Historias de la Gran Patranha: April 2010

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Day 3 - On the road to Donostia

Mission accomplished; day 2 is over. Woke up at seven, had a bath in our colonial bathtub, overlooked by photos of uptight XIXth century families including scary fat baby with white hat and dress. We went up to the Café la Paix and the 6€ brekkie surrounded by a bunch of old locals who were reading their newspapers, discussing about politics, sipping their cafés and generally pursing their lips á la francaise.

(this was the side overlooking the street, the locals were shunning the sun, well at the back)

A wonderful lamp most suitable for early morning illumination

voici our 6€ breakfast; bigger than the table we were sitting at

Once fed, we plodded over the ramparts and voilá the beach des .......... (not too sure), all for ourselves - well, and for the rest of people there, but we were just a few, less than 20 total as it was quite early still; total heaven

I ventured in the water and managed to convince Phil to follow. It is not that he dislikes water; he was jealously watching me paddle and float (at the height of my technique in swimming - almost like my mum's) but he had forgotten his swimming costume. Not sure whether he got the "we are going to the beach" bit this morning. So, we proceeded to get his trousers off, underwear off, modesty covered by towel, like in that epic chapter from Mr Bean, then put his shorts again (trousers) and voilá, swimming costume ready. He did swim to the buoy and I guess his pockets did get quite full of water, but it was well worth it.

Ou yea, this is the view I couldn't see while swimming because I'm blind as a bat.

So, back to the hotel, quickly washed the sand off, tidied the sea shells gathered for friends, packed and, well, off we went, with a baguette and saucisson in the boot for the next "aire" and currently roasting in the car (not sure if the factor 50 cream is going to work... such hardship)

Bye bye Maison du Palmier, bye bye La Rochelle, and hello road!

Labels: breakfast, Café la Paix, France, holidays, La Rochelle, Maison du Palmier, road trip, summer, tourist

8:57 pm | Permalink |

Thursday, April 08, 2010

Day 2 (part 3) - really, still La Rochelle

Not everything is about food in that town. Let's step back a little bit; we leave the tracteurs, special transports with thumping big pieces of stuff , the thumping big lorries and other sundry slow cars on D roads that should have been N roads, and recall our entrance in the town... Tourists crossing the road - death wish - bicycles crossing - death wish II - and Brit tourists on the wrong lane (Phil still says he was "only" avoiding the bus lane, which is a crap cover-up story).

So, our first impression of the town, despite the traffic chaos was pretty good; summer feeling, white paved streets with white classical buildings, beautiful port and a great Bed and Breakfast... "La Maison du Palmier" (linky). Great location, great taste; we are in the Chambre du Voyageur, 95€ a pop, rez de chaussée, windows facing the lovely courtyard garden and the street... but oh so quiet). Lovely compendium of XIXth century traveller paraphernalia in the most lovely room (lovely x 3, yes, I did notice the repetition). By the way, the hat is ours.

Le hat on ze bed

Le 'appy voyageur

Le courtyard

So, even though the piccies are self-explanatory, let me tell you about the room. If I turn my head to the left from the bed, there's the bathtub, visible through a window on the wooden partition that separates bedroom space from hand basin and bagnoire - loo is on separate closet, thankfully. This reminds me of the wondrous and very comfy tents that colonial travellers used to set up on their posh safaris - bit round or square yugurta with draperies over wooden four poster and proper English bathtub carried to camp on the back of long suffering elephants, or camels, or slaves... Open the curtains, and voila le courtyard, all silent, but full of light. Niiiice...

We are located next to the port, parallel to a pedestrianized street full of lovely looking restaurants. As you know if you read the previous installment, we ended up having dinner somewhere else, in the Rue des Bonnes Femmes, who were bien sur neither dames nor nuns - confirmed by the sex shop in the same address.

So, historic / holiday city checklist; port (tick), good food (tick), wonderful white houses (tick), old town with old houses (tick), cathedral (tick), and of course great bemirrored café, at Place Verdun, host to many writers' débats (as a French café should be, Simenon et alia discussing stuff over a croissant) with a cinema at the back. Reminds me of that café in Lisbon where I am sure Pereira used to have his lemonades ("Sostiene Pereira" always a wonderful book). And this, ladies and gents, is the coffee place where we will be having brekkie tomorrow, for 6.80€, so check this space.