#FlightRiskMom Friday with Alexia Adams

Hi, I’m Alexia the Flight Risk Mom. I was once a grand adventurer, collecting exotic stamps in my passport and filling photo albums with snapshots and memories. This summer, I’m back on the road, dragging my four children and somewhat reluctant husband around Europe.

From Venice, our adventure continued through the southern Alps and across the French border. That’s also when the wheels fell off our mode of transport. Trains in Spain and Italy had run with clockwork efficiency and comfort. As soon as we crossed into France that all changed. I won’t bore you with all the details but suffice to say we were very glad when we eventually arrived in Tours, especially as it meant we wouldn’t have to take another train for a week.

If you picture a map of France, Tours is almost in the middle of the country, and one of my favorite places in France. My husband and I had visited here eighteen years ago (pre-children) and had such a great time we’d always wanted to go back. Tours has changed a lot in nearly two decade; it is no longer the quiet French town but a bustling, modern city. But it still holds onto its uniqueness with modern and ancient blending together.

It was also Bastille day weekend, which probably accounted for why the trains weren’t running properly. So we saw an amazing fireworks display and there was also an incredible light show on the face of the cathedral. If you check out my Instagram feed (@FlightRiskMom) you can see a very brief video to give you a flavor. But the main reason for coming to Tours is that it’s the gateway to the Loire Valley’s chateaux. We did two day-tours and the bonus of being a big family, for most of it we were the only ones in our van.

Here’s just a selection of the ones we saw:

It staggers the mind to think of how much money went into building and maintaining these places. Kind of also helps you understand the reasons behind the French revolution. As a romance writer, however, my imaginations went to secret trysts and assignations in the corridors and gardens. Even today, it’s a great place to meet a knight in shining armor.

Too soon it was time to brave the French trains again and head off to the capital. Join me next week for a whirlwind tour of Paris. A bientot!

A former world wanderer, Alexia writes contemporary romance stories that reflect her love of exotic destinations and diverse characters and cultures. She currently lives near Vancouver, Canada with her husband and four children and dreams of a world without housework. As a flight risk mom, romance is her escape and she can often be found with her nose in a book, pretending she’s somewhere else. Check out her website at http://alexia-adams.com and sign up for her monthly newsletter to discover your next escape.