The City of Tours

This last weekend the group went to the city of Tours to tour the city. Tours is an ancient city with lots to offer. It has been home to countless famous people of history from Charlemagne to Honore de Balzac. It's also a better place to station oneself for castle tours in the Loire Valley. But to begin things the bus dropped us off on the Rue Nationale, and told us to wander around town before coming back to the hotel. I really liked the adventure and seeing all of Tours. The bus dropped us off right in front of a big and beautiful hotel with Christmas tree sapin de Noël. The French celebrate epiphany Épiphanie all the month of January.

While wandering the city, which is an old city from the middle ages moyen âge surrounded by a modern city with modern things, I stumbled upon a large Ferris wheel grande roue. I don't remember the London Eye, but I think that new towns that have such old histories should all have Ferris wheels, like a great big arrow saying 'Hey! I have stuff to see here!'

 In the middle of the city was the Place Plumereau. In 796 C.E. (Common Era for those who don't know modern history is the equivalent of Anno Domini or After Death for those English speakers) the teacher of Charlemagne made Tours the home of many works of Carolingian art, none of which I actually saw due to it being so late in the evening. The Place Plumereau has houses dating from the 15th century, and walls that are much older. Most towns or villages, especially those with art and basilicas had walls around them to protect them from invaders. It worked well in 732 C.E. when Charles Martel protected the city from Muslim invaders thereby   But now the old city square is full of bars brasseries and tourist stands. But I can imagine what it must have looked like in 1470 when citizens first learned to weave silk there. The buildings, minus their inhabitants or the wares they sell are mostly the same.

 I always find the disparity between really old things and really new things interesting. Above on the right is a modern piece of crap or Art that resembled an ogre trying to eat someone with no facial features. It was just standing in the middle of the road for no reason known to me, or the teacher I asked. On the left however there is the Tour de Charlemagne. It is part of the old Basilica de St. Martin. The old one was viciously destroyed in the French Revolution and a new one was built on top of its remains. But the old tower stands as a reminder of what was there before the Revolution.

 After my wandering around town I eventually found my way back to my hotel, safe and sound. It was a night of both the new and the old as they sat side by side, or on top of each other in a way that America simply can't accomplish with our limited history.

 Loire Valley Eyewitness Travel and Wikipedia as sources.