Bridge Over the River Loire

The Loire Valley sits about two hours south of Paris by car. This is where many nobles lived in grand châteaux during the age of kings. It's pronounced Shah-toh ( not shah-toe).

Just to save you some trouble, the bridge is in Orleans, which (except for the bridge) I have not visited. But isn't it a pretty pont? Le pont I'll really be talking about is actually une ville. That ville is called Blois. Pronounced Blwaw. It's the same sound you make after you've had wayyy too much to drink. Which you can do in Blwaw for many fewer € than you can in Paris.

You can also stay in Blois for a lot less. We paid 9€70 per night per person at a nearby hostel with really bad showers. It was the off season (read: winter) so it was empty except for us. Which was kinda nice. Here you can see two of my traveling companions, the smiley cheerful Amelia and her lovely friend Inês.

After settling in at the hostel, we had to decide whether to use the hostels full kitchen or to eat out. There were a few, but not many, restaurants in central Blois. Mostly pizzerias, one sushi place, a few places we couldn't afford, and one or two others. We finally found a place that was affordable and had people we could recognize as locals (old folks and small children). We reasoned that locals know a thing or two about where they live. And when in Blois do as the Romans do.

Hooliator chose to order the Plat du Jour with a chocolate mousse. The Plat du Jour was listed on a slate on the wall. Roll your mouse over smily cheerful Amelia to see what it was.

The beer was cheap too, as in inexpensive. It was "Paulaner" Munich and cost 4€60 for a half litre or exactly half that for exactly half as much. The best part about the beer was not that it was cheap, but that it was cheap AND really good. mmmmm beeeeeerrrrrrrr.