Friday 9th October (It is 4 weeks today we left Dorset)
Frossay to Pornic
We awoke to find thick fog, that it had rained in the night so we had wet saddles and we only had 40 euros and the B and B was 55. To make matters worse the Spar didn’t do cashback. But the obliging monsieur, obviously nervous that he was about to be made an offer that he couldn’t refuse took me in his van the 9ks to a cash machine and all was well. The seats eventually dried into our shorts and the fog cleared so who could ask for more. We are now cycling towards the coast and a harbour town called Pornic which from it’s name held out great expectations, however Vivi with culinary thoughts in mind was more intent on seeing Michel Chef Chef which believe it or not has a gastronomical tradition. As we rode down the hill into the town the smell firstly of baking, then cooking fruit and baking combined and then meat pies was mouth watering. So inevitably ................... we then moved on south down the coast to Pornic which is a charming harbour with a fortified chateau on the north side and not a bit like what I’d been expecting! The harbour completely dries up at low tide leaving all the boats in the mud and revealing quantities of wild oysters clinging to the harbour walls and the concrete floor where the lock is. With all the fuss about oysters I’m amazed no-one has been in and harvested them all. We wasted our usual hour or 2 looking for somewhere to stay, but in the end stayed in a great little hotel on the water front. The most comfy so far and very central. We wandered around the port and found a small restaurant in one of the side streets. They weren’t terribly welcoming but we did our best. Unfortunately half way through supper an ENORMOUS bug solemnly made its way out of the front of Alec’s shirt and towards his ear. Very bravely and in case it was deadly I scooped it on to the floor. Monsieur was onto it in seconds and hugely apologetic until I owned up that we had probably brought it with us! There after even less friendly. He (the bug ) was a handsome beast, a sort of mixture between a cockroach and a beetle, and have never seen one before or again we think monsieur had it in a pot.
We try to avoid hotels in favour of B and Bs as the hotels start off at the same rate and then charge you £16 for breakfast, and that isn’t even for the full English. This time we went out for a coffee and croissant but even that was 11 euros – must be some mistake!!
We thought there was a small ferry which carried people from Pornic to the Ile Noirmoutier (that being our next destination) and to take it seemed a more interesting option than cycling along the very flat peninsula. After supper we even found the boat that did it so full of good intentions and in the knowledge that the tide would be high in the morning meaning said boat would be afloat we went to bed determined to catch it.
Frossay to Pornic
We awoke to find thick fog, that it had rained in the night so we had wet saddles and we only had 40 euros and the B and B was 55. To make matters worse the Spar didn’t do cashback. But the obliging monsieur, obviously nervous that he was about to be made an offer that he couldn’t refuse took me in his van the 9ks to a cash machine and all was well. The seats eventually dried into our shorts and the fog cleared so who could ask for more. We are now cycling towards the coast and a harbour town called Pornic which from it’s name held out great expectations, however Vivi with culinary thoughts in mind was more intent on seeing Michel Chef Chef which believe it or not has a gastronomical tradition. As we rode down the hill into the town the smell firstly of baking, then cooking fruit and baking combined and then meat pies was mouth watering. So inevitably ................... we then moved on south down the coast to Pornic which is a charming harbour with a fortified chateau on the north side and not a bit like what I’d been expecting! The harbour completely dries up at low tide leaving all the boats in the mud and revealing quantities of wild oysters clinging to the harbour walls and the concrete floor where the lock is. With all the fuss about oysters I’m amazed no-one has been in and harvested them all. We wasted our usual hour or 2 looking for somewhere to stay, but in the end stayed in a great little hotel on the water front. The most comfy so far and very central. We wandered around the port and found a small restaurant in one of the side streets. They weren’t terribly welcoming but we did our best. Unfortunately half way through supper an ENORMOUS bug solemnly made its way out of the front of Alec’s shirt and towards his ear. Very bravely and in case it was deadly I scooped it on to the floor. Monsieur was onto it in seconds and hugely apologetic until I owned up that we had probably brought it with us! There after even less friendly. He (the bug ) was a handsome beast, a sort of mixture between a cockroach and a beetle, and have never seen one before or again we think monsieur had it in a pot.
We try to avoid hotels in favour of B and Bs as the hotels start off at the same rate and then charge you £16 for breakfast, and that isn’t even for the full English. This time we went out for a coffee and croissant but even that was 11 euros – must be some mistake!!
We thought there was a small ferry which carried people from Pornic to the Ile Noirmoutier (that being our next destination) and to take it seemed a more interesting option than cycling along the very flat peninsula. After supper we even found the boat that did it so full of good intentions and in the knowledge that the tide would be high in the morning meaning said boat would be afloat we went to bed determined to catch it.
No comments:
Post a Comment