Sunday 25 August 2024

More gardening and tidying up.

Monday 26 August 2024

Lady P’s big day today. 70^th birthday. We had a quick coffee, grabbed the bags and headed off to I’ll de Re, 45mins drive west to the coast. It was significantly less crowded than our previous trip, as the end of August sort of marks the end of the summer break. However, there were lots of families, dogs and small children still wandering about and plenty of British ascents to be heard about the streets. We drove right to the very end of the island to Les Portes en Re' where we had a room at a one star hotel. Something a bit strange to Flashy.  However, it was clean and tidy; relatively quiet and the lovely hostess spoke good English.

Across the road was the bike shop where we hired two bicycles. One a Bosch Electric for Flashy (he doesn’t do hills) and an old thumper for Lady P (she likes the pain!). The plan was to cycle the 20 mins to the lunch spot for her birthday. This occurred without incident and with Flashy, having range anxiety, mainly pedaling in 3^rd.

Thanks to EL, we had table number 1, right on the sandy foreshore and in the shade of the creepers at Restaurant la Cabane de la Patache - absolute beach front.

Lunch was wonderful, with a Bollinger to start and an exceptional gravlax salmon and fresh oysters. The Vouvray and Sancerre were remarkable too. We had a couple. The mains were a local white fish and an octopus dish, a good legume salad and frites. This time the frites were properly cooked, but still not brilliant. Bloody French! Dessert? OK. A Rhum Baba and a sort of souffle were up to standard.

Then we had to cycle home. That was thirsty work, so we stopped in the village square and had a beverage, then back to our hotel for a little nap.

Gin time called and we had them in our hotel bar, then walked back into the village to find a little tapas restaurant. Not feeling particularly hungry, we thought tapas of croquettes; some sardines and maybe a tartine would be OK with a couple of Champagnes and a Moroccan Shiraz. Well, we did observe that the croquettes, about golf ball size, came as a nine-set. The sardines were brilliantly presented. 

Open the tin. Chuck the lid. Put the tin back in the nice packet, poking half out; serve with that, ‘oh so nice’ Normandy butter and little toasted baguette slices. Lady P picked up her knife and, well Flashy thought the better of trying one. He had the croquettes. 

Luckily, we cancelled the order for the tartine because we observed chef making one for the table behind us. What is a tartine you say? A tartine consists of a slice of bread or toast with one or more food items on top. However, this number was a rectangular pizza base, about a foot long,; the usual suspects of passata and cheese, some slices of eggplant; a very big ball of burrata on top; balsamic vinegar and snippets of fresh basil. Bloody feed four All Blacks! 

We did think we were pretty clever. A stroll home to our one star and a comfy bed. 

Tuesday 27 August 2024

Next morning, as it was still birthday weekend (even though it was Monday and Tuesday. We can’t tell anymore), we got up early to cycle 20 kms to the light house and the Ars markets. This we did in brilliant warm, clear and crisp morning sunshine, to return the bikes at 10.30 am. 

After that we drove back to Ars (giggle.. pronounced arse!) for a good look around the market, before heading into La Rochelle for some outlet clothes shopping (Flashy 2 x shirts and 2 x trousers). Home to LPR for a scratch dinner.

What clever presentation

And they call this 'tapas'! Er, two missing before the photo could be taken.

Table No. 1 for lunch. Best in the house.

Oysters from 1 km away. Yes, they were good.

Octopus and half decent frites

Rhum Baba floating in rum

We did cycle 20 kms. The watch was set late!

More bikes than cars!

Lady P on her bike! Very French.