Blois on a Sunday

Since we were sans car Noel dropped us off in the center of town around noon. We walked for a bit and then found a restaurant to have lunch. I had a pizza (they are pretty enormous and they insist that one pizza that is about 14 inches around serves one person). We then got on our sight seeing game. Our first stop was the Maison de la Magie (not to be confused with the Maison de la Magie that sits at the corner of Kirkwood Road and Woodbine!) This is a museum of magic because Robert Houdin, who lived from 1805-1871 was from Blois and is considered to be the father of modern magic. He was primarily a watchmaker and then moved onto magic later. He is the man that Harry Houdini took his name from. They had some interesting displays and a cute little magic show at the end complete with a levitation and a man in a shrinking box illusion that were really good.

Then we moved onto the Blois castle. It was very popular with the kings of France during the Renaissance - particularly Francois I and Louis XII. 7 kings and 10 queens spent time here and Catherine de Medici actually died here. The interesting thing is that the building is on four sides of a square and each side has a totally distinct style - gothic, renaissance, neoclassical, and I can't remember what the other one was. Ryan deleted the picture of the neoclassical facade but use your imagination...





























We needed to stay in town until it was time for dinner, due to lack of transportation, so we found a bar, J Hendricks Cafe to hang out in. I had a couple of beers and Ryan, true to form, ordered a prissy girl drink...









Then he redeemed himself with an absinthe. Hard to see in the picture but the disgusting liquid is in the bottom and then on top they have this dagger looking thing with a flaming cube of sugar on it...









After drinks we needed food so we headed to the only joint in town that looked happening - Au Bureau where we got enormous hamburgers. We sat near a young couple from Paris (he was American and she was French). They met at work in England doing financial work until the economy tanked and they both lost their jobs. Now he is studying international business or something with an emphasis on "green business". We had a cool chat about things to see/do in Paris and she helped translate some menu stuff for us. Enormous buns but the burger is normal size. This is the waiter that Ryan made me insult with the discussion of French counting (see previous post) so I'm pretty sure these have been on the floor or on someone's butt prior to being served...

Then is was back to a much warmer room at Moulin des Charmes. Funny thing about taxis in Blois - there is 5 euro on the meter when you get in because he drove from the taxi stand at the train station to pick you up at the restaurant and then they charge you double because it is a Sunday. So, the 6 mile journey cost 27 euros (a little over $30). I love the strike...

I need to do some shopping on the Champs Elysees so that is all you get for now folks. We move onto Paris next - ooh la la!