Friday.(24th)...don't even ask me the date! A, I'm on holiday and B, I'm retired and such details seem irrelevant in the main.
Trish knicks off early (9:30 is very early for Trish) for a pedicure, we sit in the garden to soak up some sunshine and in the conservatory to soak up some warmth while it lasted. Trish and I and Trish's friend Val into town to see the Great Gatsby....typical Buz Lurhman in my view, lots of style but little in the way of substance.
Peter and Tony took the opportunity to cruise around the island in Tony's convertible BMW...it creates a bit of a sad picture I know...the wind blowing through the little hair they have and then needing to "roll out" of the low slung vehicle when they stopped. Fun nevertheless I'm sure.
We dined out at the pub in Rozel with Val and her husband Martin. Great company, damn fine food and good conversation. Val and Martin are part of the French riverboat cruising group. Must say if the photos are anything to go by these week long trips do look terrific.
Back home after appropriate levels of gluttony and imbibing to finalise the packing. Tomorrow we expect that it will be "fair stands the wind for France"
Saturday (25th)
Smooth departure and all in accordance with the "chief cadet's" instructions.
The ferry trip from Jersey to St Malo is around one hour forty. St Malo a beautiful harbour, with Dinard (where Tony spent holidays as a teenager with a French family and developed his flawless French) off to starboard and St Malo old town presenting a formidable fortress, to port.
Once off the ferry a good run into xxxx, part motorway and part local roads, about 40 minutes to our accommodation in Port Lyvet on the River Rance.
Friends of TandT have a magnificent holiday home in this tiny hamlet. Right on the river, hundreds of boats of all shapes and sizes moored or in the docks.
The house is unbelievable. Three story, five bedrooms, four bathrooms, beautiful garden (Peter M you would love it) outdoor spa pool....fabulous!
Peter and I were on the top floor.....reinforcing our determination to always resist purchasing a two story house!
Once we had settled in ...briefly....we went into Dinan....only about ten minutes away normally but the bridge across this bit of the Rance is under repair so the long way round it had to be.
Dinan is again a very old walled city high above the river. We parked and walked the low areas and then staggered up the charming, narrow, steep cobbled street to the old town. This street was lined with artisan shops with plenty of beautiful wares. Leather goods, handbags etc are fantastic and by our standards very cheap.....shame I have such self imposed baggage limits!
Lots of good things to look at in the ancien ville and eventually had to scurry back to Port Lyvet to take up the booking for dinner at L'Effet Mer.....fifty metres from the house and right at the water's edge. Had a very good meal accompanied by some rather hilarious conversations. Before toddling back to our magnificent "digs"
Sunday (26th)
Tony.....looking after us better than we deserved, had scurried up the road to xxx and the local boulangerie and fresh croissants and pain chocolat festooned the breakfast table!.....this could become dangerously addictive!
Then off to St Malo. The tour starts with walking the ramparts, observing Le French at play, a baptism ceremony in the sea pool....I would've surprised if the water temperature was even close to 10c!...kite flying etc. the day, while sunny, is pretty cool especially in the wind. Mucho mooching! Some great shops and cafes etc. these French girls have "Le chic" in spades.....it must be bred in them, this ability to put simple things together and look a million dollars. They all have "the walk" where the hips barely move and the legs all appear five feet Long as they saunter.....although it seems every second one is puffing on Le cigarette.
When we felt we had almost done the place justice, Trish and Peter discovered a Partisserie that could not be resisted... I think the owner was delighted to sell them four amazing apple pastry objects, as a means to getting them to stop drooling all over her shop window.
On the return journey we called in at San Suliac, a tiny fishing village not far from the coast and in the Rance Estuary. Just gorgeous and saved from being twee by virtue of it clearly being authentic. If consciousness of the Catholics-ness of France slips your mind at any time, you are easily reminded by the proliferation of large, medium and small crucifixes at cross roads, small medium and large grottoes with statues of the full panoply of the traditional saints, just seemingly at random and in niches in buildings including private houses.
After soaking up all this culture....not to mention the effort dedicated to the calorie laden apple tarte thing!....it was back to Le maison to sit in the garden under the blooming wisteria with the symphony of bee " song" as they busily loaded the pockets in their knees with pollen, until we could rouse ourselves to wander down to the bridge to grace the St Patrick Restaurant with our custom. More good food and wine and lovely conversation before the nightly stagger back to our digs.
Monday (27th)
And it's off to Mont St Michel. What was it about the Middle Ages? The extraordinary skill to build the most incredible structures of such grand proportions, in the most unaccessible places and with the most rudimentary tools?
The climb up to the abbey itself is clearly good for you and hopefully has some positive influence in the digestion of the previous days food intake ... but it certainly takes the wind out of you. The construction is vast ( and freezing cold on this day, inside and out) and we only get to see a small proportion of it. It is positively labyrinthine and you could be lost for all time if you strayed from the appointed path I think. The views across the flat Normandy coast are terrific, a lot of renovation is underway to reinstore the ability of the sea to surround the island completely. There has also been a sophisticated dam constructed to manage flows from the Rance and decrease the silting up of the area around the Mont.
We had a warm bowl of gruel before departure followed by large cups of coffee and chocolat chaud just to keep the chill at bay.
Dinner tonight back at L'Effet Mer as the bridge is still out of action and no- one has the energy to drive into Dinan the long way.
The Patron, Stefan is in attendance tonight and a charming and gregarious host he is. He has superb English language skills and engages his customers in spirited conversations on social issues.
Tuesday (28th)
A later start for us this morning..you might think a consequence of the previous evening's socialising, but I make no comment ... I just note that Peter did not go out for his customary morning walk!
We are off to Rennes. Rennes is the capital of Brittany...about one hour distant, mainly on the motorway
We ignore the contemporary part of the city and head for the ancient ville.
We di plenty of mooching around this historic area. St Patrick's cathedral obviously was overlooked in the reformation as the interior decorations are exquisite.
To the office de tourisme...in conversation with madam on the service desk she indicated that they had experienced an upsurge in tourists from Australia and she and Peter were in discussion about why that might be.
I piped in with the observation that "France is very beautiful" ....with the inevitable Gallic shrug she replied "of course!".....
No false modesty here.
No demurring and humbly saying "well thank you very much".....
You gotta love the French.
Interesting and varied architecture. Lots of very old half timbered houses. Lots of students...big university town.
Le chic +++
And lots of street art...especially the pasted paper oeuvre
Scudding intense showers forced us into an outdoor cafe/ bar where we had hot coffee/ chocolat and tried valiantly to keep each other within sight through the cigarette smoke! The shops all close up at midday for two hours so potential shoppers who don't know the drill can amuse themselves however they please!
When we return we discover to our delighted amazement that the bridge has been repaired and is open so it's off to Dinan for dinner
It is very very cold ( apparently the coldest spring for fifty years) and we are rugged up with as many layers as we can find in these cases stocked with summer clothes. After we had wandered the narrow winding streets for too long we came across the xx ....translation= the Unicorn.
What a delight...charming service, food to die for (foie gras......how can I have lived this long without it?) and a very convivial evening.....actually haven't they all been...but this one even more so. Trish in great form....perhaps it's the rosé?
Did I mention the fish hotpot? The terrine poisson, The prawns, scallops and smoked salmon...and the tarte tartin?....thank god the gall bladder was sacrificed to medical science years ago or I would really be in trouble tonight.
Out into the very chilly night air and home to the very warm and comfortable bed.
Wednesday (29th)
What I wouldn't give for a glimpse of summer....heck even a reasonable glimpse of spring.....it really is cool and this morning gloomy and il pleut dammit!
Notto be daunted after suitable gastronomic fortification....yep croissants and baguette of course, we venture north intending to just wander the coast in and out of bays and inlets. It really doesn't matter what the weather the coast line always looks great....but more enjoyable when dressed appropriate to the weather there is no doubt. Nevertheless the day improved as it wore on and the drive was good with plenty to look at. Went to a wild coast with a very significant lighthouse .....rugged scenery and the wind not slicing through to the bone at this point....not the weather any of us would have chosen but a good and interesting day despite it.
We contrived to visit a spectacular golf course on the return journey and had coffee and fromage and jambon baguette in the lounge overlooking the spectacular tenth and looking out to the ocean which by now is sparkling sapphire blue.
Was able to get an hour in the garden before it became too cold again and contented ourselves with dinner at L'Effet Mer......this is not just lazyness, the food is really good and the open fire beckons!
Thursday (30th)
Oh dear...it has rained nearly all night and there is no indication that it will let up.
Council of war over the croissants...stay or go?
Decide if we can alter the ferry booking we will take the last ferry out tonight for Jersey.
So pack, restore the house as we found it and off to St Malo. Did more investigation of the historic areas, bought some shirts and other good stuff....and need I mention the apple tarte things? Perhaps best if I don't make a full confession, suffice to say we found just a little space in the boot for the few we needed to bring back with us....no not a caterer's pack....just enough for domestic consumption?
Had a late lunch......so that we wouldn't have to eat later you understand!...in a great little place called LeHarve.....and it was WARM!
Ferry arrived back in Jersey about 9pm...unpacked, watched the late news and then climbed the stairs. What a great week we have had, yes it would have been even better with warmer weather but really it didn't dampen the enthusiasm or the enjoyment. Trish and Tony have given us a super French encounter and we've loved every minute of it.....
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