Tags
divers cite, e leclerc, esplanade saint-vincent, gomina, grande maree, Journées Européennes du Patrimony, La Fournee Malouine, le mole des noires, le pourquoi pas, macaron simon, national geographic orion, plage du Sillon, rocabey marche, rotheneuf, rue de dinan, Tower Bidouane
Wednesday September 14, 2016
Wednesday September 14, 2016 is very breezy and cool. The temperature was 16 C when Sandy bought Phil’s croissant at Simon boulangerie. After breakfast we took a walk to the basin where the ship National Geographic Orion was moored. It came in around 5 am this morning during high tide. The lock is only open about 2 hours before to 2 hours after high tide, which occurs twice a day. It will most likely depart between 16:30 and 20:00 tonight. For anyone wanting an expensive cruise, the web site lists the price from $8,000 to $16,000 for an 8 day trip. Of course there are many, many activities included. We were able to see kayaks stacked on the deck of the ship and bicycles parked on the dock.
Thursday September 15, 2016
Thursday September 15, 2016 is drizzly and cool. For the second day in a row the temperature was 16 C when Sandy bought our breakfast. Today, the boulanger gave Sandy two madeleines as a gift. They are similar in texture and taste to a cake donut. They have a distinctive shape and come in a variety of sizes. They look like a raised, fat, pointed in the middle mini loaf (US loaf pan). Phil dipped his in coffee. It rained lightly until about 14:00. We took a walk later looking at the low tide and many people walking out to Fort National. We stopped at the wine shop (they were out of our usual white wine last week) and the tabac to pick up the weekly edition of our local Pays Malouin newspaper.
Friday September 16, 2016
Friday September 16, 2016. Sandy had to wait until the sun rose before she shopped at the boulangerie for our breakfast. It had been raining and was very gray. It was as if summer was over today. Phil wore trousers for the first time in at least a month and Sandy wore a jacket. The high temperature was 18 C and the wind speed was up to 40 kph. This is the weekend of the grande marrée or high tide and the wind will make the tide more dramatic. The sun rises at 7:46 and sets at 20:15. We are losing 4 minutes of daylight per day. On our way to catch the bus, we saw where the city had piled huge sand bags on the street to try to prevent severe flooding at high tide. We spent two hours with Christine for tutoring and she continued our “brain work-out.” On the way back to our apartment we stopped and Sandy made a reservation for us to have dinner tonight at Divers Cite. It’s a good thing she did because with our reservation they were “complet” for the evening. We shared an entree of crab fritters (accras de crabe) on a bed of salad, Phil had sea bass for his main dish (plat), and Sandy had beef steak. A very delicious two hours!!
Saturday September 17, 2016
Saturday September 17, 2016 is definitely cool! Sandy wore a jacket and slacks to buy our breakfast baguette since the temperature was 14 C. Chilly! Sandy took the bus to the Rocabey marché to look around and buy black olives. On the way back she walked by Gomina coiffure to see if the shop was still in business. The door was locked and everything looked as normal with products in the window etc. We’ll need to return on Tuesday to see if our hair cut will take place in the shop or the owner’s apartment.
Sunday September 18, 2016
Sunday September 18, 2016 is cloudy but warmer than yesterday. Sandy walked out the Porte de Dinan just after high tide to look at the sea. The Corsair ferry was actually disembarking on the street level because the co-efficient was 110 and very high. She walked to the end of the ramparts as far as the beginning of the Mole des Noires and could see where the waves had washed sea weed up over the wall onto the pavement. That must have been a spectacle to see. She purchased our breakfast from La Fournee de Malouine before heading for home. This is the weekend of the “Journées Européennes du Patrimony” which is explained as: “The European Heritage Days offer a great opportunity to discover public and private buildings open their doors for the first time or exceptionally, unveiling their wings, their unique history or their secret collections.” Sandy visited the office of the Mayor which was inside the castle and was a gorgeous, huge room. Then she went to the exposition of the ship Le Pourquoi-Pas which was constructed in 1907 and sailed to the arctic on over 15 different missions. The exhibit is presented on three levels of the Tower Bidouane within the rampart walls. She visited a public school where a braderie was held but didn’t purchase anything. For dinner Sandy shopped at our local butchery alone and bought tomate farcie and pork chops.
Monday September 19, 2016
Monday September 19, 2016 was the last morning for the Grandè Mareè for September. We walked towards Porte St. Vincent to look at the tide, but it was not extraordinary. While the co-efficient was 111, there was no wind or storm at sea so the sea was very high on the ramparts, but moved with gentle waves. We took the bus to E.LeClerc to do a little shopping. Not too much since we’re down to less than a month before we return to the USA. Sandy took care of housekeeping chores and homework after lunch. We did see the painter who told us he’d be at our apartment on Thursday morning.
High tide at Fort National
High tide at the Plage du Sillon
Tuesday September 20, 2016
Tuesday September 20, 2016 is sunny and cool. The temperature was 13 C when Sandy shopped for our breakfast. She’ll have to start using the hair dryer if the temperature stays this cool in the morning. After breakfast she walked to La Poste to mail a letter and watched workers assemble a huge crane near the park/playground. There were also a few people still demonstrating the closing of the Intra-Muros post office with banners, flags, and signs. She stopped by Gomina coiffure to make sure the building was still open for our haircuts on Thursday. The proprietrice talked to Sandy and said she would still be in this location for our appointment. Most of the rue de Dinan (main street through our part of town) is closed. Holes have been dug near the sidewalk and barricades surround the hole. When we stopped at the pharmacy to refill one of Sandy’s prescriptions, the pharmacist (Philip) told us they were working on the gas and electric lines. The delivery men trying to drive large trucks down the street were not happy.
Wednesday September 21, 2016
Wednesday September 21, 2016 is the first day of fall in the U. S. The temperature in the morning is 13 C (in the 50’s). In the afternoon the high temperature reaches between 19 C and 23C depending on a sunny or cloudy day. After breakfast we took the # 8 bus to Rotheneuf. It is a very pretty village/quarter. They have one boulangerie, one wine shop, one tabac/bar, one creperie, one restaurant, one chocolate shop, and two traiteurs or catering (ready to eat) food. We walked around, enjoyed a cup of coffee seated outside and returned on the bus. It is a lovely sunny day with little wind and a temperature of 19 C.
Le Rotheneuf bar – presse in Rotheneuf centre
View of Rotheneuf from the bus stop.