I bought one, of course. It was the first time I had ever smelled the real flower in bloom — not as a perfume or note in a candle, but freshly picked and offered in spring’s embrace. It was rich, green, intoxicating. I carried it with me all day like a charm.
Wandering the City: Gardens, Wine & Warm Encounters
That day became a wandering poem. I strolled the Jardin Botanique off Rue Saint-François, ducked into cafés, and tasted the best wine I’ve ever had — bright, local, and impossibly cheap. Tours in the spring is a palette of watercolors. Even the sidewalks are in bloom: little flowers unfurling from the cracks with stubborn grace. The air is perfumed with rain and petals, and the whole city hums with life.
On weekend evenings, the town square swells to its limits with students — joyful, relaxed, savoring their freedom from class. The local galettes are humble and satisfying, wine flows easily, and the prices are so gentle I found myself checking the bill twice. Coming from Paris, this was a delicious surprise.
And I had such kind encounters with the people while there. While waiting in a café for my château tour to begin, a French woman (yes, a French woman!) complimented my pearl hair clip. It was my first unsolicited compliment from a (woman) stranger in France, and I’ll admit it boosted my confidence for the rest of the trip. I wore that clip every day for two weeks. (I was also proposed to on this trip… and introduced to someone’s mother. But that’s another story.)
Historic Charm and Friendly Towers
The region of Touraine, where Tours is located, is known for its pristine French; they say the purest accent is spoken here. The city itself feels like an architectural reverie: medieval townhouses, cobblestone streets, gothic spires. I fell in love with the Cathédrale Saint-Gatien, its face smiling down from twin towers that seem to watch over the town with quiet affection. Its bells echo across the rooftops and into your heart (it’s my favorite sound).
As I crossed the Pont Wilson, watching the Loire flow swiftly beneath me, I had the thought “I could live here.” I toyed with the idea all afternoon: renting an apartment for the summer, exploring the region’s wines, diving into biographies of the historic figures who shaped this land. I even checked local listings. It’s doable. Very doable.
A Day of Scent, Soft Adventure, and Simple Pleasures
That afternoon I ordered the plat du jour at a sunlit square. I’ve forgotten the meal itself, but remember how unexpectedly delicious it was - a memory that serves me more in feeling than flavor. After lunch I returned to the Jardin Botanique and was surprised to find what can only be described as… a petting zoo? Goats, emus, even flamingos (though likely not for petting) roamed beside stone walls draped in flowers. It was whimsical and oddly perfect — a scene straight out of a storybook.
It was a day of fragrance, color, kindness, and simple pleasures. I returned to my hotel full not just from food, but from beauty and gratitude. The following day I would rise early for a tour of the Loire Valley’s castles and châteaux, ready to fall even deeper in love with this dreamy, unforgettable corner of France.
