Americans paraded at funerals and award ceremonies for the Croix de Guerre; they also took part in festivals and their YMCA organised shows for the troops. Tours became the capital of the county of Tours or Touraine, a territory bitterly disputed between the counts of Blois and Anjou – the latter were victorious in the 11th century. It was the capital of France at the time of Louis XI, who had settled in the castle of Montils . Tours and Touraine remained a permanent residence of the kings and court until the 16th century. The rebirth gave Tours and Touraine many private mansions and castles, joined to some extent under the generic name of the Châteaux of the Loire. News & reviews on cruise travel, air travel, hotels, resorts, destinations and vacation trends. Distributed to 120,000 subscribing travel advisors and specialists. A stroll through the old quarter of Tours, day or night, offers many distractions and delights. Rue Colbert which lies midway between Place Plumereau and