This space, organized between Saint Martin and the Loire, became the economic centre of Tours . Between these two centres were Varennes, vineyards and fields, little occupied except for the Abbaye Saint-Julien established on the banks of the Loire. In the 6th century Gregory of Tours, author of the Ten Books of History, restored a cathedral destroyed by a fire in 561. In the 9th century, Tours was at the heart of the Carolingian Rebirth, in particular because of Alcuin, an abbot of Marmoutier Abbey. Tour Washington DC sights – Visit our Union Station, the most visited destination in DC. See the Capitol building, the Supreme Court and Library of Congress. African Americans escaping slavery found refuge in Alexandria after Union troops occupied the city in 1861. Discover the haunting secrets hidden in Old Town Alexandria’s centuries-old streets on a ghost tour. "For an action-packed vacation, Hawaii is always top of our list. Helicopters, hiking, shark diving — it’s an adventure l