Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Bretagne Part 2

I took the train from Paris to St. Malo on Sunday night.  I negotiated the MAJOR train station at Montarnasse-Bienvenue alone and got on the train early.  Only problem was that I sat down in train car 10 instead of 9.  So the man who was supposed to sit in my seat graciously moved to my seat in train car 9.  The train was immense.  It was the longest train I've ever seen!!  Laure booked me an aisle seat facing the direction we were heading (there are some that face the other way as well).  The journey took about 3 hours and 10 minutes, and it was very comfortable.




s
Laure picked me up from the train station.  She said they had a nice time on their drive to the house.  They stopped somewhere along the way for lunch, and arrived at the house around 4.  It was sunny and pleasant so they went for a walk on the beach.  I got in at 10:15, so it was pitch black all around.  It was hard to get a feel for the area.  
s
I got to see the area yesterday and today in the daylight, and it is gorgeous.  It's absolutely lovely here.  The views from the home of the sea are like something out of a magazine.  The house is brand-spanking new.  It's open floor plan and there are huge windows everywhere so you can see the sea just about everywhere you go.  The house sits up a cliff-ish hill, and so it's directly "on" the sea.  Nothing between the back yard and the sea...well, there's direct access to the beach/sea via a set of what looks to be about 50 steps down and there's a patio in the middle that juts out to show another fantastic view.  
s
They bought this house 3 years ago and they loved the location but the house didn't fit their needs.  It was built in the 70's and was small.  As you can imagine in a place as beautiful as this, the government has strict rules about protecting the land and preserving the integrity of the area.  So, they had to get permits to redo it, and they knocked it all down except for one wall.  The project took 3 years!   The interior design is minimalistic.  It's modern, yet very simple.  No frills...just clean lines and simple design.  My bedroom is not as nice here as my one in Paris, but it's still fresh and comfortable.  It's a single bed (reminds me of college!) with a private bath in the basement.  It's adjacent to the mudroom.

s




The story here on vacation is that I work pretty much 24/7.  That's cool.  Because I work more, I get paid more.  So that's nice.  I've been asked to do housekeeping-ish duties here, as the housekeeper/cleaner in Bretagne happens to be away this week.

s
Laure says this area is not "gastronomic."  This region is famous for Crepes (sweet) galette (savory crepes) and brut cider.  Laure says restaurants here serve only crepes, galette, and cider.  C'est tout.  :)  That's gastronomic enough for me!!  
s
I had my first cider here at dinner last, and it was awesome.  I liked it MUCH better than the one they have at the creperie by my apartment in le Marais (Beaubourg).  Much less acidic, and it didn't taste like alcohol.  Could get into trouble with that stuff!
s
We had galette for lunch today.  It was lovely.  Laure bought the galette pre-made and we heated them and filled them with goodness.  I had egg, ham and cheese.  We ate it with a salad I made.  It was a great lunch.  
s
Before lunch we went to the little village, Dinard, right near where we live.  There's an outdoor market there (with an indoor part too) on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.  You can find EVERYTHING there from food to clothes to accessories to home decor.  It was cool.  I want to bring my camera there when we go back so I can take some photos.
s
After the baby woke up from her nap, we went on a little hike along a trail up on the cliff that runs along the coast.  It was breathtaking, but sometimes my breath was taken away because it was so high and there were no barriers to protect one from falling over the cliff!  I took loads of pictures from up there.  I'll attach some later...internet is cutting out and slow here in Bretagne.  I'm going to sign off for tonight.  I am behind on my postcards...still have to send the ones I got at Hôtel des Invalides!  Oy!
s
*Fuel update: we were able to fill the car here today.  So the major shortage of fuel is no longer affecting us.  :)
s
xo,
aKiP

No comments:

Post a Comment