Vacances end...Boo

Friday...One of the draw backs of living on the Rue de Cailletiere, it turns out, is how busy it is even early in the morning it is quite common for delivery lorries or vans to turn up between 4 and 6 am. This morning we counted 5 separate deliveries. The slamming of doors and trolleys reverberates around the otherwise empty street and through the house.
Out to La Flotte market and boutiques, by bike, for cadeaux and simple provisions for when we get home. Then back via Rive Doux to make a promenade out of it. Trade in the bikes for money... that is we hand in the bikes and pay the hire fee ...bye bye bikes! We take the car for the last errands. Over to Les vignerons de l'ile de Re, based at Bois Plage, to pick up some wine for home. We did our tasting during the week so no need to taste at the degustation point. Just as well as there is a rare old party atmosphere going down!. Its a slick operation; taste, order, pay, take order print out to collection point, trolleys are provided. There is no price avantage over the supermarkets, they all sell the range, except maybe case rates. It is however very convenient. Its not exceptional cru  but for the price its not bad. I have paid more and got alot less and there is a wide variety of choice  to suit the discerning palette or indeed no palette at all. Wine loaded over to Leclerc for stuff and fuel. Back to base to clean the house and then for some late Petanque. Ironically having been to the Vgnerons; I later bought a bottle of Merlot that we hadn't tasted previously and had not included in the wines we had bought. After a sip, we looked at each other we read each others minds, could it be...? potentially it was superior to the reds we had bought...Ho Hum!!.. After Petanque... 2-1 to me!...bye bye petanque pitches!.. we said farewell to the beach and the Atlantique; bye bye beach; bye bye Altantique. We trapsed back shoulders slumped; gallic shrug...cest la vie, and had Baquette Sarmentine and the last of our Chevre au herbes and Fleur de ile de Re and a cheeky little merlot. It will be 27 degrees to morrow across most of France, Shorts and T for the drive back I think!!.

La Baleine Bleue

Thursday; As we are sadly running out of holiday and the days of island life are numbered. We have decided to head for our favorite restaurant in Saint Martin, La Baleine Bleue, for lunch. Discovered several visits ago and eagerly revisited at least once each year since.

Situated on the Ilot du port; it commands an excellent aspect.... oops!! lapsed into estate agent speak....stop! However it is famed for having separate terraces facing South, West and North.
Simple food presented in a stylish way, excellent attentive staff. I could go on but I wont. Todays lunch was 'excellent' as ever. Repast over we wandered round waiting for the macaron shop to open. at 2pm. It's such a nice town; all corners have an interesting something about them. Very photogenic. Macarons in the bag we headed for the cycles and back to base. For some afternoon petanque. Tomorrow... list as long as your arm of stuff needed and to do before our return. Boo Hoo!!

chabechou ou cabecou?

Tuesday in the anecdote stakes was a pretty thin day. We went back to Bois market by car, looking for the tableware we earmarked on our previous visit. However no show; no crockery stall. Deemed an anything but cycle day we only cycled to the petanque pitches up the road, late on, to use the boules we bought earlier in the week. It was good fun; nice venue behind the sand dunes near the beach.  I one 2 - 1. Picture: L attempts a googly!
Wednesday back at Bois market, again. The quest for the elusive crockery continues. No stall; perhaps we dreamt it in the first place. We dumped the car and planned a circulary route for the cycles. Heading for St Martins but skirting the town to the west and using the coast path to head back to Loix - Courade. And perhaps Couarde for lunch.... Coast was a beast of a route the Sou Westerly was blowing a gale in our faces. I ran out of gears to compensate...We both knew we'd been for a ride by the time we made Couarde. We trapsed up and down...centre ville.. lunch or just a drink? Drink and gather our thoughts. PMU; we sat down outside and watched as who we took to be the owner bobbed in and out playing up to some builder buddies drinking coffee, totally ignoring us. Well after 10 - 15 minutes; we had had enough and walked. There is a nice looking Hotel up one end and we sat down there. Their lunch time treats were Assiette of charcuterie ou assiette de fromage fermier  or  bocaux de foie gras / terrines and pain. We'd have a drink and think about what to do next. A young guy took the order and disappeared; he reappeared with terrines for another table; we agreed it looked surprisingly appetising so we would ask for it when he bought our drinks. After another 5 minutes the same guy came back with no drinks he muttered something at us that we didn't understand, like.. vous cammander?... it transpired he had fogotten we had already ordered.....Is it us? it was starting to feel that way; we thought ordering anything else was too much like hard work. We cycled back to base via Leclerc in doing so we did a complete figure

of '8'...of the centre of the island. In the evening a brass band rocked up in the square round the corner and played a few tunes..I believe they were bused in to drive small children from the village center.

Vélo à Meli - Mélo

Lundi... Let us ride to Camelot....Ars sir!  ....Let us ride to Ars..
Another overcast morning. I can't believe the difference; how a year of sedentary lifestyle can takes its toll on cycling expectations.
I remember last year scooting off in front of L and continualy having to stop to allow her to catch up; this year I can barely stay ahead. Mind you traveling from the east of the island to west with a stiff sou westerly in yer face; dosen't help. It seemed a bit of a hike this year but Ars is such a nice village and the Meli Mélo at the unasuming 'K Ré d'ars' restaurant; a must not miss. I was determined that trop vent wouldn't put me off.  This year they are improving the cycle tracks which unfortunately meant closing them off.... Route Barree Piste cyclables Fermee.. not too bad going but it got worse.
Just out side Ars we had to deviate on to the road much to L's dismay.

Blind bends and all sizes of quick moving traffic. Still we made it. Parked the bikes in the centre and walked down to the port where the restaurant is. We quaffed and stuffed. And as we had set out late this morning decided to head slowly back. And now the fun started. Route was Barred for a lengthy section, where it had been open earlier, and no deviation signed. We took to narrow strips by the side of the road. Then on a particularly busy bit lorries of all sizes barely slowing down to pass.  A mad-emoiselle in a peugeot used the last microbe of her already tiny brain to go 'off on one' at us; gesticulating and sounding the horn.  The full thrust of the expletive yelled faltered at the quickly disappearing back of her car. She had an A sticker so was a novice driver smart...!

le rabais

Tuesday....a grey morning cloud looking decidedly full to bursting. L spent part of the morning with her nose in a phrase book...Perfecting the art of asking for the discount on bike rental due to us through our booking agency. I sported my new M&S outdoor trek shorts...they're breathable...quick dry...secure zips...and the all important 'active waistband....lovely!.

Off down to cyclosurf. During the transaction L felt confident that the cycle guy new enough english for her to mention the discount; but he was ahead of her had in fact noticed the holiday rental agreement that she had been waving in his face since we entered the shop.
Bikes including discount in the bag time to set off ..L wobbled a bit and I could feel tightening in my loathers calves...now to mount the bikes.
Having been for a test run to La Poste at St Marie and got slightly damp, as the clouds let go; we returned to the house for stuff.. We headed out of La Noue. We then spent 15 mins circum-navigating the same roundabout while we decieded that both agreeing on a destination would be a starting point.  Rivedoux was my suggestion and we headed there. Having exhausted the possibilities of Rivedoux we headed back to St Marie off piste; a secluded back road through the vinyards. This is the life. By the time we got to St Marie one leg would barely push the pedal round.....only another 10 cycling days left.

..and Ré-lax

Brocante and vide grenier at la Flotte today, Sunday. We decide on pulet roti and pomme risolees, from La Flotte market, for lunch. Its  not too far and both sets of legs are complaining about the weeks riding. La flotte is busy; which is how I remember it. Cycles chained up in every nook and cranny. We had a good mouch round made our purchases and decided to chill back at the house. On the way back L, as it was quiet, grasped the cycling around roundabouts nettle and for the first time this week; didn't get off her bike and walk across each junction.... After a partially cloudy morning this afternoon has been V hot in our little courtyard at the back of the house. Tomorrow men are coming to fit what we think is an electric awning. There is one in place already but it has never worked. Didier sent a text Friday to get our permission. We are going to make ourselves scarse by cycling to Ars. I don't believe I have mentioned hollyhocks. After salt, huitre and donkeys in trousers hollyhocks are right up there... If you don't have a couple standing outside your maison then there's obviously something wrong with you...! and you're likely to be run off the island in a cart being pulled by trouserless donkeys whilst being thrashed with lupins!

shaggy donkey story

psychologically scarred by our soaking yesterday we struggled to come up with a plan this morning. Also hindered by heavy showers earlier on. I got the piste cyclables map out and waved a finger in a vague circular route as if I was divining a rain free path. We stopped off at the car and grabbed our wet weathers; once bitten and all that... We skirted la Flotte and headed for St Martin de Re the capital.We found it as pristine as ever and steeped in sun as always, though quite windy and cooler than we have known it there. It remains a nice place to park your yacht. We had lunch and decided to return to house straight away. As we will go back when it is less cool. On the way back we came across two shaggy donkeys. ah!.. sans culottes!!
We stop off at Leclerc for some bits and pieces including celeriac clutching a nice piece I went to weigh it for the price tag label thing. But whats it called in French?.. no picture on the weighing machine and the labels on the faux stall seemed a bit out of sync. Nothing for it...,and to L's surprise, I button holed a fellow french shopper... I believe what I said was or in the region of.. "What is this in french?...the name?.."why Cellery Rave of course!! was I believe the reply...Cellery rave in the bag! To night on the menu is greedy italians sweet and sour bread salad...

a loix there!

Friday.....On a tangent between St Martin and Ars, in amongst the marais salants and the centre of sel production, lies Loix. Another place that has not previously appeared on our radar. As our MO this week has been to include the bits we haven't seen, we drew the Loix straw.
Bright but overcast we set off. Cycling the furthest distance this week, happily, coincided with a new found ease in the ride.
The tide was out as we approached; across a causeway raised high above the surounding mud flats, zig zagged  towards the village; the smallest on the island. The grey sky the muddy marais and the general seclusion of the village made for, on this occasion, a desolate scene...
I'm sure its lovely when the sun comes out!!.

After a wander we homed in on a restaurant tucked in a corner by the church. La route du Sel; compact and bijou inside.We settled for a table on the terrace and ordered galettes. Whilst we waited for our food a few spots of rain were felt. Then a few more and then the clouds let go...awnings were unfurled and parasols extended. However we had chosen a table on the edge and we were barely covered by the awning. It was also the junction between two. The rain got heavier and we nudged our table first sideways then backwards then jumped to the next table in. Then there was so much water on the awning; that at the juntion of two it was like a tap had been turned on.
Not only was it pouring off the cover but when it hit the terrace floor it spattered everywhere else...lovely. We stayed as long as we could but the rain barely abated we decided to make a dash for it all 15kms the down side being that we had no wet weather gear with us at all. It was bleak negotiating the causeway back across the marais within a few kms we were absolutley soaked and the soggy bikes developed all sorts of strange noises. However on the bright side my quick dry shorts certainly dried quickly....

Anes en culottes

Thursday... My hire bike has been spawned by the bike demons. I am convinced of this. What ever I do at the handlebar end doesn't seem to make any difference at the chain sprockety thing end and then when you haven't touched anything, all of a sudden it changes gear its self... We headed for Le Bois Plage; we haven't been before and it has a big marche, tous le jours oh the lure of a big market tous le jour. Overnight the wind had changed direction to.. in ya face; with an edge. The market at Bois, as we like to call it, was excellent; we have our eye on some shabby chic tableware. The food marche in la halle was very good, fish bit was OOTW.

We alighted at a bar centre ville, pleased to see that the prices were slightly more earthbound than yesterday. However L's cafe cup had a perfect pink lip print on it. I said L should point it out....but hey! cest la vie! Then quiche and Pizza  d' ongnion on the beach for lunch.
In the meantime we discovered the phenominum of donkeys in trousers. They even have their own website ...yes they do!! To keep this blog ever so slightly informative.. donkeys are a) big in the area and b) used to do a lot of the 'donkey work' particularly in the marais salants where mozzies proved a bit of a problem hence leg protection.

flock to la flotte

Wednesday...as long as L keeps advising rain tomorrow...we'll be fine; warm and sunny 70% of each day!! so far.. hurrah! you wouldn't want to come all this way to play damp monopoly..
Popped over to the poissonerie first thing..well 10ish...apparently in my head I carry an encyclopeadia of fish recipes covering any species you are likely to find in a fish emporium..apparently not; we chose dorade gris for our evening meal.
Headed for La Flotte we found it V quite. Stopped for a drink at a sparsely populated bar. Deau bieres blonde svp.. here is a picture of what a 5.50 euros beer looks like....special.

The waitress was very friendly towards us... we had the heady whiff of money about us ..a sadly deluded individual if ever I saw one. During our wanderings I was quick to point out the number of english voices heard round and about...phrases like "I need a large draft excluder for our big oak doors...they have holes in!". The owner of the voice was next seen at the melon stall presumably with a view to plugging said holes. L commented they Flock to la Flotte!..
Time for moules charantaise. We exited the bar, having first been contacted by HQ, issues!!. This raged on and off most of the afternoon. Back at the house I had had enough of HQ we went to the beach to chill. Dorade was abit of a flop.

Pentecost

Last night; Sunday, yoofs ran up the Rue past the house upturning wheely bins; screaming and shouting it was 3 am!!?
Having languished in bed Kindling it was getting late. L decided that we needed to go to the supermarche as they closed for lunch. New one on me. On the way to Leclerc it seemed to me that everyone was in a hurry and that there were more everyones than usual. I had never seen the carparks so full before.
We did our 'shop' and left. L suggested getting the lowdown on opening times. It turned out that; no, they didn't shut for lunch but today was a public holiday for Pentecost, yes its 50 days since easter,.and they were closing at 1300 for the day. Just as well I hadn't talked L into going in the afternoon.
This afternoon we walked into Saint Marie and I had a bit of a moment with my phone when I couldn't get it out of camera mode.Went down to the beach and indulged in some 'extreme paddling' and I got  a bit wet. Bike rental tomorrow. Oh,.. and by the way weather...yes we've had lots.

diesel do

Having left home  @ 4:45 am!! we arrived at Tamaris at 7pm. L had phoned Didier as arranged 10 minutes earlier having reached 'the bridge'. A confused conversation had left the place of rendezvous open to conjecture. L didn't understand Didier and probably vice versa; however as it turned out it amounted to the same thing.
Now united  and back at the house; Didier enthused about the upgrades to the property since our last visit. Wi Fi , a painted wall in the court yard and a spare set of keys! Had we been seen to contain our excitement thus far he may have mentioned the new washing machine as well.
He was also excited to tell us the news that earlier that day he had had the pleasure of welcoming, to another property, an East Enders actress. He very kindly booked us a table at the Restaurant not a stones throw away from the house.
During the afternoon I had been haunted by the aroma of gazole and had blanched my hands in soapy water several times; each time convinced that my hands were now diesel free. Only to be confronted with the same smell from the same set of fingers. I couldn't understand it. I know from previous experience that the smell of satans fuel lingers but this was ridiculous every time I took my hand from my pocket... wait a minute... whats this then? a screwed up polyphene um er gaunt the kind used at the pump...it is the one I used at the pump; baie de somme,.. it reeks!! how the h....!! puzzle solved ..whip them off straight in the wash.
Later we chose moules frits. I had Cap sud ; what else?! and L Charentaise. Wine choice proved unexpectedly difficult there were four vin blanc on the list. I attempted to order in turn Bourgogne Allegote met by gallic shrug  Entre deux mer gallic shrug and brief incomprehensible exhaltation. For the first time in France I lost any sense of entente cordial and said in my best English what can I have? gallic shrug second incomprensible diatribe. OK what about Le Royal? local brew costs 4 euro in Leclerc. le Royal? oui! @ 15 euros why am I not surprised. Other than that the moules were spot on;  eat the closed ones they are the best...stuff about them being dead/bad is rubbish.