Last day in Le Croisic

Monday 18 July - Our last day was not as rainy as previous days so we took the opportunity to bicycle to Le Croisic. We had a few showers along the way but all in all it was an enjoyable trip. We stopped in Batz sur mer and wandered around the market there. Then continued along our way. Once in Le Croisic we wandered in some of the shops then met up with Ian's mother for our obligatory moules frites lunch. After a wonderful lunch we visited some more shops, walking along the quay before starting the long trip back to La Baule. On the way back we stopped and did some tide pooling. We took a short rest upon our return before heading to the maisonette for dinner. We flew out early the next morning.

Markets, marches and meows

Sunday 17 July - another morning lie in and leisurely breakfast. Despite threatening clouds we drove over to le Pouligen to visit the market there. I found some nice little porcelain pieces and otherwise just enjoyed the atmosphere of the market. There was a horse drawn cart giving people rides around the city as well as the normal market activities. There were lots of fresh fruit and veg, flowers and fish along with the odds and ends like shoes, purses and table clothes. After a leisurely wander through the market we stopped at a flea market and browsed around. Then it was lunch in La Baule. Ian and I took a long walk and then we drove with his mother to sea walk that runs from Pronichet to St Nazair. We walked a brief patch of the path and admired the large waves and strong winds. Then it was back to La Baule for dinner at our favorite creperie, Le Chat Gourmand.

Flowers and Jazz

Since it was rainy and dreary most of the day and the beach was not very appealing we decided to walk along Avenue Charles De Gaul to do some window shopping. At the end of the road we came across a Jazz band playing on the street corner and stopped to enjoy the music for a few songs. Surprisingly the band comprised 3 Americans (two from New York) and one French man). Then we walked through town back to the house. Along the way we passed the park by the post office which was an excellent example of the fantastic floral displays on offer this year which include animals shaped out of flowers as well as colour focused beds.

Groceries in Guerande

Saturday 16 July - another bright and early start as we had to take Ian's father to Nantes to catch his flight back to the states. After a quick breakfast we drove two hours to Nantes and back again, luckily I slept most of the car ride. On the way back to la Baule we stopped in Guerande for the market and a wander around the shops. We picked up some oysters to have with our bread and cheese lunch and I visited all my favorite shops and enjoyed the sights, sounds and smells of the bustling market.

Strolling along the Seashore

Friday 15 July - I had a bit of a lie in while Ian had breakfast with his parents. I went out and got a pastry fresh from the bakery and had a nice breakfast before heading over to his parents house and going grocery shopping with his mother while Ian and his dad went to play soccer on the beach. We all met up for lunch then went back down to the beach. Ian and I went for a long walk, covering about 2/3 of the entire beach in an hour long walk, ending up in le Pouligen where we walked along the boardwalk, visiting my favorite sewing shop and then getting a very delicious ice cream before heading back to La Baule

Fireworks en Francais

thursday 14th July- we got up very early to take a taxi to the Bristol Airport, from there it was a quick hour long flight to La Rochelle. From there another taxi to the train station then a 2 hour train to Nantes followed by an 1 1/2 drive to La Baule. On finally reaching our destination we had a very nice lat lunch and made our way down to the beach to soak up the sunshine. There were lots of people on the beach as it was Bastille Day and therefore a national holiday, but we managed to find space for our towels and promptly took a snooze in the sun. Then it was time for dinner followed by a trip back down to the beach to watch the fireworks in celebration of the 14th.

The British Are Coming

Sunday 3 July - We invited some of our Bristih friends over for an early 4th of July BBQ. We had loads of food: burgers with blue cheese or smoked cheddar on red onion seed bread or olive oil and rosemary bread (from the farmers market), two kinds of potato salad, roasted veggies, chips, guacamole, gherkins, cherries, grapes, cupcakes and s'mores. It was a feast which everyone seemed to enjoy. We had some Americana trivia and we challenged the Brits to name all 50 states, they collectively got 48.

Costumes and Coconuts

Saturday 2 July- We made the trek down to St. Paul's for the infamous St. Pauls Carnival, a celebration of the diverse culture in the St. Pauls area which has become a fixture in Bristol. The Carnival draws people from all over the country but this was our first year visiting the event and we had a fantastic time. We got a bit lost on the way and so missed the beginning of the carnival parade. We pushed our way through the crowds along the parade route until we reached nearly the front and got a great vantage point on top of a railing. We were impressed by the massive south American style costumes as well as the Caribbean style dancers in their skimpy beaded costumes and feathery headdresses. Lots of local schools participated as well with costumed students dancing in unison. There was also salsa dancers, drummers and a myriad of crazy costumes. After the parade passed we wandered around the streets of St. Paul's. Many people were selling beer and homemade food right on their front lawns. We found a fruit vendor and got a freshly cut open coconut to drink the milk. We had curry goat for lunch from another stall then meandered some more encountering various music stages, giant walls of amps and various costumes in the crowds. We rejoined some of the parade acts as the performed for judging then wandered around the main square area before heading home.

Cooling our Heels

The final adventure on our sultry summer day was a stop at Clevedon. We walked to the end of the boat launch and cooled our feet in the ocean water. Then we took got an iced lemon lollie and a water and walked along the foot path. We again dangled our feet in the water at the man made sea-lake before heading back to the car and returning to Bristol.

Duck Hunt

Next on our agenda was a trip to Chew Valley Lake. We had brought some old bread to feed the ducks but didn't find any until just before leaving and the ducks seemed too hot to show much interest. On our search for the ducks we walked along the edge of the lake enjoying the paths which deviate through fields and forests.

Apples and Tea

Sunday 26 June - we took advantage of the first really glorious summer day in England by renting a car a driving into the Chew Valley. Our first stop was Barley Wood walled garden. This is a beautiful walled garden which showcases flowers and vegetables. They use their own apples to make apple juice and sell their veg at local markets. They also use their produce in their restaurant/cafe the Ethicurean. The lunch menu looked amazing but we had already eaten so we settled on cakes and drinks. We sat outside to admire the view then took a leisurely stroll around the gardens before heading onto our next activity.