Friday 7th September.
A big day, as its Danielle’s birthday! It was good to be able to chat to her for some time the day before and again when she was still out enjoying herself at her birthday lunch at the Bower. Much laughter and fun was going on as we sang happy birthday from the other side of the world.
It was market day in Chatillon and was something that we wanted to see. We also had to go into Gien about 30 klms away, to take the aspirateur into the Auchant to be sent off for repair. This was going involve using the main roads and going around round-abouts, traffic lights and generally driving in traffic.
In Chatillon the markets were through the town square and into the cobbled main street. All sorts of stalls,including lambs heads cooked whole and ready for sale and all sorts of strange things in aspic, butchers, vegetables, clothes, hats and beads, where we stopped to buy a variety of to repair mums broken necklace, which we have been carrying around with us.
It was time for coffee so Café De La France looked like the place to be. This was a Rugby enclave with banners and posters up for the world cup. Excited talk as France is to play Argentina tonight and they were feeling very confident. Had a grande coffee au lait and soaked up the atmosphere. Everybody smokes here, none of this health controlling bureaucracy in France. The owner’s huge dog was also wandering around the tables sniffing and introducing himself to everyone. (Bob would have loved this!) Where’s the health inspector! This is a place we’ll have to come back to if France gets to play Australia, with me wearing my wallaby jumper. Time to move on to Gian so we bought some potatoes and walked back to the car to check the map.
It looked pretty simple and the road signs are good, its just that they put them almost on top of the turn you have to take, so you have to keep a sharp look out and be ready, remembering to keep to the right. On the more major roads it’s much better being much the same as in the UK and Australia.
We did quite well and with a few extra turns we found Auchant (A very large K Mart type) in a shopping centre taking the vacuum cleaner (aspirator) to the service desk and arranging to have it sent off under warranty for repairs. 3 weeks and we’ll get a phone to pick it up!
All accomplished we drove back into town alongside the Loire parking on the street and putting 1.30 Euro into the meter for two hours. Ventured off on foot to look at the Chateau., which is now a museum of hunting. Once again a historic building with steps galore so we made our way up to the top. We were cold and hadn’t brought any coats with us, something we’ll not forget again. So we hurriedly made our way back to where the restaurants were by the river and with much menu reading up and down the street, chose L’Orangerie, 12 Quai Lenoir, which offered the formula a @ 10E90. A good choice of pork curry suited us fine with a demi café.
Tried to take a photo on timer, which didn’t work so a fellow diner came over and offered to take it. An English man, whose voice had been dominating the restaurant along with his wife, was from one of the barges that take people on holidays up and down the canals. He stopped for a while; chatting and we exchanged our stories. He does his barge trips, throughout the canals in Europe, for six months of the year and then winters in the UK for six months.
Time to head for home so we walked back to the car crossing at a pedestrian crossing and confirming what we had been told, that French drivers don’t necessarily stop and might just give you a friendly wave as they just drive pass in front of you, almost over your toes if you’re not careful. A good lesson learnt!
Have to say that with some discussion we found the road we needed to head for home. Feeling quite smug we wanted to get back so we could have a bit of a rest as we, or I, wanted to watch France play Argentina at 9pm local time.
Its late now and France as the host nation will be in despair as they have just lost to Argentina who are in raptures. If France doesn’t beat Ireland in their next game they will be out of it!
A rest day tomorrow I think!
A big day, as its Danielle’s birthday! It was good to be able to chat to her for some time the day before and again when she was still out enjoying herself at her birthday lunch at the Bower. Much laughter and fun was going on as we sang happy birthday from the other side of the world.
It was market day in Chatillon and was something that we wanted to see. We also had to go into Gien about 30 klms away, to take the aspirateur into the Auchant to be sent off for repair. This was going involve using the main roads and going around round-abouts, traffic lights and generally driving in traffic.
In Chatillon the markets were through the town square and into the cobbled main street. All sorts of stalls,including lambs heads cooked whole and ready for sale and all sorts of strange things in aspic, butchers, vegetables, clothes, hats and beads, where we stopped to buy a variety of to repair mums broken necklace, which we have been carrying around with us.
It was time for coffee so Café De La France looked like the place to be. This was a Rugby enclave with banners and posters up for the world cup. Excited talk as France is to play Argentina tonight and they were feeling very confident. Had a grande coffee au lait and soaked up the atmosphere. Everybody smokes here, none of this health controlling bureaucracy in France. The owner’s huge dog was also wandering around the tables sniffing and introducing himself to everyone. (Bob would have loved this!) Where’s the health inspector! This is a place we’ll have to come back to if France gets to play Australia, with me wearing my wallaby jumper. Time to move on to Gian so we bought some potatoes and walked back to the car to check the map.
It looked pretty simple and the road signs are good, its just that they put them almost on top of the turn you have to take, so you have to keep a sharp look out and be ready, remembering to keep to the right. On the more major roads it’s much better being much the same as in the UK and Australia.
We did quite well and with a few extra turns we found Auchant (A very large K Mart type) in a shopping centre taking the vacuum cleaner (aspirator) to the service desk and arranging to have it sent off under warranty for repairs. 3 weeks and we’ll get a phone to pick it up!
All accomplished we drove back into town alongside the Loire parking on the street and putting 1.30 Euro into the meter for two hours. Ventured off on foot to look at the Chateau., which is now a museum of hunting. Once again a historic building with steps galore so we made our way up to the top. We were cold and hadn’t brought any coats with us, something we’ll not forget again. So we hurriedly made our way back to where the restaurants were by the river and with much menu reading up and down the street, chose L’Orangerie, 12 Quai Lenoir, which offered the formula a @ 10E90. A good choice of pork curry suited us fine with a demi café.
Tried to take a photo on timer, which didn’t work so a fellow diner came over and offered to take it. An English man, whose voice had been dominating the restaurant along with his wife, was from one of the barges that take people on holidays up and down the canals. He stopped for a while; chatting and we exchanged our stories. He does his barge trips, throughout the canals in Europe, for six months of the year and then winters in the UK for six months.
Time to head for home so we walked back to the car crossing at a pedestrian crossing and confirming what we had been told, that French drivers don’t necessarily stop and might just give you a friendly wave as they just drive pass in front of you, almost over your toes if you’re not careful. A good lesson learnt!
Have to say that with some discussion we found the road we needed to head for home. Feeling quite smug we wanted to get back so we could have a bit of a rest as we, or I, wanted to watch France play Argentina at 9pm local time.
Its late now and France as the host nation will be in despair as they have just lost to Argentina who are in raptures. If France doesn’t beat Ireland in their next game they will be out of it!
A rest day tomorrow I think!
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