Monday.  Not just any Monday . . . MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!  Very few people like celebrating their birthdays more than I do so it was an exciting day.  I hopped out of bed raring to go.  

David had the coffee ready when the rest of us got up.  I was NOT expecting anything but I received some nice surprises!  Lisa gave me a card that I will not share but I will treasure forever.  She has a very special place in my heart.  Gail brought me a gift from two of our friends in Canton that we grew up with, Linda and Rhoda.  It is a gorgeous scarf and a beautiful note.  Of course I wore the scarf immediately.

Gail gave me a wonderful gift that will remind me of this trip forever.  When Kema was here she took a great picture of David and me laughing really hard at the wine bar, Aux Cepages.  Gail loved the picture so she had a copy made and framed for me.  David and I both love the picture too so we are very happy to have a framed copy.  This is the picture.

We headed out for the day -- took the train to Chenonceau -- and toured the house and gardens.  I've reported on Chenonceau before so I won't bore you, but I'll post a few pictures for my own pleasure!  I especially love the picture Lisa took of the chateau!

We actually toured the gardens first since it wasn't raining temporarily.  Then it was time for lunch!   We planned to have lunch at the self-serve cafeteria style restaurant there on the property, but when we left the gardens and started walking toward that building, we saw another dining option.  It's called L'Orangerie and it is pretty darn fancy.  But it was my birthday so what the heck!  The main part of the restaurant looked narrow and crowded so we were very happy to be seated in the conservatory.  

It was a damp day, raining off and on, and we all decided on the vegetable soup and salad. Lisa and I had roasted goat cheese on our salads and it was delicious!  Gail had a plain green salad and David had "salade avocat."  The food was beautiful and excellent.  Lisa declared it one of the best meals of her life.  

After our leisurely lunch, we spent a few hours in the chateau and then decided to go to the self-serve restaurant for a drink.  When we saw it we were very happy we had eaten lunch at L'Orangerie!  The food looked good but nothing like we had for lunch.

On the way back to the train station it was raining pretty hard but we kept seeing things we needed to tour!  There was a display set up like it was when there was a military hospital at Chenonceau during World War I.  Next door to that was a display of costumes that had been used in films from that time period.  Walking further we stumbled upon the absolutely gorgeous flowers used in the floral arrangements in the chateau and vegetables and fruit used in the food served there.  We were blown away by the beauty of those practical gardens!!!  

We had to make our way to the train station after we saw the gardens and it was raining pretty hard by then.  Gail and David had hoods on their jackets but Lisa and I just toughed it out and, surprisingly, we did not melt!  The train was on time and whisked us home quickly.  We took a taxi home from the train station.  

For my birthday dinner, Gail took all of us to the local Chinese restaurant, Delices d'Asie, where we have eaten twice before.  Most of the restaurants here are closed on Monday night but happily it is open.  We were the only ones in the restaurant for most of the evening and the service and food were excellent!!!  We ordered a variety of dishes and we all shared -- they have the freshest, most delicious food there.  David told the server/owner that he is a vegetarian and she went back to the kitchen and brought out some shitake mushrooms she had bought at the market for her own personal cooking and she said she would ask the Chef to make something with them and some kind of Chinese onion.  The dish was beautiful and David said it was really great tasting.  We ate until we were all stuffed!

BUT . . . not too stuffed for birthday cake!  David ordered the cake earlier in the week and picked it up on Sunday.  The square box was sitting in the fridge calling my name but I had to wait until my birthday evening to see it and eat it.  It was gorgeous and sooooooooooo good.  We all loved it!  The perfect ending to the perfect birthday!!!!!