Tales from The Stables
St-Valery
A misty Saint-Valery for the Sunday market. Lovely magrets de canard from "Le Prince Mulard".
Moules de Bouchot
Les Jardins de Valloires in the morning and a bike ride in the afternoon to Le Bout des Crocs to buy mussels.
Arras
Arras in the rain. Boudin Noir bought from the market in Place des Héros. Lots of Art Deco buildings - many restored but several providing a DIY opportunity. Back again when the sun shines.
Phoques
All aboard the Charcot III in search of seals. Quite rough out at Le Houdel as the tides build for the les Grandes Marées at the weekend, only a very brief view of a seal. Lunch at "Le Bistrot des Pilotes" in Saint-Valery.
Moules Frites
Rue market, Noyelles and the garden centre. Meal out with Pauline and Dave at "Les Délices" in Fort-Mahon-Plage.
Birthday
An excellent meal at "Vieux Clocher": Foie gras, le Caille, riz au lait comme grand-mère/pomme sorbet avec Calvados, café et Calvados.
Reflections
A rainy drive to Honfleur with motorhomes, tractors and road works to contend with. Nice meal in the evening on the quayside.
Papilio Machaon
A Swallowtail butterfly enjoying the sun on the Buddleia (Butterfly Bush). Other species include: Painted Lady, Peacock, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White and a Hummingbird Hawk-moth.
Saint-Valery-sur-Somme
One of the narrow lanes of le quartier du Courtgain. Courtgain (small gains) refers to the meagre wages the fishermen who lived here got from their trade.
Rocamadour
Great views from the restaurant terrace overlooking the limestone gorge of the Alzou river (a tributary of the Dordogne). Watching buzzards and eating Boudin Noir Parmentier.
59 and Counting
Birthday meal at "Le Bedaine": Foie gras, Snails, Duck, Goats cheese and Walnut tart.
Reflections
A lovely lake just next to the Campanile on an overnight stay in Tours on the way to Sarlat.
Poppies
A morning of thunder, Church bells and the ever present Chiffchaff, followed by a short bike ride along the lanes around Quend in the afternoon.
Everyone at the Coast
Traffic jam on the way to Cayeux-sur-Mer, the annual Transbaie race (14 kilometers) between Saint-Valery and Le Crotoy meant that 7000+ visitors were all heading to Saint-Valery!
At Cayeux-sur-Mer the endless parking places had all disappeared due to the 17th Festival des Cerfs Volants being held over the weekend- still it made for some good pictures.
Abbeville
A lovely meal at "La Corne".
Dessert of café gourmand (espresso, chocolate marquise and crème brûlée).
No.8
A sunny day: A glass of wine, Chaffinch and Chiffchaff in the trees, Cuckoo calling in the distance and a pair of Buzzards overhead.
