Allo allo

We’ve found it much more difficult to write any new blog entries since we’ve been in France. We think it’s partly to do with the fact that we are back in our favourite holiday country and, even though we are exploring some new parts we have never visited before, a lot of the experiences are familiar to us.

We’ve tried to think up ways of making our blog more of a comedy type script, but we think that will become boring in the end, so, we’ve decided not to worry about any of that and to press on blogging regardless!

We have spent the last two weeks on a site in the Landes Sud region – on the West coast of France up a bit from Biarritz. It’s a region we have never explored before and we would definitely come back. (But not in July or August!)

As well as the walks and the scenery we have really enjoyed returning to French cuisine and French culture. We enjoyed the varied and new experiences of eating out in Spain and Portugal but the quality of French food (from baguettes to foie gras) really does surpass its neighbours. They know how to cook and how to serve whatever you are looking for, whether it be a snack or a full 4 course meal!

The choices of food on offer in the supermarkets and street markets also far outweigh anything on offer in either Spain or Portugal.

A couple of days ago we passed a very friendly restaurant which happened to have Arcachon oysters on the menu. Well this time last year Peter tried oysters for the first time and wondered why he had waited so long. So for lunch the next day we cycled back to this restaurant for Peter to sample some for a second time. A fairly expensive choice in the UK, but here, along most of the Atlantic coast, it’s a big oyster region, you can have 9 large fresh oysters for just 10 Euros, cheaper than your average take away pizza. Funnily enough I opted for the ‘tapas selection’ of meat and cheese……..so Spain did rub off on me! (Although it was Portugal that got me hooked on ewes’ milk cheese, and that is also what’s produced big time in this region….mmmmmmmmmmmmm! They call it Brebis here and it is especially good with cherry jam—France’s influence).

Tomorrow we move on to St. Emillion, just east of Bordeaux. As many of you will know it’s a BIG wine producing region, and we are staying on a site in the middle of the vineyards—can’t wait for yet again another new experience.

Seven years ago Peter’s brother bought him 50 vines in a vineyard in Bordeaux (for his 50th birthday). Unfortunately at that time we were too busy in our working lives to actually get to Bordeaux to see how they were doing, but we’re looking forward to visiting the vineyard sometime in the next 2 weeks.

Below are a few photos from the last couple of weeks