchant closings are to be expected, I guess.  Too bad for the store owner, tho, because I'm sure Kema and Steve would have each purchased a pair of shoes -- they loved the ones that were displayed in the windows!

The disappointed shoppers returned but then I decided Kema needed to see the wonderful, kitschy gift store named Le comptoir de Louis.  It is two stories with, I think, 5 rooms in all. They offer an eclectic selection of gourmet food, fine wine and spirits and humanly-dressed cow sculptures for sale.  Also  platters and dishes, glasses, etc.  She liked it very much and bought a cool souvenir for a member of her family.  

When we got back home it was time for the walk to the train station.  We've walked it so often it's actually starting to feel closer!  We got there in 30 minutes and purchased our round trip tickets to Bourges.  We boarded the train, enjoyed the scenery for awhile and then ate our delicious lunch.  

We arrived in Bourges and decided we wanted to head immediately to tour Saint Stephen's Cathedral.  We had no idea how far of a walk it was but we knew we were headed in the right direction.  It wasn't long before we could see it in the distance.  I guess it took us about 30 minutes to walk there.  It is an amazingly beautiful church!!!

  
The construction of the church began in 1195 and the cathedral was consecrated in 1324. Due to its exceptional size, it is considered to be a high point in Gothic architecture.  It was added to the Unesco World Heritage list in 1992. My inside pictures aren't very good but here they are.

  
Along with touring the church you can tour the crypt and the tower.  We were told the crypt tour was in French but the guide spoke enough English to tell us we could spend about 10 minutes touring it when she finished with her final tour.  We thought we were going to get a modified tour in English, but there was a miscommunication and we just got to spend time there by ourselves looking around which was interesting.  

Before we went down to the crypt, and because we had to wait for the last tour of the crypt to end, we decided to walk up the 396 steps to the top of the tower to see the view.  The brochure states:  "The tower was rebuilt and completed in 1542, having collapsed in 1506.  It was nicknamed the 'butter tower' due to the way it was funded:  exemptions from fasting were granted in return for contributions."  Interesting!

I won't lie and say walking up the stairs was a piece of cake . . . but we did it and the views were well worth it!!!  We spent some time there taking pictures and then headed back downstairs to view the crypt. 

The crypt was built from 1195 on the former ditch outside the Gallo-Roman walls.  It is set around a central room called the rotunda.  We wish we had had a little bit of information from a tour guide but it was still very worth seeing.  This sculpture was placed in the lower church in 1540. 
 

We spent so much time at the church that we really didn't have any time left for anything else.  There are many more things to see and do in Bourges and David and I will return soon.  

We were walking back to the train station and came across a beautiful garden.

As we got closer to the train station we realized we had a little time before our train was scheduled to depart for Saint Aignan.  We saw a terrace outside a hotel that was serving drinks so we stopped there and enjoyed the fabulous weather while drinking Coke Lights and iced tea.  It was a very nice break.

We continued on to the train station and boarded our train.  We arrived in Saint Aignan in about an hour as scheduled.  We called for a taxi and soon we were home.

Some of us showered and some of us opened wine and beer to drink and relax.  For dinner Kema made a nice salad and we had two kinds of ravioli for dinner -- 5 cheese and tomato, basil and mozzarella.  Of course we also had baguette and butter!!!  It was Kema and Steve's last night with us in Saint Aignan so it was bitter sweet.  We had the absolute BEST time with them and we were sorry to see them go.  They were headed to Paris for a few days before flying home to South Carolina.  We were delighted we got to share the Loire Valley with them.

Wednesday.  It's so fun to wake up and have coffee and good conversation with friends. After the long day of bike riding and sight-seeing yesterday, I wasn't eager to hop out of bed and head out early in the morning.  Instead we planned a civilized trip to see another town and chateau, Chenonceau, later in the day.  Steve really, really wanted to tour Chenonceau -- mostly because he liked to say the French name.  

Steve kindly decided to head out on his own to pick up our breakfast and baguettes, plus we asked him to stop at the news stand, the Presse, and pick up the New York Times.  He practiced his French and away he went.  He wasn't gone too long and he accomplished all of his goals.  

He said he really enjoyed being out and about in the morning enjoying the town and the views.  We think he and Kema really like it here!

As usual we walked to the train station to take the train to Chenonceau at 1:16 p.m.  We just planned to buy our tickets when we got to the station.  Lo and behold, the station clerk was at lunch and would not return until 1:10 p.m.!  People kept arriving and lining up to buy tickets.  Luckily Kema and Steve were first in line so we were able to purchase our tickets and get on the train.

It was yet another beautiful day and the train ride was very fun and efficient.  We got off the train in Chenonceau and walked into the little town to have lunch.  There weren't many places open and we finally stumbled upon a hotel with a garden spot for lunch.  We were seated at a table and given a menu in English.  Upon first review, nothing really appealed to any of us and we almost got up and left.  But we didn't want to be rude so we stayed and we were glad we did. 

Kema ordered onion soup and it came with little side bowls of cheese and croutons.  She just ordered soup because she wanted chocolate mousse for dessert (which she did not share) -- smart woman!  Steve ordered one of the plat du jours which was chicken roasted in prune sauce and frites.  His meal came with a dessert of yogurt cake which none of us had ever heard of. He liked it.  David and I ordered the soup du jour which was a creamy vegetable, and frites.  The soup came in a caldron and was easily two bowls a piece. David also had a salad which he loved.  After all of us being skeptical, the food was delicious!

After lunch we strolled over to the chateau to tour the castle and garden.  The walk up to it was lovely and tree-lined.  According to the brochure, in order to build the chateau in the 16th century, a fortified castle and mill belonging to the Marques family were demolished, leaving just the keep, the Marques tower, which was restored in Renaissance style.  "The layout of the forecourt is a copy of the former medieval fortress surrounded by moats."
  

The kitchen was comprised of 4 or 5 rooms.  So beautiful!  For those of us who watch Downton Abbey, note the bells which must have rung when family members needed something -- just like on the TV show!

Here are pictures of the bedrooms -- none of which is as beautiful and romantic as our bedroom at La Boulangerie!

There is a beautiful little chapel in the chateau.

Kema and I both were very impressed with the gorgeous fresh flower arrangements throughout the chateau.

This chateau is built over a river.  I did not get a good picture to show that.

Many of the ceilings are hand-painted.  Here is just one example.

And here is a lovely picture and Kema and Steve!

We all LOVED Chenonceau and didn't even mind how many times Steve said the word -- just because he liked the sound of it.

We took the train home and it was another fine trip.  We weren't very hungry after our great lunch so Kema arranged a chacuterie board and David took care of the cheese board. With baguette, it was a fine dinner!  

It's almost unbelievable to be living this life!!!