Since we are trying to do more frequent, shorter entries, Will strongly suggested that I do one today. We had a lovely meal on Sunday with Mike & Jean and Pete & Sally. Being a school night, it was somewhat tame compared to previous times but very enjoyable. Both Mom and I shared cooking duties: she made cream of mushroom soup using cepes given to us by Lucien and Mauricette; I did the main of bbq chicken pieces, coated in a Moroccan spice rub served with quinoa; this was followed by cheese and then Chocolate Pecan squares that Mom made. Pete and Sally’s little dog was run over earlier in the week so Sally wasn’t in great spirits but was feeling better by the end of the evening. The guests left around 11 and we three stayed up for a bit watching telly.
On Monday, we took it easy and did a bit more gardening including staking the tomato plants and doing a bit more planting. I know it’s late in the season to be doing so but we’ve got the space and the seeds so we’ll just have to see what happens. We also weeded out the front garden, getting rid of many types of weeds and it is now looking much tidier. Mom and I went for a walk in the afternoon and we ran into Mauricette who was at Mama’s house in Mazeroux. They invited us in for coffee and a chat and then sent us home with mushrooms (cepes and chanterelle) that they found in the woods earlier. Of course, they won’t say where but they are very generous with their bounty so we don’t complain. They also gave us 6 eggs from her chickens so that we could make an omelette the next day.
We took their suggestion and had a mushroom omelette the next morning. The fresh eggs made it an intense, bright yellow and with the mushrooms, it came out great. The only problem was that we’d finished off loads of leftovers the previous night so weren’t exactly starving that morning but Mom and I managed to finish it all off anyway. We then packed and loaded the car and left on our trip just before midday. It’s about a three hour journey to the Ile de Ré which is just off the coast of La Rochelle. We made sarnies and had them on the way but otherwise, didn’t stop until we got to La Rochelle. We figured we’d spend a little time in town since none of us had been there before and also, Mom wanted to find a yarn shop so into the centre we went. We used Natalie (our sadistic sat nav) and although she got us with a block or two of the shop, wanted us to drive down some pedestrian-only streets to get there. We tried to park but decided it wasn’t worth it so followed signs to the aquarium instead. We found that with just a few minor problems but decided that €15 per person was a bit steep for the price of entry so gave that a miss too.
Not trusting Natalie, we back-tracked out to the highway and then onward to the Ile de Ré, arriving there around 5pm. We stayed in St Marie en Ré, near the mainland end of the island at a small new hotel. We shared a two-room apartment that was advertised as having a small kitchenette but when we went to open the cupboards, found them locked. When we inquired about this at reception, they wanted €10 per day for use of the utensils. We had brought booze and snacks so we made do with the glasses provided but it was annoying nonetheless and I will say so in the review that I’m about to write. Apart from that, it was a decent place with heated pool and good value for this time of year. We went out to dinner at St Martin en Ré, about a ten minute drive away. It’s a bastide town with a cute little harbour in the centre. We chose a restaurant at random where mom and I had seafood and Will had pizza. Will and I also had mohitos to start and Cafe Charante to finish. The former were ok but the latter, coffee with cognac topped with whipped cream, was divine.
The weather hasn’t really improved at all since Will’s last post with temps in the low 20’s (70’s) and grey skies. The only exception to this was Wednesday when we had mostly sunny skies and slightly higher temps. We took advantage by exploring the island and driving to the other end, about 30km due east. The island is about 5km wide, making it roughly the same size as Manhattan although the only tall buildings are the lighthouses. The one at the far end is called the Phare de Baleines and it is 257 steps to the top. Will and I made the climb and were rewarded with a pleasant view from above. After that, we went to another small harbour town and had lunch. Next to us was a table of Americans who requested English menus or an English-speaking server but they weren’t deterred when told no and managed to order lunch by pointing at the menu. We drove back via La Flotte that has earned the designation of “one of the prettiest villages in France” and although it was nice, it didn’t have the wow-factor of St Jean de Cole, our local village that has earned the same designation.
Like most of the villages on the island, all the houses are low and painted white with green shutters. La Flotte also has a large pedestrian-only center area lined with shops and a few restaurants. We got back to the hotel around 4pm and with the sun still shining, decided to spend a few hours by the pool. We all had a brief swim before returning in for an aperitif. We headed back to La Flotte for dinner and selected a restaurant right on the promenade. Mom and I had fois gras followed by fish and Will had pork. Although many placed had duck on the menu, Will figured it wouldn’t be as good as in the Dordogne and based on the fois gras, he chose wisely. This isn’t to say that it was bad, only that the Dordogne is known for the quality of its food and compared to restaurants in other departments, it’s easy to see why.
We had planned to meet Lee and Richard in Villebois for lunch but they have a lot of work on at the moment so had to cancel. So we packed up and left around 10 and went straight home, arriving around 1pm. For dinner that night, we harvested some green beans and courgette from the garden and Mom whipped up a pasta primavera served with lettuce from the garden and a carrot salad, followed by cheese and dessert. We had planned to have a light meal that night but somehow, that didn’t happen. On Friday, we planned to see Nat and Jill and see the Bastille Day fireworks that evening in St Pardoux. Unfortunately, the weather had other plans and with it forecasted to rain most of the day, we decided they should come over to ours for dinner instead. We also invited Bryan who is still here on his own while Carol is in England. So Mom and I went to the store at lunch time and we spent the afternoon cooking.
I made veggie broth which she used to make a veggie soup that turned out great. It is a recipe that I remember from my childhood and hadn’t had in many years and since we made a double batch, we’ll be having it again tomorrow. For the main, we made our sausage pasta bake, using poultry sausage for a change. This was followed by cheese and dessert: the ladies brought a lemon tarte and Mom made Double Chocolate Biscotti and the two paired nicely. Everyone had a nice time and Mom got to speak a bit of French with Nat. Our guests departed around midnight and Will and I stayed up a bit late watching telly before going to bed around 1:30.
Today is Bastille Day which doesn’t seem to be that big of a deal here. Normally, the fireworks are only the night before but since the holiday falls on a Saturday this year, I think there are some tonight too. Unfortunately, the weather hasn’t improved much and although it’s not raining, it’s still mostly overcast and cool. The forecast is for sun with higher temps but not until Tuesday, the day Mom heads back. She chose July thinking she’d have hot weather but to our dismay, it’s been much hotter back home. We’re going around to the Beaufils tonight for an aperitif and then they are joining us here for lunch tomorrow. Details to follow in the not too distant future.