The tide is high (cont'd)

(1) Tine by the delapidated jetty showing artist's impression of the new jetty (2008)

(2) The 'Northern' beach ie. the beach where Northerners go (said by a very snobby Southerner MANY years ago!) Naturally the beach we used to go to ........

(3) The afore-mentioned delapidated jetty from the 'Northern' beach

(4) The main beach from l'Océan complex - normally there's a wide beach before the sea, isn't there Kate and Pete?

(5) The beach nearest to chez nous - note the flotsam in the sea!

(6) Tine victoriously beating the flotsam

(7) Matt about to bring a part of history to shore. Yes, it's part of the old jetty, drifted along the bay and soon to be a designer lampshade in the Alps!!

Hope Little Miss Impatient is happy now the photos are here! Had a busy day!!

The tide is high

Ever since we've come to La Tranche our days have been ruled by the tides: what time of day and how big. It's great fun going in the sea when it's coming in, but not too high yet, and low tide is ideal for exploring the rock pools and shrimping. Tables are printed each year giving the exact details of high and low tides and the 'co-efficient' for each tide, the larger the co-efficient the higher and lower the tides. I'm sure these must exist in the UK but I've never heard them mentioned.

Anyway this is a long-winded way of saying yesterday was the highest co-efficient that I remember and the tide was dramatically 'high' as the photos show. The weather was good (definitely much cooler now though) and I couldn't help but think what a high tide like this would be like in bad weather!!

The locals (Tranchais) are all very knowledgable and we were not alone in watching the forces of nature at work. I'll put some photos in an extra post above.

Jobs

Matt's mate Ste came round this morning with Joel to take out some kitchen units so that the plumber can fit the dishwasher ASAP. Problem is the plumber hasn't returned Tine's call yet! So a few more days of washing up - at least we've stopped breaking glasses: I broke three in one go in the old days (August!)

And the other photo shows me in action in the bathroom disguising the tongue-and-groove in a brilliant white. As you can see the tiles are pretty yucky but we're stuck with them for now. Meanwhile Tine was in the garden digging up a bit more of the soon-to-be salad/herb garden. The weather has really cooled down so we had no more excuses to lounge on the beach - shucks!

Yesterday was Matt's birthday and we celebrated with champagne at J&M's swimming pool - the lads went in but we oldsters were too nesh (Cheshire word for soft)! Valérie joined us and we went to Pizza Rico (again) and enjoyed wonderful pizzas and too much to drink, then onto Matt's ex-bar for more drinks. We left the youngsters in the early hours and made our way back home.

It's been great to spend a little time with Ste & Joel. I know they want to appear in the blog, so here it is. You're going to have to come back again soon if you want further mentions! On second thoughts Ste has offered to redesign our kitchen for us so you could get a mention sooner than you think, young man. (Hey, and thanks for the pizzas - your ill-gotten gains were much appreciated!)

Work-shy, moi?

Two more photos of the Champollion Museum in Figeac

Well we've given into pressure from several comments and started to decorate today! The toilet and bathroom are particularly dark so we have taken off the orange (!) wallpaper and painted the walls, ceiling and woodwork brilliant white. That, and removing an ugly lampshade, should make a big difference once we've done a second coat tomorrow. The tiles are rather dull too but we're stuck with them for the moment - some people have talked about a special paint for them, but we'll see.

The lovely M went to fitness class yesterday and loved it - maybe because she was practically the youngest! The classes are three mornings a week for an hour and are run by the 'rose girl'. Those of you have been to La Tranche will know who I mean: the woman who in Summer goes round all the bars and restaurants in the evening selling roses for romantic souls. (Thinks: must buy one one day......)

We arrived back from Figeac to find two of son M's mates squatting in our house. S&J are great lads and they did have permission to be here! They're due back again tomorrow from a short trip to Bordeaux as it's son M's birthday. Hopefully we'll get S to help us take out a kitchen cupboard so that we can have the dishwasher plumbed in. It's been hiding in the garage since we moved in, and we are very much looking forward to seeing it back in action!!

Not sure who 'petite Frenchy' is, who left a comment the other day, but it made me laugh so it's passed the test and has been published! Make yourself known, petite Frenchy!

An Englishman in Figeac!

Just spent a few days in Figeac, the lovely M's home town down in the Lot area of France. Sadly my father-in-law Maurice died at Easter but F is getting stronger day by day and we hope she will come and visit us soon.

I can't describe Figeac and do it justice. Each time we visit we marvel at the beautiful restorations being carried out, all in keeping with the medieval origins of the town. This time we visited the newly renovated and reopened Champollion Museum. (Figeac born Jean-François Champollion 'broke' the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic code using the Rosetta Stone.) The views from the top veranda are magnificent as you can see above.

We also had time to see Loulou, S, C & R who have a fantastic house just over the river from the town centre. We're looking forward to more fun times ahead when they come back soon to west France for a family wedding. You can see R on http://www.remiboss.blogspot.com/ and see if he has learned from Tonton D!!

So today is a special day, and a big thanks for the cards, emails, texts and phone calls. Yes, it's my Heinz day (older readers will understand, excusez moi les lecteurs français!) What a day to spend it, a beautiful Vendée blue-sky, sunbathing, playing in the waves and later at J&M's pool. We're going out for a meal with them shortly to celebrate and son M is joining us there.

Celebration time, come on!

On Saturday we enjoyed a lovely sunny day again, bits of shopping in La Roche in the morning and once again sampling the Atlantic Ocean in the afternoon - still not TOO cold! Cousins A&C came to see the house in the early evening, joined us for aperitifs and then accompanied us to other cousins J-P&C's 30th wedding celebrations.

We arrived quite late and the champagne was already flowing, canopés being served and mosquitoes biting - yes, it's been a bad year for mosquitoes! Once we'd said 'Bonjour' to the people we knew, kissing them 2, 3 or 4 times on each cheek depending on where they're from (luckily in Vendeé it's 2!!) we helped prepare the tables inside then enjoyed a lovely meal.

You will remember my 3 goals, one of which is F for Fish. Well I deserve full praise for eating 3 oysters without feeling ill! The rest of the meal was pâté, jambon de Vendée (like gammon) and mogettes, green salad, mizotte (a Vendée cheese) and brioche with chocolate mousse. All washed down with copious amounts of red wine and more champagne.

Everybody was very friendly and we had a good bop to some cheesy 'chunes'. J-P&C had a ball, especially J-P who got through two shirts and a few litres of sweat! Probably as his favourite singer (Johnny Halliday) was well-represented in the music selection! We didn't get in until 3 am but a good time was had by all.

An Englishman in London?

Yes we've been to London for a couple of days this week as we were fortunate enough to have tickets to see Prince at the O2 on Thursday. The concert was totally brilliant, an unforgettable experience: what a showman! Even after four encores you wanted more. Elton John was in the audience and he did a version of 'The Long & Winding Road' with Prince on keyboard and an amazing sax player.

We stayed at Peep's new house in North Harrow and met a couple of his housemates who were great. The lads are going to have a good time this year, I'm sure! They're really near to the Tube and once we got the hang of the touch-screen ticket-getting we were practically locals! We treated ourselves to a trip on the London Eye (highly recommended) and visited Covent Garden and walked along the South Bank, popping into the Tate Modern. We even took the boat to get from the Eye to the Millenium Stadium for the concert. On our way back yesterday we stopped at Regent's Park to see the herons. Peep said there were hundreds - we saw three! Everywhere we went people were wonderful. Official: the North/South divide is over!

It was great to get back to our home in La Tranche but it wasn't long before we were out at J&M's for tea/dinner (perhaps the North/South divide just returned!!) as cousins A&C have come down from Paris for the weekend. Son M also joined us in his workbreak and it was good to share Prince-experiences!

Just got great news from French Anne: Jet2 are starting a weekly service from Leeds-Bradford to La Rochelle from next May. We'd better get on with our transformations......

Things English

Those who know me well will know I'm a Shreddie-holic and have eaten them since I was a child. Here is a photo of THE LAST PACK OF SHREDDIES brought over by daughter N!

Started a list today of things we need to ask for or get, next time we're in England. So far there's malt vinegar (chips aren't the same without it!), fruity brown sauce, cranberry sauce and, of course, Shreddies! Note no mention of alcoholic beverages although a hand-pulled pint of Landlord wouldn't go amiss! (We already have stocks of Bird's, Bisto, Paxo, Patak's and mint sauce [thanks Peep]!!)

This all makes it sound like I'm a real Philistine and Anglophile but we used to bring back mustard, wine vinegar, Nutella, barquettes, syrop de menthe and grenadine, mustard mayonnaise, tins of flavoured Mackerel for C, cornichons, saucisson, rillettes and gallons of wine! (Many of these weren't easily available in our supermarkets in the old days.) Philistine perhaps, Anglophile no!

Still not really started on any jobs but I've given our old dining table three coats of yacht varnish to see if it can survive outside. Although it's under shelter the rain comes in at an angle there so it's pretty vulnerable (not that we've seen any rain since the kids went back - sorry N & Peep!). We've also made a start on the future herb & salad garden trying to clear it of all its weeds.

More excitingly we've befriended an old couple (J&F) who live opposite for much of the year. They invited us over for aperitifs one evening last week and next day J came to have a look at the house to see what suggestions he could make. M saw him yesterday and he's drawing up plans to convert the garage into a second (small) living space with mezannine sleeping area, and converting the garden store-room into a second shower/toilet/utilities room. This could all be done without planning permission as it's all within the house as it stands! Could be very interesting!

Footsteps

Before continuing, my lovely M suggested a competition when she saw Wednesday's posting. Can you find seven differences between Wednesday's photos? Answers as comments (remember tick anonymous but give us a clue who you are!) and we'll see about a prize! These two photos were taken today, the Neanderthal footprints are mine of course! And what about the colour of the sky and the sea?!

Happy weekend. I hope you've had a profitable week and treated yourselves to a relaxing weekend. Ours couldn't be better: the sun is still ever-present and the sea very inviting. Just the wind blowing sand down the beach so we took ourselves off to the J&M's campsite swimming pool where we were two of four swimmers! We got the last few rays of sunshine there then walked back to get the last few rays at home. The back of the house faces south and we have sun all day there. Luckily the fruit trees give welcome shade at times!

We've had a lovely week, a few sorties to M's bar for aperitifs, cycle rides to the beach and a shopping trip to La Roche-sur-Yon where we collected a picture frame for our mini B-Town prints - they look fantastic now. We fancy buying a flash flat screen TV but the choice is staggering and we've still not made our decision. In the meantime we have borrowed a French TV from god-daughter C which seems to work fine. The signal in these parts is pretty poor so we might have to invest in a satellite dish for TNT (French Freeview)

Sun sun sun

I knew it would be quieter this week but I hadn't realised just how quickly it happened! The beach is practically empty (this photo was taken at 15:30 on a lovely hot blue-sky Wednesday when some schools are half day). What you can't see is that there is a cooler breeze, a sign that Autumn is on its way?

In town many shops are only open for half of their normal time, closing pretty early. Son M's bar is still open though so we can still go for aperitifs! We went on our bikes tonight, securing them safely not far away from the bar. Also the last few days we've gone on our bikes to the beach - see, I'm trying hard!!

On the beach today we saw our first jellyfish of the season. Some years there are loads of them but this year not. You can see the size from M's foot just behind. When the ferry goes from the La Tranche jetty to the Ile de Ré you often plough through shoals of jellyfish, a mass of purply white. The jetty is in a sad state of repair at the moment so the 'Inter-Ile' boats have not happened for the last couple of years. Hopefully all will be back running in 2008.

M has just said she's seen a shooting star so I'm off out now to see if there are any more!

For those who didn't see daughter N's comment I've changed the settings so anyone CAN make comments by ticking 'Anonymous'. However let it be known that I receive all comments as emails beforehand and have the power of veto, so please make sure I know who you are (clues are great!!) otherwise it won't get published!

La rentrée

Today is very special day as we are NOT going back to work . Instead we will have to content ourselves with watching the hazy sky clear. Hopefully it will be like yesterday, absolutely glorious with a not-too-cold sea (it's not the Med here you know!!) and the beach practically empty except for sunbathers 'of a certain age'. Of course we are far too young to fit in yet......

Yes our thoughts today are with all our friends at Q and TAS for moi and at Q and EB for 'er indoors as they start another academic year. Plus all the B-Town massive, many of whom are in the education game. After 33 Septembers at the chalk face it does seem very strange! We hope 2007/2008 is a good year for you all. Keep reading the blog instead of preparing!!

Thought I'd show you a photo of Larry the Lizard who has become a regular friend (along with his many mates). They grow to about 8 inches long and come right up to us before realising we're bigger than them! We've already rescued two and killed one - they WILL get into the house! Mosquitoes have been abundant this year too but neither of us has been badly bitten. PLUS we're pleased to say we've got bats again. Perhaps they're the same ones from our B-Town home, followed us for their dusk-time dance. So long as they keep eating those pesky mosquitoes!

Ile de Ré

La Tranche is sheltered ftom the Atlantic Ocean by a long, low-lying island called the Ile de Ré. On most days you can see it quite clearly on the horizon (although TOO clearly is a sign of bad weather to come, locals say!) The island is connected to the mainland by a magnificent bridge near La Rochelle. In 2007 the toll to cross the bridge is 16€ but the return journey is free (!). Yesterday we took K& P over to the island and spent a lovely day browsing around St Martin-de-Ré which is a picturesque port almost Mediterranean in feel, and, wait for it, Ars-en-Ré. I couldn't resist the photo above: schoolboy humour will out .... It's been said that land on the island is some of the most expensive in France and rumour has it that Johnny Depp has a house there. Will expect a flood of female visitors shortly!

Did the return trip to La Rochelle again today, this time to take K&P back to the airport. They have had a really good week with mainly good weather and a great appartment. They took us (and M) out for a steak 'A l'Étage' which is the old Bar Zinc now run by son M's friend. The steaks are cooked on an open fire which was great last night as the evenings are getting cooler. Last time we roasted! We were really chuffed to show K around the area (P came out for a week last year) and hope it won't be too long before she comes again. You haven't tried everything yet, K!!