A Whirlwind Tour of Orléans

I arrived in Orléans late afternoon on Sunday the 3rd. They were holding a welcome meeting for all the assistants in the academy there on the 4th and I wanted to get a jumpstart on my sightseeing. Of course, being that it was a Sunday, everything was closed so I would only be able to take pictures of the outsides of buildings. After about an hour and a half on the train I arrived in Orléans to find people and cars and buildings everywhere. It was a huge, confusing mess (Orléans is 2x the size of Bourges)! With the aid of my map I located my hotel, but try as I might, I couldn't get into it. I finally went next door to the bar to ask the stupid question of just how to get into the hotel. Turns out the bar and hotel were owned by the same person and you had to check in with the bartender who then gave you your room key and pass code for the front door. I dropped my things off in my room which, strangely enough, had a shower but no toilet (for that you had to go down the hall), and set off to take my pictures before the sun started to set. Orléans is another town steeped in history having been the one Joan of Arc liberated after a 7-month siege by the British in 1429. Highlights include the house she stayed in during her time there and the Cathédrale Ste-Croix where Joan joined in a procession of thanks for the town's deliverance. The cathedral also houses impressive stained-glass windows depicting the ill-fated saint's life story. Also not to be missed are the Hotel Groslot, local residence for the king of France for 2 centuries, and, of course, the Loire River. I managed to get all my picture taking in just before the sunset! The meetings themselves were a bust, containing information I already knew, or things that were rather obvious, such as: if a child is acting up in your class, do not ridicule them in front of the other students. I did get to meet some other assistants in the area and exchange info, so there was a plus to the welcome meeting. I have a few assistants out there in search of peanut butter for me. Keeping my fingers crossed that they'll come through. No peanut butter in Bourges or Orléans.