Autumn fruits

 

We are enjoying the sun and brightness while it lasts! Who knows when the next storm will appear… 

There was a scraping gravelly din outside this morning that proved to be coming from a motorised Municipal wet and dry vac hoovering up the debris caused by the last storm.

Then off we went to Malaucène for stuff. The campervans are gathered in their compound. Bought a couple of Italian woollies from a chap who said he usually worked on feature films but was earning money however he could! They are 60% wool amazingly and rather chic. Money spent, food obtained, we sat in our bar and watched the strange world that passes.

None quite so strange as this couple with two pushchairs, each of which bearing a Cavalier Spaniel (one tricolour and one Blenheim…you see I know!). I am fond of these - have even owned several - but really! The disdain with which they gazed down on lesser mutts, forced to Walk On Leads, was priceless.

We returned over the hills and Suzette. Nothing doing in the book booth today which is a pity as I managed to consume my first book in three days (Shadow of the Wind) and am low on reserves.

We drove up the hill for a lovely short walk past the vines, where mechanization has taken over 

and this spanking new behemoth was stripping fruit and disgorging it into a waiting truck. 

Such fabulous views too. Adrian wants to live here! When his Premium Bonds cone up…only a week to wait.

And the roar of the gallant lads in their Mirage 2000 off to terrify the tourists on top of Ventoux. You don't hear them coming until they scream over the summit from the blind side.

Back home, we were just eating our frugal bread and cheese (me) /rabbit pâté (him) when there came a tip tapping at the window…Nicole with a jar of her latest experiment - fig from the garden, ginger and lemon. We exchanged it for a jar of marmalade. …later Coo delicious, just had some on bread and butter.

Sunny Sablet

A brief round-up of the first few days. Nothing exciting but I might forget if I don’t log it in. News of the World!

Sunday morning we were awoken by the most tremendous booming storm that went on for hours.

Monday was back to normal and sunny so we went off to Vaison for cash and a little potter about and then walked up into the vines to visit John and Louise for tea and scones…interesting new invention from Louise - frozen snickers bar melted into the dough. Surprisingly good! They are house sitting until their new place is ready.

Today, Tuesday, is even hotter. So we went early and walked into Beaumes along the canal from Notre Dame d’Aubune. 

It was so quiet and the sky was amazing with patches of high cloud.

Coffee and croissants at the Bar du Siècle then back. Pomegranates and olives coming on nicely.

On our way home we detoured into Gigondas for a nose around. It was nice and quiet apart from a gathering of Low Countries descending for lunch. 

An interesting sculpture by the church.

And then for the first time in a couple of years we had lunch at the bar - really good omelette salad chips. Bruno has finally hit a winning formula - menu du jour and a proper carte.

Home and…

 well I was going to say Dry. But this morning we were awoken by deafening booms of thunder and fit inducing flickers of dazzling lightning. Been going on for three hours now.

We had a quick descent of the Ardèche gorges yesterday in soft grey warmth under a quilted sky. It got to 26 on the terrace but didn’t feel uncomfortable. Stocked up at Mr Bonfils and had a brief visit with Dorte and Søren then a drink at the bar. Supper on the terrace. No hostilities expected!

A day of two halves

 Well aren’t they all! We were off to an early start pre dawn as per and on the qv for breakfast stop this time. I had a destination in mind but it proved to be shut. A little place we often drive through just by George Sands’ country estate outside La Châtre. So we ended up the other side of said ville in Ste Sévère sur Indre again - the Jacques Tati village. How on earth we ever missed the connection to the great man before escapes me- there were signs, ads, posters, etc every five seconds going south! Got croissants OK but no bar. This was found some km down the road in Boussac and was very good indeed. Oh and the girl in the boulangerie kindly told me I had my t shirt on inside out🙀. I have form on this - a pupil once took me aside and told me my jumper was inside out. 

Anyway, clothing duly rearranged in the car, much to the horror of Himself, we were away towards the extinct volcanoes. I found a scenic route round the backside of Le Puy de Dôme through meadows and woods and we were anticipating eating our baguettes at the top, gazing over the surrounding expanse. 

It was a beautiful sunny windless day. We stopped to snap the hang gliders circling the summit, sneered at the hordes of keen hikers gathered at the footpath to ascend because we were going to drive up weren’t we. Ha b*** ha! The awful truth dawned as we approached. Military parking arrangements for cars, coaches, camper vans. Signs to a train. No road up. 

It was a Honey Pot on steroids - well done but none the less a Tourist Attraction par excellence. The Vichy Rugby Club coach piled in laden with young folk, a gang was erecting a concert gig stage, hang gliders floated down to the landing field. We fled.

But there are other view points, other volcanoes and we found them. Cutting through small roads, up inclines and down valleys. Amazing lot of people around, mostly serious looking walkers. It is still an busy season and the weather is glorious. 

We eventually stopped to eat at the col de la Croix de St Robert near Besse, a ski centre by the looks of it despite it being old fashioned. Vultures and ravens overhead. 

We had another stop farther down. A herd of cows was making tinkling music with their bells as a huge bird of prey wheeled and quartered the meadow.

Rather foolishly we omitted to stop for a drink after lunch and by the time we got to a decent sized town we couldn’t be bothered. Tempers were thus a bit frayed as we got lost in the streets of Le Puy trying to find the station. Ibis Budget is in a wonderful, old building opposite but could we find it!? In the end in desperation I asked an elderly lady on a bench for directions. She was remarkably clear and precise and we followed them to the letter. Success!

Le Puy is less stuffy than I thought. It’s a religious centre with some truly gross huge statues on volcanic plugs rising above the town as well as being a starting point for El Camino. 

We had a good pizza pasta meal in the centre. We will return.

Mission accomplished

The Hotel des Marais Salants was delightful. We had the hugest bed and a room overlooking the Place de la Gare that was a riot of nodding Gaura flowers. The station is in use but we were not disturbed and this morning I realised why. The trains are almost silent and the da, da, da-da announcement tune is cleverly angled away from the road. 

We watched the 7.30 commuter set whisper away in the dawn to St Nazaire - all modern with proper bicycle spaces. We followed by car, amazed at the volume of traffic on the fast road going into St N. Thankfully we were heading the other way into the mist of a Loire Estuary morning complete with a blazing red ball of Sun rising above. Gorgeous.

Once again, breakfast eluded us. My fault as I forgot to look for likely bars when we were passing through the early pretty villages. Not hungry! Then when we realised it was gone 9 all we passed were either desolate ribbon development or big places full of building works. Anyway at Varades just before crossing the Loire we stopped and had good coffee and bakery produce plus purchasing some poulet salade mayo baguettes for lunch. Then ta dah…Real France was entered. 

The Loire was looking at its placid limpid best in the sunshine. We eventually crossed back to the north bank at Angers and gave a nod of recognition to Choking Picnic Spot (Adam knows!) where I once nearly expired as my menfolk looked on in puzzlement. 

A smooth run up river past famous places and oft visited riverside villages. Loads of birds - cormorants wing drying, geese flying, herons, terns, gulls, lapwings and the usual twittering anonymous ones. We were very Goldilocksy in our search for the ideal lunch spot but finally we settled on this bank in La Chapelle sur Loire. Even had a bench by the water, and proper wooden bins with lids.

Then a beer and apple juice up in a roadside pizzeria (empty of clientele sadly). The pass sanitaire is working. 

And now…the whole reason for this detour. Oisly Thésée wine producers. They were closed last time but today we were sure they would be open. So we took a quick motorway section to avoid Tours and soon we were passing the châteaux of Chenonceaux, Chissey, Montrichard, etc and into the lanes crisscrossing the open plains of Touraine. Vines à perte de vue. 

There was a lorry in  backing up to the grape hopper - good sign. And the door yielded to our touch. Looking positive. Man enters and we ask for Côt. His face falls…alas he has none. Well he has but he can’t sell it because the labels haven’t arrived and it is against the ruddy law to sell sans etiquette! But he does have a blend that contains about 40% Côt. Would we like to taste? We would. And it was good so 12 bottles were purchased, plus two bibs of Touraine Gamay and three bottles of Sauvignon. He gave us a couple of freebies too so it was definitely worth the detour.

Smug and content we negotiated country lanes back to the main road and seemlessly down to Ibis B Châteauroux. We might slum it in a Poivre Rouge tonight - it’s only across the road after all.

A man and his obsession

 You know who…and what! 

Anyway to begin at the beginning, we got into Roscoff on the dot of 7 their time but as ill fortune would have it, this time were pretty nearly last off. The moon was yellow in the pre dawn sky as we exited the bowels of the ship and the sun was rising as we cleared customs half an hour later. But an amazing sight next to us in dock. It was Belem, a favourite three master. 

And a little van called Falcatch with produce all in French - they know what side their bread is buttered!

Fr border control passed us through and we had a merry quip about my different hairstyle from photo. Then it was away through fields of cauliflower, artichoke and strange deep pinky orange pumpkin or squash. 

Destination a lighthouse (need you ask) on a far flung headland strewn with erratic granite rocks. Very beautiful spot of course. But breakfast Could Not Be Had before lighthouse had been photographed, so it was nearly ten before we got our delicious coffee and croissant/pain aux raisin. And…drum roll…our first flashing of the pass sanitaire! It worked.

After that we headed south towards Quiberon where another phare was to be ticked off. This one out to sea and involving a stiff stride out along a promontory. Again, lovely scenery with forest and dunes and little sailing vessels. Quiberon is awful busy though and a bit of a bottleneck, being on the end of a thin peninsula. It is quite hot today, windy and sunny and many folk out walking and picnicking. We just glimpsed the phare out to sea in the distance.

Down the fast road past Vannes and turn off at La Roche Bernard into the salt marshes surrounding our overnight stop at Batz sur Mer. Gorgeous landscape with geometric pools of water where salt forms on the surface as far as the eye can see. 

And the famous Sel de Guérande centre complete with visitor experience, shop and guided tours. We didn’t!

Found our hotel with some difficulty because of one way systems. Batz is small and we knew exactly where it was so this was a puzzle! Very nice, enormous bed, big shower, friendly owner. This evening we drove along to Le Croisic which is bigger and a port. Walked along the breakwater about a mile to its lighthouse past all the fishermen (bass and bream)and then ate in a small family restaurant on the quai.

Mice and Men

 So much for forensic efficiency! Complacency is a cruel master…Halfway to Plymouth Himself says ‘did you tip the milk away?’ Err no, it is still in the fridge in the process of becoming Cheese. A bit later  ‘Did you drink the fruit juice?’ Err no again. It is en route to becoming a fermented fizz. And finally, crawling through the Plymouth rush hour I realised I had not packed my card reader for photos. This is something I need to transfer pix from camera to ipad and I never forget it! Except I did this time. There will be a work around but it’s a b****. So for now all photos are taken by ipad only. Not up to the usual high standard! (ahem)

We got on board Pont Aven with no trouble, neatly avoiding being given the works by customs as they did the car in front. Good sunset, views of Smeaton and Eddystone. Currently sitting in the fancy atrium lounge with an invisible country rock singeress below. Abysmally slow wifi.

So tomorrow we will be lighthouse spotting on the north Finistère coast before zooming down to Batz sur Mer and our little hotel - an experiment in that it is a real hotel rather than Ibis!