Vendôme (suite)

So I arrive by the monumental Porte St Georges and rings Rue St Jacques. A little granny at her window stares at me. I would later learn that it is Mme Frileux (maybe not with an x but it makes me smile to write it!). A little lady of the neighborhood who clings to her home and her health despite her great age.

Blandine welcomes me warmly and with great simplicity. I meet René her husband and the three of us have lunch in their pretty house in the historic center that must have seen lives! But there’s something nice here, good vibrations. Anecdote: they made stuffed tomatoes. I confess to them that this is my favorite dish. There are good vibrations, I say. We talk about our mutual friend, our activities (Blandine and René are retired from national education but Blandine continues to make musical workshops in the classes to her great joy), our children and also our big girls with whom it is complicated. A simple but profound moment when we did not know each other an hour ago. A very beautiful moment.

After lunch, we leave René because Blandine will show me his very beautiful place. In fact very beautiful place, there will be several, including that of René who, even if he is not on a walk with us, will be able to participate through his wife. I think it’s very cute.
In fact, I have a tour operator waiting for me. And it’s really nice to be guided to a city you don’t know. To start the tour, we go through the garden, «a parish priest’s garden as some say» tells me Blandine. A walled garden with a beautiful wisteria, a small colorful garland, pretty flower pots on the terrace below, a swing under the hazel tree, a beautiful fruit tree in the center, an old pump painted in blue. It is the first very beautiful place in Blandine that likes this «out of season» side of its garden. I think it’s great that she shows me their “home” first. What better way than to find the place where you live very beautiful. She’s the only person who’s spontaneously told me about it.

Then we go out through a door of the garden to start the visit: the Ronsard park and its magnificent centenary trees that saw their wedding. A tree dating from the 18th century and especially its root system that bathes in the river attracts my attention. The visit of the abbey, its cloister which also hosts auditions of the music school (definitely the music schools always have great settings!). A building and its esplanade completely rehabilitated by Vuitton (it amazes me less but it is clear that only major luxury brands can afford it).
Vendôme is an extremely green and flowery city (the compositions are really to my liking and creative, it reminds me of those of Rezé whose roundabouts I always admire!) and bathed in water with the Loir circulating in canals. We end with the very beautiful place of René: the bedside of the church of the Trinity. Its perfect harmony makes it one of the postcards of Vendôme and for Blandine «the most beautiful in France».

The Vendôme tour is coming to an end. It’s past 3:00 p.m. I have to get out of here so I don’t get to Montcourt too late.
I do not regret this step very gently and in sharing.

In memory of René who joined the stars.