Madame et son Chien

Whilst in Perros-Gueric, Bretagne the car lurched to a sudden stop when I saw an established Stone Sculpture Garden for Public Viewing!  Incroyable!  To amuse me and you, a sculpture a day will be presented from the pathway through this garden.

Joseph Visy - Madame et son Chien

A Hungarian sculptor born in 1951 in Budapest, then studied in Paris from 1981. He has worked on Historical Monuments particularly the Cathedral of Orleans.

Le Granit Rose

La belle Bretagne!
Whilst in Bretagne my bucket list dictated that I visit the 'pink granite' rocks. Wow! My cousin and I were bowled over with boulders! Voluptuous creations thrown about by previous volcanic forces, sculpted, shaped and moulded by the sea, salt and winds are piled up high, to balance without shifting. When the light was right, an evening sun created a pink glow... crystals in rocks glistened an orange hue in contrast to lime-green seaweed and grass-green landweed.  The pale blue hues, turquoise and navy of the sea ebbed in and out. Tonal colours captured by the light but not by me!

 

Tide out

The lifeboat slipway

WELL..........all those gigantic rounded boulders reminded me of Bunbeg and Derrybeg on an Irish shore where boulders decreasing in size descended from land to sea.  I was then in awe with no internet to research why and wherefore.  
Do I yearn to revisit a place where I have not been for 35 years and more?
Do I yearn to explore more of the Côte de Granit Rose?
Yes I do!

Joy in Abundance

My cousin Anne has a friend who grows flowers to sell at local markets. She specialises in Pinks and Peonies. Her name is Jo. I met her many years ago - a delightful person.  I could not resist the purchase of peonies for my cousin who gained enormous pleasure from seeing them on her table everyday for the week that I was there. Their perfume was so delicate...

L'Auberge du Capucin Gourmand

A follow-up to previous posting.

At the heart of the region Berry, there is a region called La Brenne, a National Park within the land of a thousand man-made 'ponds'.  Possibly peat was dug out by monks and others.
This is a wonderful gastronomic restaurant, par excellence!
The food and its presentation is exquisitely divine!  The menu derives from ancient recipes from the region.  The hare features in the logo and in the menu! Local produce and local wine is used wherever possible. The aim is that all ingredients are seasonal! The chef was telling us about the impossibility of acquiring certain river and sea foods in France that once were plentiful - even frog's legs he says are imported! I think I understood him correctly. Excellent service and a joy to sense pleasure when waitresses describe what is on our plate as it is presented before us!

Framboises avec caramel

June retrospective

In June I have again been flying solo.
After 5 months without seeing my former partner I spent 4 weeks helping to prepare his move,  then a month in UK, then a good six weeks helping him again. Yet, he also was helping me in those months from March to end of May. A fair exchange! He's gone travelling with 10kg in his backpack to Asia, yet thinks he is a minimalist. Hey ho his stuff is left chez moi!  The joke is clear to me and family!
Anyway, I would need extra footwear as well as the kitchen sink in my backpack so he really is earning brownie points. Maybe he will return a changed man.

Meanwhile, Big Feet, OUR cat, who became HIS cat is now HER cat and seems to think she is in heaven.  She is very demanding!  Evidently, neighbours say she travels a great distance!  I find it remarkable that she can exit the house to the rear garden and appear in the front courtyard. Cats scale roofs. Maybe she climbs the shed roofs to the neighbour's field, trots along the road and leaps the eight feet high large brown gate and/ stone wall!  I love intelligent cats!  She is aged 13 plus!

This post is really intended to be about the meal I was invited to by my dear friends. I vowed to have two starters, but at this type of restaurant the proprietors would not have understood.  Please see the posting after this one! For four courses and three 'mise en bouche' who can complain at a 25 euro menu? Even though we divided the bill it cost me 50 euros 'en totale' on account of aperitifs plus three bottles of wine chosen by mine host... the last was extremely delicious!  Maybe that was the one that was 30e! The whole meal was fantastic! No complaints except that C. had 'un bestiole' in her raspberry! The proprietor brought another!  I decided that it would be my own private way of celebrating the fact that I have lived in this house for four years.  I missed the celebration on April 30th, for it was no fun with no one!
So, here we go!

Smoked carp, beetroot something and cheese straws. Mein Gott it was delicious.

Melon soup with spices, nutmeg and sprouted garlic seeds. Divine!

The starter - 4 filleted breasts of quail with asparagus, garlic sprouts and a fine red cabbage salad!
Imagine filleting two little birds!

Raspberry on ice - to clear the palate!

The sweetest ever beef cooked to la point with vegetables including chard, courgette, carrots, onion.
Even peas have been artfully arranged with love!

We are in the dark when dessert arrives ... apricots in a fine frangipane! Heaven!

After our just desserts was coffee, French style of course. Returning to chez eux, JC serves Baileys coffee in a giant mug!  It is known that restaurants make a necessary profit on the sale of alcohol.  At first I didn't wish to have a starter but the proprietress offered me a cocktail sans alcohol.  Feeling holier than thou, I asked for water but the decision changed to a Kir! I prefer not to mix drinks these days! One grape me! However, I think the Bailey's coffee served by J-C near midnight caused the 35 year old tummy issues to surface but worryingly it was not too bad. I just stayed in bed until 11h when I knew I was recuperated. Other than that we had three bottles of wine between five persons where glasses were always filled by the proprietress over a period of three to four hour meal! Between 8pm and 1am I enjoyed the company of my friends and theirs whilst Workawayers babysat.. for that has often been my role when my friends wish to go to this Michelin restaurant. See next posting!

Ile de Noirmoutier

This is a charming island of France. It's just that I was tired from a long drive from Bretagne - my car and I get ever slower! - therefore the camping experience and being alone without a bike in extremely hot weather colluded against me exploring and having fun.  For me it seemed that cyclism as tourism was better catered for in the Ile de Re.  I also thought that the Ile de Noirmoutier lacked the magic of Ile de Re. Maybe I need to spend more time looking at the architecture and landscape. 
Of course, these islands are first and foremost important agricultural and maricultural regions, essential environments cared for by farmers of land and sea for salt, potatoes, mussels, oysters, fish and much more. They have also become regions where flora and fauna, especially birds are protected. Tourism is an off-shoot or add-on which either helps or hinders their livelihoods.
I love the approach onto the island, the colours and the ah factor.  Although I would like to explore it further, there are so many other places to see that I think I will have to move onto another island! 

 

St John's Eve and Midsummer

In France, the "Fête de la Saint-Jean" is traditionally celebrated with bonfires, reminiscent of Midsummer's pagan rituals. It is also a catholic festivity in celebration of the birth of Saint John the Baptist.  Click here and the link will provide more information.
It takes place on June 24, on Midsummer day (St John's day). In French towns, a tall bonfire is built  to be lit on St John's Day.  Sambucus canadensis is a goddess tree.

Some traditions say that Elder is a strong protection against dark magic, and if elder twigs are collected on St John's Eve they will protect against bad luck that may surround Twelfth Night celebrations. Growing an elder in your garden will protect your property from misfortune and harm. 

There is an elder tree growing halfway along my washing line.  I never know when to prune it to create flowers for the following summer. Currently, the leaves are covered with blackfly, so washing up water will have to be a treatment!  I cannot ever remove the elder tree from my garden! My mindfulness is because when I was married we bought a house that we could ill afford.  And in the garden of this house, which was in a sorry state of repair, was an elder tree and he and I cut it down - therein began troubles!   So I am superstitious!
We'd borrowed money from his stepfather - a loan without interest (a folly) ...we couldn't afford repayments when I became unemployed to have a first child when at the same time his self-employment and partnership failed!  The loan was eventually repaid when we divorced. The grandmother and step grandfather refused to see their grandchildren unless it was with the father which rarely happened. Family divisions!  Such a deprivation for all concerned!
After we were re-housed as the bedrooms were below zero in one of the worst winters known and there were cracks in the house walls,  the house was eventually sold to a man who sadly committed suicide in the garden of that house!  The profit from the sale of the house went towards purchasing my own property so that the kids had a better lifestyle. I managed to free myself from council house status which I was so grateful for!  It was hard to pay for the mortgage but I was eventually grateful that there was no contribution from the father. One day my children will inherit 50% each! Every other penny in my life has been earned or came to me through legitimate family inheritance. 

Now as a parent of a son and a daughter and a grandparent of her daughter, I am an elder... like an elder tree, but certainly never a goddess!  Life needs to be good and magical without black fly and troubles descending!

A Missed Opportunity

Some 10 days later, I am still kicking myself that I did not follow the beautiful silver Peugeot coupé cabriolet (I know nothing about cars except this one exuded style!) with its stunning dark-haired, dark-tanned man, who, when he had overtaken me, turned his head many times whilst looking in his mirror, waving almost continuously, in that enthusiastic "hello" manner as opposed to a 'there is something wrong' mannerism.  I happily waved back several times ... 'cos oh... he was sooooooo.... nice!  I was amused that at my age, whilst driving along happily minding my own business,  that a man could be so definitely attracted to me and attractive! ... but then we came to a roundabout junction!  He was in the left lane and I was in the right (French roundabout!) as we slowed. Then he indicated left and I indicated right, braking a little so as not to be alongside him. I considered following him but had not the courage!  We were now waving Adieu ... oh foolish woman ... I am sure he was a little younger than me but we saw enough to realise 'a chemistry and connection'.  I am sure he clocked my age and my 13 year old Clio!
I was disappointed for a long time on my journey across rural France to Bretagne.  I think we were at Chateau-Gontier. I was heading for Laval! The fantasy of what could have happened if he had followed me or if I had followed him still lingers on!  It wasn't a hoax.  One could tell!  It is another example of when I should trust my intuition but when driving, an instant decision has to be made! The path was taken - the opportunity missed! Hey ho!

A Camping Conundrum

I deliberately drove to the farthest point of the Île de Noirmoutier following my research that there was a campsite at La Pointe.  It was at a later time than I intended because I got lost at Vannes. Others were also mystified, poring over maps because there were no French signposts on roads developed in the last few years for going south-east!  Lost again at St Nazaire, which was my fault when I followed 'port' instead of 'pont'!!!   My excuse was that my glasses were smeared with sweat from thirty degree plus heat without air con in my little Clio!

I enjoyed pitching my tent... it only takes a few minutes... then I walked across to the headland and beach with sea in three directions!  A shower before a walk to find an evening meal but as the prices seemed heady, I decided to have a beach-picnic of cheeses, cherries and a bottle of screwtop wine, which because of the heat was not imbibed!  I read my book, feeling uneasy!  For when I got the food and picnic-blanket out of my car boot I sensed something be being watched by the man who sat at a table!  I'd said Bonsoir and he did too. I am 'Polite in France'. Rods were propped by the tree! Realising vulnerability I tried to set the mind-thoughts aside, letting go the idea to move pitch!  When I noted that he had disappeared I went to bed early to read inside my tent.  Maybe he had gone fishing!
I am sometimes extremely paranoid but these days do listen to intuition and I try hard not to get afraid! I had already spoken to a lovely French couple so am not adverse to speaking to strangers!
Well... the funny part of this story is that I didn't get much sleep.  I had to keep rational by saying a mantra of "I am OK...I am safe...I will be safe!" as fully clothed under my silk duvet, I clutched the wooden mallet in one hand and the car key in the other,  having already secured the outer tent zip from the inside with a tent peg!  Halfway through the night I decided to wear my sandals for a quick escape!  PARANOIA. ACUTE ANXIETY. EXTREME IMAGINATION. FEAR. Call it what you will!   The truth is that I believed untrue thinking and scared myself in doing so. When I managed to break those thoughts I definitely slept a little1 One has to feel the fear but get rid of it or it just eats away!

During the night I heard two things falling from the tree onto my car.  Branches? The wind was another reason for my alert wakeful state, as it flutttered the not-so-taut-tent-textile!  Restless in France most certainly!  Imagine my horror when I returned from the shower at 7h30 the next morning! Some bird or birds had dropped two huge dollops on my bonnet and the mess was wriggling with maggots!  That did it!  Decision as to what to do that day was made! Up came the tent! I moved the car to the sanitary block and with a bucket, hot water and an old sock found behind the washing machine, cleaned up and moved on out!  Whilst I waited patiently reading ready to pay at the 'Acceuil' office which opened at 8h30, THAT wretched fisherman drove past, scrutinising me.  It felt uncomfortable as if maggots were writhing under MY skin!  ugh!
No, this was not funny, as I'd paid 15 euros for an unpleasant experience when it was supposed to be idyllic!  I am never returning there!

Not a soul

at nine thirty in the evening.

Garden pictures

First earlies and the next

Waiting for Van Gogh

To harvest for winter

Stone-age profile