where art collides philosoperontap

Dawn, Cotentin Peninsula, Normandy. I’ve just woken up and come out onto the balcony. The coastline is shrouded in mist and it is very very easy to imagine it is the morning of D Day, or J Jour as they call it around here. Weather is going to be much nicer than in 1944.

The allies didn’t land here, they landed on the other side of the peninsula but the parachute divisions did fly over this side, a little further up the coast. On Friday we are off to Utah Beach, an 80 minute drive, but in 1944 it would only have taken minutes by air before the C47 transports started to drop their human payloads. I’m a bit of a WW2 nerd. Hardly surprising for someone born 16 years after the end of the war and whose childhood included comics filled with tales of commando raids and other such warlike activities. There was also Roy of the Rovers, the Beano and the Dandy so it wasn’t all blood and guts, though the Beano in those days was far less politically correct than it is now. Is it still going even?

One person has appeared on the prom. Brought my binocs out with me but there really isn’t anything to see. No boats, no fishermen, no swimmers. It’s all happening on the other side of the headland.

This gaff is called the Mercure Granville Le Grand Large. Hotels in France are named “Le Grand Large” because the phrase translates poetically to “the open sea” or “the great wide horizon,” highlighting an expansive ocean view. I googled it. The hotel does have a fantastic vista over the Bay of Mont St Michel and would have been an interesting place to watch the airborne troops fly over in the distance, sky lighting up with flak and tracer. Doubt it had been built in ww2. 1993. I just looked it up.

It’s notionally the best hotel in Granville. Not sure Granville can support a particularly “good” hotel. Thissun is fine. The views from the balcony are good and it has an (very tight spaces) underground car park which is one of the things I look for in hotels in town centres. A car park, not necessarily underground. Rooms are quite small and the balcony you can just about fit on. Also their beer supplies were v limited. Not complaining, just noting. Lots of Christian Dior decor around the hotel. The lad was born in Granville in 1905.

Gonna be 27 degrees here this pm and we are gonna go swimming,in the sea! The hotel has lift access to the prom. There is a sea water open air pool within stone skimming distance. THGs idea but one has to be supportive one’s chosen life partner innit. She has also entered the Lincoln 10k which I won’t be doing but I will be there to support her.

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09:44 and there is movement. A speed boat surfs its way north, there are swimmers and a helicopter has just flown over. I count 6 walkers on the prom, 3 people in the outdoor seawater pool and one just climbing down the steps into the sea.

This morning whilst lying in bed we booked a show in London. It was conveniently in the same street as our hotel in September. Family lunch. It is a Wednesday but it feels like a Saturday. We are also probably ready to go home but leave on Saturday on a 23:00 or similar boat. Friday night, which is the actual 18th birthday of philosopherontap, is a biggie as we are dining at Chez Roger, one of our fave restaurants. They only offer a 5 course menu surprise but you can add oysters and upgrade to lobster. You do get asked if you have any allergies but that’s yer only choice. Chez Rog is a couple of miles along the coast road from Utah Beach and the building would likely have been there in 1944. Not the restaurant though. Couldn’t get the ingredients and it would probably have been filled with German soldiers. Not the convivial gaff it is these days. They close for the winter but I got in touch through their facebook page which also serves as their website.

Today we are exploring Granville.

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I have just discovered something. Instead of elevator muzak they have some quite good jazz. Fair play. Discovered it upon our return from swimming in the salt water of the Bay of Mont St Michel. We are now going to have showers before heading out on the town. Living the dream.

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Went to the beach without my device. Seemed the sensible thing to do. Just had the room key and the number to get in through the hotel gate on the prom. That number is memorised now. Could have taken a credit card I guess in case we wanted a beer on the prom but there were no bars anyway so it didn’t matter.

It is a very rare thing for me to go out without my device.  I like to take pics and vids of interesting things. I also use the stylus to write things down. In the past I’d take a notebook but I stopped doing that once I had a phone with a stylus. It is v useful.

Anyway the point is I was unable to make notes. The water, cold at first, soon became bearable and THG and I were immersed in no time. What was lacking was sun. If your shoulders were out of the water you began to shiver. It was a classic beach scene. We used the seawater pool that has eight starter boxes, if that’s what you call them, from which folk could dive in when racing. You know the sort. These were white concrete boxes with black numbers in a funky font on the side. One to eight. I really felt a photo of them would have very much been the right thing but I wouldn’t have my phone with me in the sea even if I had it with me in my shirt pocket.

Afterwards we suntered along the prom past lots of clean white beach huts. At the far end there was a sign pointing up some steps to the Christian Dior house garden. That’s for tomorrow. Funny to think that some people live a designer lifestyle. Nothing wrong with it I guess other than perhaps it doesn’t necessarily attract the right sort of person.

We discovered that the sandy beach at the end of the prom was much nicer than the stony seaweed covered stuff we had been sitting on. Tomorrow maybe. Not that we are beach types. It is quite interesting to look at some of the people around who clearly are. Very tanned. Must spend a lot of time in the sun. Not my thang. V risky tbh and I’m not a worrier.

I’m now sat in the lounge.

Sat on our balcony at Mercure Granville Le Grand Large. We’ve been out for a stroll, had a beer and ended up at The Tender Bar next to the casino for some nosh. I’m now sat on our balcony surveying the seaside scene. Load of folks who appear to know each other down on the terrace below. Nobody drinking. One woman has a piece of paper in her hand. Maybe it’s a teetotal convention. Who nose. It was too hot out here earlier when I went down to wait for THG. A few kids still in the water. It is very calm.

Seagull noises that didn’t exit in Concarneau. Big bay out there.

Watching (sort of) blackpool v the imps on the laptop. Cup game. THG has her Bose phones on and is watching summat different. Some sewing prog.

V peaceful out on the deck at seven thirty. One heavily togged up person out treasure hunting. I think it’s a bloke. He’s moved further on down the beach where I can’t see him but he did find a coin in front of the hotel. Another guy on a sitontop kayak or similar fishing about 100m off from the beach. Drifting along with the breeze. The breeze is not cold. Warm enough for me to sit out here in my pyjamas. All v calm.

I made us some tea. We picked up some fresh milk from the bar yesterday and bring our own teabags on these trips.

The hotel internet access system is totes pants. I now appear to be online but it takes more steps than it needs to be and you don’t actually know when you are online. There seems to be a significant delay between clicking to go online and actually getting there. Also it’s totes unsecured so NordVPN has come in handy.

A fishing boat has set off out of Concarneau and is already almost half way across the bay.

08:20 a swimmer has entered the water. She is now ploughing her way in parallel to the beach at about a cricket square’s length offshore. Fairplay. Kayaking fisherman has already returned to base. His craft was powered by pedals. A man walking up to his waist in the sea goes in the opposite direction to the slimmer and they have just crossed in front of me. He has a turquoise top with dark blue sides to it. She has now come out of the water. No visible signs of shivering in the breeze but a reasonably purposeful stride, considering the stones on the sand, back to her towel. She is staying at the hotel.

3 blokes walking in the water have stopped for a chat. There is a woman 100m away on here own. Then the meeting bloke up and two set off for the woman and stopped for a chat with here. A v socialbla activity walking in the sea before breakast.

Beach cleaner strolled by. Not much to pick up fair play and he didn’t seem to be covering much of the sand on his route.

Breakfast was good quality with prawns and oysters on offer. Never seen that on a breakfast buffet before. THG had some prawns. Better brekkie than the La Rochelle gaff.

We have identified Ty Cosy as a place for dinner ce soir. They don’t appear to have a website and you have to call to book. We might well be passing this morning on our route around Concarneau so will pop in.

A couple or three hundred metres out there are now some people doing what I can only describe as saiol boarding. They are on pafddleboards or simlar and carry their own sail. They don’t seem to be that good at it. Not sure I see the point.

Anyway all is well here in Les Sables Blancs. We are setting off for the walled town in around thirty mins.

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Walled town was great. In fact Concarneau is great. We walked there along the scenic coastal route and round into the harbour. There was a big open air market on the go. THG and I both bought Breton fishermen shirts for ten euros each. Unlikely to be cotton but for a tenner… Then I bought some artisanal tee shirt that went with my flowery jacket linen and had a haircut for fifteen bucks by a barber under a gazebo. Bookeda table for We strolled across to the walled town. V atmospheric and reserved a table for 7pm at Ty Cosy, a fish restaurant on the quay.

Back at the hotel by 2pm as it looked as if it was going to rain. I’ve moved the car from the carpark to just in front of the hotel. It wasn’t so much the distance that was an issue. 200m is not ideal but not the end of the world. It’s the fact that you needed ropes and crampons to get down to it even and definitely a sherpa to get back up.

I asked the hotel to get me a taxi there and back this evening. They quoted 90 Euros. Totes taking the piss. It’s 1.6 miles. The issue is whether it will be raining or not. Neither of us have brought any wet weather gear. We are in a heatwave for goodness sake. I checked uber and it is currently 14 Euros there so I guess we will take a skeet at the options at around 6pm and take it from there. If it is chucking it down we might need a plan B which might be to eat in the hotel again. Was pretty good fair play. THG mentioned the umbrella in the car. Will see innit. We have discovered the awning over the deck so will be able to sit out watching the rain when it comes. Checked the price of reserving an uber and it rises to thirty quid one way. Good business being a taxi driver round ere.

So a relaxing afternoon at the hotel in prospect. Except the buggers have just called to ask us to close the awning. Because of the weather. The weather is the only reason we’ve extended it. I dunno. The hotel is in position A fair play though the staff seem to be mostly students recruited for the season. That’s the impression I get.

Cruise ship has slipped silently into Concarneau waters. Anchored in the bay. Too big to fit into one of the yacht births in the marina I assume. Or they didn’t want to pay the extortionate mooring fees. It’s swinging on its anchor. Earlier it was side on but now I have a view of the stern.

After being quoted 90 euros return for a 1.6 mile cab journey we got an uber for £14. Uber driver said there were no taxis in Concarneau. They all had to come from Quimpere. Huh. anyway he got us there with an hour to spare so we did a couple of pubs. Second was great. Had mostly locals. Le Cabistan. We had booked a table at Ty Cosy for 7pm. We were first in and got the best spot. Soon filled up. It’s v highly rated on the Advisor of Trips and very much lived up to its billing. I had huitres, pate foie gras and moules rocquefort avec frites (obvs). Squeezed an extra starter in cos they all looked good.

Failed to hail an uber on the way back. Although Ubers showed one nearby they were obviously bullshitting as we had no takers over several attempts. Waled in the end. It’s 1.6 miles so roughly 30 mins for me. THG would have been much faster on here own. Anyway back on our deck now enjoying a bottle of water and the dulcet sounds of the waves on the beach. Reminds me a little of the Dream Inn in Santa Cruz. No seals though and no surfers. The tide is right out now. A few walkers on the beach and the murmurs of people from the bar terrace below. It’s happy hour in 5 mins – 10 till 11 but I suspect we will be happy to hit the hay. On to Granville tomorrow. We’ve enjoyed Concarneau. Oh btw the lady in charge of Ty Cosy complimented me on my French accent. What’s not to like?

Visited la rochelle cathedral yesterday. Very different construction to the one in Limoges a few days ago. Turns out it was only built between 1742 and 1784. Sat on an aisle seat at the back to take it all in. Because I was slightly off centre the symmetry didn’t feel quite right but it would have been impractical to have sat on the exact centre line. Not a biggie obvs. Just an observation. You probably know that the golden age of cathedral building took place during the High Middle Ages, roughly from 1140 to the early 14th century. This is my expectation of a cathedral tbh. Limoges met these expectations as does our own Lincoln cathedral. England was at war with France for much of the time the gaff in La Rochelle was being built and I imagine the town was likely a bit naval port. The architecture felt as if it was from that era.

Later I sat in the Jolly Sailor pub on the quayside whilst THG did some retail. Noted a guy there who moved tables three times and placed his saucer upside down on his coffee cup in between sips. I made a point of only speaking French to the waitress. Then later when we found somewhere for a bit of supper the waiter automatically spoke English to me. I said, with a smile, we don’t speak English which pleased the guy. They must be able to tell where we are from from how we dress. Must see what I can do to change that. Even if I struggle with the vocab I think it is important to try and speak the local lingo.

A young couple appeared on the table opposite. Looked very much like they were on honeymoon. She had a white tee shirt with AMOUR written on it.

Back at the hotel we felt obliged to use the bar. V classy joint and with very handy valet parking. It’s slap bang in the middle of the pedestrianised area so v handy for the town but also v inaccessible without the secret code for the moveable bollards blocking the road in. Sorry, I’d have to kill you if I told you the code…

Anyway back at the hotel the waiter also started to speak English with us. I dunno. We soon appraised him of the error of his ways. Had an ok brandy and then an early night. I find cognac a bit hit and miss. Thissun was notionally the best they had. Spanish brandy is more reliable. Brandy aside another classy feature of the hotel is that they don’t ask you to sign a chit for the bar bill. Annoys me really when they do that but I guess in big chains it’s an added security feature. We’ve all heard stories of everyone’s drinks being put on one person’s bar bill after they’ve gone to bed. Lots of good things I could say about the Maison des Ambassadeurs hotel but they will have to wait. We are heading down for breakfast.

We had almost finished breakfast before the coffee arrived. Uncharacteristic service level i thought relative to our general experience in the hotel. As soon as it came I ordered a second cup on the basis that if it took the same length of time the timing might be just right. It arrived almost straight away! Must have been waiting for a fresh batch for our first? Dunno how it works. Anyway we are now chillin in the room before heading north. Destination is Concarneau but we figure a stop in Vannes might break the journée and it is apaz a top destination in Brittany.

The hotel lobby is full of nauticalia, well a couple of model sailing ships, one of which is big but the other is just the right size for the shed. I know I already have a model yacht in the shed but this one is the dogs. I must remember to take a pic before we leave. Doubt the hotel would want to sell it to me anyway and I wouldn’t be able to slip it discretely into my overnight bag.

Right, gotta go. If you are in La Rochelle you couldn’t do much better than to stay in Maison des Ambassadeurs. It has v good wifi and a ThyssenKrupp lift, not that that bears any relevance. It’s just that normally they are Otis of Schindler. The breakfast is only 8 out of ten as I’d have expected better from a 5 star. joint but htere was nothing wrong with it per se other than the speed of the coffee service. The last time we stayed in La Rochell we were at Un Hotel en Ville. A small boutique job that didn’t have the services of Maison des Ambassadeurs but ranked 6 stars for the quality of the breakfast.

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Bit of a marathon 220 miler to Hotel Les Sables Blancs in Concarneau 4 hours plus stops. It was obviously the last day of the summer hols for a lot of French people as the roads going away from the coast were rammed. We got to an equally rammed motorway junction and decided we might as well pull in to fill up and grab un cawfee. No unleaded at the pump we were at and, it turns out, none anywhere at those services. Moreover once you had committed to one pump there was no way back anyway. We were ok as we still had half a tank and continued the journey.

Once we had turned back towards the coast the traffic eased off and we had a long straight 198 km until our next turn off. We did find a petrol station with perhaps a third of a tank left so we pulled in. Chaotic spot. I bagged a pump whilst a caravan in front of me dithered. Then I found we had to prepay so in I went. Filled up and reversed to find a parking stop so that we could fuel up on caffeine but found that it was a bring your own cup job. There was no queue. Norrasurprise really.

Then finally we made it to Hotel Les Sables Blancs to find that all the parking spaces were occupied. Left THG in charge in front of a set of gates with “do not park” or similar and went in to check out the sitch. They have a private parking space 200m away. I moved THG and bags into reception and went in search of the parking. Absolutely no clue. Went round the block a couple of times and eventually had to call TG to ask her to take pic of the schematic map and send it to me. That worked. The carpark was accessed through a narrow entrance with a sign telling me it was the hotel car park pointing away from the direction of travel and set back from the road. I was the only car there. No wonder really.

Room is pretty good with large balcony and great views. I think we’ve decided to stay in tonight and enjoy the hotel facilities. One concern is the music blaring away from the terrace below. One assumes they switch off at a sensible time?!!

Finally settled in after having to go down to reception to get them to fix wifi access for my macbook. Worked ok for the droid. Login pace wouldn’t load for mac. I assumed they would know how to get it to come up. Two of them couldn’t get it to work so I took over again, deleted the DNS records as per googled instructions and finally got online.

Now back on our deck looking at yachts and other local points of interest through my binocs. Ciao.

Heard some wild animal howling in the night. Doubt it was a wolf though I have no idea whether there are any in this area. Fox maybe. Didn’t think foxes howled. I had half thought of getting up to see the starlight but two things prevented me from doing this. Firstly it had been cloudy and still is this am though there are some patches of blue to be seen. Secondly if I get up to go to the loo in the night I can’t see a thing anyway as I don’t take my specs. First world problems.

We had a nice afternoon in Rochechouart yesterday although tbh you only need 2 hours max to do the place and that would include stopping for refreshment at a caff. The meteorite museum was interesting. One did hit the area 205 million years ago. They evaporate on impact you know but cause huge amounts of damage over a big radius. They had a slice of moon rock on display that you could feel. Dunno how then know it is moon but I didn’t question it and had a feel.

Then there’s the modern art museum in the chateau and a couple of churches. I went into the main eglise, St Saviour if I remember right, I might check later, the wifi doesn’t reach the pool, but it only took a minute to take it all in.

We decided to head to Relais de la Tour near Champsac for an early dinner as it seemed to be the only place open between lunch and dinner at 19:30. Blimmin eck. Got there and it was closed for 2 weeks annual holiday, reopening next week. Typical. Back at the Bar Tabac in Cussac we came up with a plan and stocked up at Intermarché for another bbq.

Today we are off to Limoges. Joe and Lucy fly back tonight and it makes sense to be in the area so they can be dropped off in a timely manner. Limoges airport is, apparently, the smallest airport you will ever see.

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Googled it. There are wolves in the area.

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Driving back from Limoges late afternoon and a car coming in the opposite direction flashed me. Hmm. It was quite dark so I thought maybe he was saying to me to switch my lights on which I did. Then I wondered whether there were some police up ahead and lo and behold yes there were. Of course I was being a good boy anyway though it isn’t easy when speed limits are in kmh and some of these roads are long and straight where it is difficult to slow down.

We had a nice lunch in Limoges, “did” the cathedral and then the Museum of the French Resistance during WW2. Cathedral was pretty impressive. Huge organ pipes. Would probably have made a terrific sound when played. Lots of chapels dedicated to different saints. King Richard the Lion Heart had his dedication as Duke of Aquitane there in the 12th century. Wasn’t the same building then. Thissun started being built in the thirteenth century. V high ceilings.

The resistance museum was ok but the cathedral better in my mind, from a tripadvisor ranking perspective anyway. Just my own personal vote. Plenty to take in at the museum though. Ended up for a relaxing beer at an Irish bar. 

Dropped Joe and Lucy off at a patisserie before setting off back to La Broulie. Nightmare navigation due to lots of one way streets that google didn’t necessarily have a handle on.

Back at La Broulie, bbq fired up and the “kids” playing in the pool. Salmon and chicken brochettes on the menu. Using up what’s left in the fridge. May well skip the plonk. We have one bottle of red left. Chateau something or other. They all are innit.

Mostly packed for departure tomorrow. I have one bag for the single night stay in La Rochelle, a second bag for the two nighter in Concarneau and then my suitcase for the 3 nighter somewhere in Normandy. Granville je pense. Can never remember the name of the place. Lots of unused shirts in the suitcase as we’ve made much use of the washing machine here at the farm.

The pool man came whilst Hannah, George and I were out in Oradour-sur-Vayres purchaysing breakfast items from Boulangerie Belleville on Rue Louis Pasteur. Afterwards we mosied along to Champagnac La Rivière for a cafe au lait at Chez Marcel and then swung by Intermarché in Cussac to fulfil some orders issued en route. We needed eggs, milk, Nutella and banana for the pancakes I am going to make later.

Anyway the pool man checked the water, declared it to be usable and left before we got back. He was a Brit. Last night’s chefs, Emma and Karen, were also Brits. The farm, La Broulie, is owned by a Brit. A lot of expats round ere.

Oradour-sur-Vayres btw is the place where in ww2 the French resistance killed an SS officer. The allies were advancing and the Germans in retreat and the SS took revenge by murdering the whole population of Oradur Sur Glane. They got the wrong Oradur. Tragic however you want to look at it.

We had a lovely 38th anniversary meal at the outside table where we have eaten every meal since we arrived. The weather has been fab and it even had the courtesy to only rain at night. Just two nights left here before we head back to the coast for a week of meandering north.

In the meantime a jaunt to Rochechouart has been planned for this afternoon with an early dinner there before getting back for perhaps an evening of games or sitting round the firepit. I had been somewhat reticent in considering the use of the firepit due to the very dry conditions but we have had two good overnight downpours and it feels as if it might be a bit safer to do now.

Coming out to the pool area I noticed the washing machine on again. With 8 adults in the house it’s been working flat out. There is a handy washing line at the back and in this weather it has been drying quickly.

Yesterday afternoon saw the inaugural Davies family boules tourney which saw Hannah narrowly defeat yours truly in the final. There was a magnificent prize in the form of a mug we bought from a bloke in the market at Piegut-Pluviers. I also bought a small ceramic carrot, as you do. 3 euros.

Anyway the story goes this ceramic seller, whose name was Joff, had lived near Machynllech in a place called Corris where he had done his apprenticeship in pottery. Corris as I recall is a bit of a dump (may be wrong here but that is my memory of the place) and my only ever stop there was en route from Bangor to the Eisteddfod ryng golegol in Aberystwyth. We had all started drinking early and by Dolgellau everyone needed a pee stop. The loos on the Marian in Dolgellau were however closed and the open public nature of the place meant there were no suitable hedges to use instead. The bus continued to Corris, the location of the next known public loos. Unfortunately those too were closed. By this time everyone was desperate. It’s the only time I’ve ever seen a bus full of people, blokes and girls, just drop their trousers and wee wherever they stood. It was dark, and secluded, but that is what happened.

Joff mentioned he had moved to the area with his dad to renovate a hotel that had been burned down in what he claimed had been an insurance job. Obvs I can’t confirm or deny the allegation. However the point is that this hotel was situated on a 4 mile stretch of salmon fishing. My dad had a story from our days living in Dolgellau. He had been called up for jury service and the last case on the Friday was one involving poaching. The accused had been stupid enough to try and sell the poached salmon to the hotel who owned the fishing rights. He was knobbled. Now the whole jury knew that the person in front of them was the local poacher and that he was almost certainly guilty. The judge however threw a spanner in the works by saying if the jury found him guilty they would return the next morning, a Saturday, to pronounce sentence. None of the jury liked this idea. Dad was refereeing a school rugby match, one woman had a hairdressers appointment etc. They found the defendant not guilty.

So when I related this story to Joff he totally understood. They had offered wild salmon on the hotel menu, as opposed to the farmed stuff. The only source of wild salmon locally was from the aforementioned river. His dad regularly paid cash for salmon at the back door. Whether the hotel had lost the fishing rights after the fire or not I have no idea. Must have to make the story work. I’m sure I’ve told this story before but it does merit repetition especially in the context of the trip to the market.

At around eleven a car load set off to see the market in the square in Cussac. There were three mobile stalls there. Took less than 30 seconds to walk around. We decided to head for the Bar Tabac and had some drinks out the back before returning to the farm whereupon I made everyone proper British pancakes. None of this thin French stuff. All good. I bought a paper at the bar tabac. Le Canard enchaîné. All good.

Eight thirty am. Clear blue sky though the water on the garden furniture tells me it rained overnight. Did in Lincoln too. I listened in on the sound of it on the greenhouse roof. I’m sat out by the pool having breakfasted royally on two halves of grapefruit. We decided last night that we would head out early for a market which is about a 20 min drive away. Only Hannah and THG have been spotted thus far so the 9am departure is looking at risk. Could be wrong. Won’t have to wait long to find out.

On this day 38 year ago THG and I woke up excitedly in separate locations. It was our wedding day. Actually I was not fully compos mentis having been drinking Stella with my Uncle Mick until about 2am. Hey ho. Adrenaline saw me through. That and a walk in the rain. The gods were smiling that day though and the actual wedding celebrations took place in brilliant sunshine. Four great kids later with a grandchild on the way I think we can look back with some satisfaction as to how it has gone.

The word on the street is that folk are showering so 9am might be a goer. I’m told that this market is the biggest one in the region. No idea what that means but will find out soon enough. We will be back home for the afternoon as we have a couple of chefs coming to save us having to prepare dinner.

Didn’t end up going to the source of the Charentes yesterday as the mood amongst those left at the farm was to chill out. Instead Tom and I took the recycling into Cussac. Paper, plastic and glass. It was only after I’d done the paper and started on the plastic that I discovered that orange juice cartons are considered to be plastic. Ah well. A shrug of the Gallic shoulder. Cooked pommes sarladaises to go with the spatchcock chicken, ribs and sausages done by Tom on the bbq. My fave spud recipe. I think I did a reasonable job of it but maybe not quite Michelin standard, or even the local caff.

We are about halfway through our trip. The location for this middle week has been fab. There is bugger all around us really (we did the place where Richard The Lionheart died on our first full day here) but the farmhouse is very secluded with nothing but the sound of cows and birds and we have a large pool to ourselves. Cussac itself is a 20 – 30 min walk, dependent on your speed or a 3 minute drive. There are two hairdressers, a bar tabac and an Intermarché. I probably missed one or two shops but basically there isn’t much here. The Intermarché is handy enough. You have to drive 5 mins to another village to get artisanal breads. 

Maybe I should think about getting my hair cut. Which place to choose? Decisions decisions. Might wait until I get to La Rochelle or even Concarneau. It’s not like when we were in Seville and I had a short back and sides done by a barber of Seville.

Anyway. Gotta go. Everyone is up and ready apaz. Ciao bebes.

A morning of sloth. Nipped out to fetch breakfast stuff at around 9am and returned with a bagful that included bacon. Upon examination in the kitchen we discovered that it was bacon with garlic. Hey, when in France… We stuck it on the bbq and had bacon baguettes.

Then strolled down to the lake and failed to get video footage of the fish jumping up and eating the waterboatmen or similar walking across the surface. Nicely shaded around the lake.

Four of the fam have set off for lunch in St Junien followed by a visit to the ruined village of Oradour sur Glane. Didn’t want to go meself. Once is enough and I went there with the boys during our rugby world cup trip. Instead we are going to take stuff to the recycling point then off to view the source of the Charentes. What’s not to like?

A grey morning but still early twenties celsius and rising through the day to thirty. Nipped out with John to Intermaché for the croissants. Got the last of the croissants and the pans au choc. Breakfast time been and gone some time earlier for the locals. Breakfast out by the pool again with a discussion as to the itinerary for the week ahead.

It was observed by THG that La Brouile experienced a huge thunderstorm last night. Chucked it down apaz. Never eard a thing. I spent all night doing a log impression that lasted until just before 8am.

Nipped out with Hannah to buy bread and croissants from Festival Des Pains Boulangerie Pâtisserie in Champagnac-La-Rivière. We pretty much cleaned them out of croissants and bought their last pain au choc. It’s only a small gaff and presumably make just enough to service their regulars. There will probably have been one or two disappointed citoyens who wished they hadn’t had a bit of a lie in after yesterday’s Assumption Day feasting. Ze bluddy British!

We then went in the opposite direction to check out Cussac and spotted another boulangerie option to try. There were also a couple of bars that we will almost certainly want to check out including a classic Bar Tabac gaff.

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Weroff to Châlus-Chabrol Estate this pm. The place where King Richard the Lionheart was killed by a crossbow bolt fired from the tower. He probably said ouch, what on earth was that and then keeled over to the dismay and distress of all those with him on his, presumably, holiday. Unless he was warring against ze fiendish French. Could have been. Probs. Didn’t read the blurb. Just know he demised there. Archaic use of language there. Presumablement.

Not all the party is coming. Others have opted for a relaxed day of it around the pool and the covered patio where we eat most days, based on a sample of last night’s dinner and this morning’s breakfast. I didn’t want any lunch.

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Coeur de Lion news. He was there to take retribution on the Vicompte de Limoges (or similar) who was a vassal of his and wh didn’t contribute to the ransom demanded by the Austrians for his release after being captured en route home from the 3rd crusade. Laid siege to the chateau and was struck in the shoulder/collarbone by a crossbow bolt. That didn’t kill him but grangrene set in and he died six days later.

Nice stroll around les Sables D’Olonne. This place seems to exist for two purposes. Fishing and tourists. The great thing about the fishing is the fact that you can buy fantastic fresh seafood. We stopped by the fishmongers at the back of the place where we had lunch yesterday. They were selling fish just landed. Live lobsters, still in their natural blue colour. THG bought a few locally caught tinned sardines. Obvs they weren’t in the tins when they were caught. They probably shipped the catch to Chjna or Canada to be tinned (jokes). Nice wander around the big church. These edifices were built to impose themselves on the “flock”. A show of power to let you know who was in charge. The market hall was closed for renovation but its traders had been moved to a temporary building to which we strolled and enjoyed a drink. The waiter had a spinning trick with his tray. See vid. The beach at Les Sables is a v long crescent shape. We didn’t attempt to walk the whole prom.

Back at the hotel the room aircon wasn’t working and they were performing sound checks. Blimmin loud. Call me an old fart. Trouble is you’ve never heard of any of the bands. They are all French. We didn’t recognise any of the tunes used in the sound checks. 

As a bit of experiment how many French “pop stars” can you name? I’ll start it off in the comments. Anyway the engineer came back from his lunch eventually and fixed the aircon, phue. We are now chillin out before going to the rooftop for a dip and drink later and then heading out to the port for a bit of a night out.

V pleasant evening at Ian and Michelle’s on Tuesday followed by a full on Wednesday. We visited the Historic Royal Dockyard for the first time. Truly impressive. HMS Victory was stunning and the Mary Rose v interesting. Even bumped into @Sue Black having a day out with one of her many grandchildren. Afterwards to Gunwharf Quay for a Nandos then hung around to see the eclipse before getting into the queue for the 23:00 Brittany Ferries boat to Caen. Time passed quickly enough and were one of the first on, having paid for the privilege. Our cabin was also ready and we were straight in despite many announcements asking people to wait in the public lounges as their cabins weren’t ready. They did ours first obvs. Queued for ages for a pint of Lagunitas. Longer than it took me to drink it. Everyone waiting for their cabins were in the queue. Bed by the time the ship set sail at eleven.

The wake up call this morning was a brutal 04:45. We had breakfast delivered to the cabin and were one of the first off the boat and through passport control by seven. This is when we found that if THG brings our marriage cert next time she could stay indefinitely despite being a Brit. Irish passports ftw. Lucky girl. We are unlikely to want to go to Europe for over 3 months in a year which is the current allowance.

We made good progress on a fairly empty French motorway system. 267 or so miles from Ouistreham to Les Sables. Couple of pit stops to fuel up on caffeine. Was quite tired after the overnight voyage. Arrived in Les Sables D’Olonne by twelve thirty ish. The room was not ready, natch but we sat in the “Club” for some time whilst I did some admin and THG caught up on the Archers or similar.

After a while we set out onto the hot streets of Les Sables. The hotel, the Vertime, is directly opposite the port and we strolled to a small bar at the back of a fishmongers. I had fish and chips and THG had a crab roll. The fish and chips, with tartare sauce but a salad instead of mushy peas, was just right fair play. Washed it down with some fruity beer that was ok.

Bit if drama as we were sat there. There was a loud bang and I turned around to see that a black SUV of some sort had hit something, very loudly. THe front was caved in, the passenger wing mirror demolished and the front bumper had fallen off. “Fortunately” a local cop was on the scene in seconds and was able to direct the traffic down a road they hadn’t planned on using but the main drag to the port was blocked by the aforementioned UV. By the time we had finished lunch (3ish) and headed home the road was still blocked.

The walk back was hot and sweaty. It’s around 34 degrees here in Les Sables. However the place we had intended to stop at, Loches is pushing 40. Would have been unbearable. I only changed it on Tuesday when I saw the weather forecast. The Vertime was one of the few decent hotels with availability on this part of the west coast and I think we got the last room. It’s a good enough hotel with a great rooftop bar with a wonderful view over the port. Unfortunately the space below it, over the road, has been converted to a concert venue for the weekend and during our time here it is going to be very noisy. They didn’t mention this until after I’d booked. The last thing we need after a very short night’s kip last night is a couple more nights of disruption. It is what it is. From Saturday onwards we are staying at a farmhouse in 75 acres of land near a village called Cussac. The only noise will be coos. We can catch up on sleep then. We also have a great pool to ourselves. The whole fam is coming. Shud be gud.

Seven thirty am on a sabbath in August. I was going to write early August but I’m not so sure it is anymore. We are hurtling headlong into the middle of the month. Yeeeeeooooowwwwnnnggg. That’s a new word meaning hurtling headlong. Actually it’s important not to hurtle too much. Take it easy son. It’ll still be there. Anyway when does it stop being early in the month. There must be a definitive position on this. A decree. 

Moved to the deck cos it’s such a nice morning. The robins and coal tits are very vociferous. Fox visits observed at 21:32 and 03:55. Plenty of hedgehog action. Nothing by the lake though. Plus I’m going to move the mobile cam today as it points away from the sun and never fully charges up. A pigeon just landed in front of the lake. Always looks around carefully before deciding to take a swig. V nervous birds. The lake needs topping up daily at the mo. Will need to sort out a rota for doing this whilst we are away. The vegetation is doing nicely at the western end and we can’t have all that good work being undone by letting the body of water dry up. Also I suspect the frog would be a bit upset.

This morning we are having brunch with Joe and Lucy before they head back to town. There is no rush. They didn’t get in from Rhys and Kasia’s wedding until after midnight, bearing in mind that the drinks reception started at one thirty. Bought three different lots of bacon from St Nicholas’ butchers on Burton Road to try. No additives. Unsmoked streaky and back and smoked middle. Something like that. I gave the sausages a try last night and felt the butch had overdone the sage but will see this morning how it tastes in a breakfast environment.

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10:23 I hear a church bell tolling, calling the faithful to arms. Wind must be a westerly.

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11:48 brunch over

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19:10 v pleasant dinner over. THG’s pork chilli con carne with some left over primitivo.