Early visitors (2)

Yet more visitors at Hotel Cleggifornia!

Mick didn't actually stay chez nous but it was great to see him back in La Tranche, here at the Starfish...

...and here at our house.

Helen & Mo followed, Mo being very useful as always

We walked to La Pointe de l'Aiguillon...

...proof that we made it...

...with its good view of the bridge from La Rochelle to l'Île de Ré.

We managed a visit to the cathedral at Luçon...

...with its wonderful cloisters.

We still had plenty of time to relax!

To finish off: a bumper crops of beans (including ethnic varieties)...

...and figs (our first successful year).

Early visitors (1)

Early summer brought a string of visitors, all from our old lives in Bingley.

Tine & Lindsey B on near la Pointe d'Arçay

Prickly vegetation!

Phil, not exactly walking off into the sunset!

Caroline & Martin came too, here lunching at Port Bourgenay. Bet you can't spot the one not having mussels!

Caroline at dusk...

...and shortly afterwards, at the end of the jetty.

A beautiful sunset from chez nous

Caroline tempted to go for a dip?

Mixed bag

It's one of those posts with a bit of everything, folks!

Instructions for watering the garden: (1) pour a pastis, (2) water

On one of my walks I noticed this amazing wild flower plot

Blue skies but eerily misty...

...the jetty in all its glory.

Hope you're all impressed with the frock I bought Tine. What a man!

Tine again, this time with little Octave, a first cousin twice removed, I think is his correct title!

One of Matt's cocktails at the Starfish. We nickname it 'pondlife' and this time there was even a frog in it!

Back to the jetty and summer means the Inter-Îles boat to l'Île de Ré...

...even if the weather doesn't look very summery!

The Sacha Show

Matt & Cynthia both busy with their businesses and working all hours, it was left to the grandparents in Luçon & La Tranche to look after Sacha this summer.

How great to have the empty beach as your front garden...

...and a swimming pool to cool down...

...or a relax in the hammock with Mamie & Winnie...

...or even play in Papy's gardening shoes!

The playpark is conveniently just five minutes from chez nous

What goes up...

...must come down!

Taking after his great grandfather Maurice here!

All this activity is making me tired, so In The Night Garden with my friends Batman, elephant & St Peter...

...and I'm soon fast asleep!

Le Pavillon & le Rêve

Just to keep you in the picture on a couple of developments I've been following, here are photos of le Pavillon and le Rêve taken just before the full tourist season started.

There's now a new road leading to the carpark above le Pavillon

That's where Sacha will go to school on the right!

The nearly finished Pavillon from the beach...

...and over the old carpark. I think (hope?) they're going to tile the area over the quick-fix tarmac.

We tried the Côté Bistrot restaurant, now relocated to le Pavillon...

...and were very impressed by the strawberry dessert trio!

Meanwhile at le Rêve the land has been bulldozed...

...in readiness for the old hotel's demolition. Signs say works begin in September: there's been no activity yet.

Same day I took the two previous photos I was amused to see workers clearing the promenade of sand. It looked like they were ready to do a bit of Ghostbusting!