Window shopping in Tours

In French, "window-shopping" is called lèche-vitrines — literally, "window-licking." I'm sure the expression has to do with the fact that the French verb allécher means "to tempt, to attract." Something that is alléchant is appetizing and tempting — it makes your mouth water, as we say. Actually, shop windows are often amazingly tantalizing in France.

This being France, there's nothing surprising about
seeing a window display featuring snails and frogs.
These are literally appetizing, don't you know?

Licking windows was how we entertained ourselves on a Sunday afternoon in the city of Tours, as we were waiting for a friend's early-evening train to arrive from Paris. The weather wasn't very warm, but the light was good and the windows were entertaining.

In Tours, there were a few people out late on a Sunday afternoon.

I'm pretty sure the street in the picture above is the rue des Halles ("Market Street"), which runs from the old marketplace to the city's main shopping street, the rue Nationale. For some reason, chickens seemed to be in style as a shop-window theme when we were there.

Nobody here but us...

Here are some things to know about Tours. It's a city of about 300,000 that is the capital of the ancient province called Touraine, which is known as the garden of France (le jardin de la France). Centuries ago, the French kings traveled here from Paris and built grand residences so that they could come and enjoy the nice summertime weather. It's also wine country.

In Touraine the purest French is spoken, people have always said. The accent is not regional, but national, while Parisians (like New Yorkers) have a distinct accent. By the way, the final -s of Tour is silent. Pronounce it [tour] like the English word.

A country & western rooster wearing a cowboy hat,
a bandana, chaps... and a saddle

The cooking of the Touraine region is not regional either. There are some regional specialties, but not many. Marseille has its bouillabaisse and ratatouille, Castelnaudary and Toulouse their cassoulet, Brittany its crêpes, and Alsace its choucroute, but Touraine just has standard, internationally recognized French cuisine. It's what you eat in the best French restaurants all around the world.

Striped chickens?

The Touraine province is the heart of the Loire Valley, which is French château country. Close to Tours are the famous royal châteaux of Chenonceau, Amboise, Azay-le-Rideau, Villandry, Chinon, Chaumont, and Chambord. But the city is much older than those monuments. Tours dates back to pre-Roman times, and it was a major Roman city in the first centuries of the Christian era. Both the Loire River and the Cher River run through Tours.

Peering into the windows at the porcelaine blanche shop

Tours is one hour from Paris by high-speed train (the TGV) and two to three hours by car on the toll road called the autoroute, depending on traffic. It has been called « un petit Paris » because it is a pretty city, though is was much bombarded in the 1940-45 war and a lot of it is fairly modern by French standards.

The Cadogan guide to the Loire actually uses the terms "glamorous" and "vibrant" to describe Tours. I never thought of it that way until now, but it's true that on a nice sunny afternoon, strolling the main streets, the flower market, and the outdoor food markets can be a very nice way to spend some time.