-
Coast line by Babara's house. Picture taken by Yann Ranchere.
Barbara's mom has a full house, 3 super adorable Yorkshire terriers and a parrot from Gabon. Meet Lilu and Lala. Lilu is the sweetest pup ever. She just loves to hang and cuddle. And Lala is quite amusing. It's amazing how accurately she can imitate the dogs barking and then Bab's mom telling them to shut it. I had such a nice time in their cozy home. We even roasted marshmallows in the fireplace!
-
Charming Croisic
The small town of Croisic is centered around fishing. As you walk along the small port you come across young and old with pole in hand, motley fishing boats, old nets and chains laden with years of rust, crab traps... cool salt air and bright colors are accentuated by the solid grays and blues meeting along the horizon.
Barabara's stepfather comes from a family of fishermen. One of there old boats sits in the harbor. During months at a time, he is off the coast of Africa filling the boat with tuna.
He brings back lots of gifts from local markets. The house is full of wooden statuates, shells, paintings, colorful prints... quite lovely.
Babara's sweet mom gave me an ESQUISITE shell from her collection. It's from the islands of Seychelles... all in pearl. Unbelievably beautiful.
Barbara explained that though she loves her small city by the sea, there are drawbacks living in such a small community. With only 4,000 residents during off seasons, news travels quickly. It's hard not to run in to people you know. While walking along the jetty towards the lighthouse, Barbara ran in to her old prinicpal, also the father of her friend.
La Côte Sauvage
(The Unruly Coast)
Climbing the ragged coastline, discovering seashell species altogether different from my native Florida beaches was a real thrill. I could have spent endless hours kneeled down, examining the unique varieties and conglomeration of colors and textures.
Yann and I also made good use of our walks for extensive photo sessions. It was impossible to stop shooting. Unfortunately, they do not capture the intensity of the cold chill, heavy clouds and wrestless waters.
La Baule
Nearby Baule is a swanky little town with lots of boutiques along one main stip. The street runs in to the beautiful beaches of Baule... a relatively wide coastline of speckled sand, prefect for a tourist retreat. We were graced after our hour of shopping with a stunning sunset.
Favorite pass times: shell hunting, picture taking
Cool blue... serene skies
A Perfect Sunday
Our last day in Bretagne was very special. The morning greeted us with beautiful blue, sunny skies. Yann and I decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather for crab hunting! Well, rather, Yann searched for crabs while I looked for shell treasure. Meanwhile, Babs was in the kitchen making a declicious apple crisp to bring over to the family brunch. Grandpa, aunts, uncle, cousins and pets were all united to share in a huge meal of raclette. This involves lots of charcuterie and potatoes with slices of cheese (raclette) that you put on individual mini pans and place on a warmer. Once it starts to bubble you ooze it all over the meat and potatoes. Yummy and very convivial. After the meal was over I felt my chest tighten... I wondered why was I all the sudden struck with sadness. It was not until we got in the car to leave that I realized being around Babara's family, so friendly and happy made my heart ache for mine.
Valentin
One last walk on the beach... On the other side of the house in the picture above, there is a very pretty small sandy beach called Valentin. We took a long, brisk walk to try to work off a bit of the mid-day feast before the 4 hr car ride home.
Much Thanks Babs and Yann...
I feel priviledged to have visited your home towns, met your families, shared in your life's joy. Sweet thought of these trips, your kindness, will remain with me always.
PICTURES AND BLOG ENTRY OF YANN'S LYON TO COME!!!
2 comments:
I just came across your blog, and I wanted to say I love the pictures from today's post! The one of the dog is priceless, and the others are very calming.
Wow, Bretagne is beautiful! How lucky you are to be able to travel
Post a Comment