Weekend in Saint Meloir

Jocelyne has taken the train from her business meeting in Rennes to Saint Malo.  Didier has driven from Brest to meet her.  They arrive in time for dinner.  On our menu this evening is foie gras, Sauteurnes, Moroccan spiced lamb and a Rasteau from the Rhone valley. It's the first time, they've ever arrived in Saint Meloir to a home cooked meal. As Didier says, it's nice to be welcomed so kindly into their home.

 

 

 

Following dinner, we have a surprise.  Jocelyne has told us about a special rum infused with fruit.  We've purchased a bottle and have at; quite likely a bit too much at it. This one is infused with mango and passion fruit. When we kill the bottle, they add another bottle of rum to the remaining fruit.  In a few months we'll find out how it worked.

 Saturday is a busy day.  We begin at the Automat.  Back in the 1950's and 1960's they were a joke in America dispensing food in big cities from windows rather than a cafeteria line.  This place is at a farm and dispenses vegetables 24/7.

 

The homestead of explorer and discoverer of Canada and the St. Lawrence River, Jacques Cartier.  The visit is normally a half hour.  Today the guide is particularly passionate and enthusiastic and the visit is more than an hour.

 

Next up is the first-ever Cancale oyster festival where we lunch on freshly shucked oysters, TWO bottles of Riesling with bad boy CJ throwing in a beer and cidre on top of that.  His rationale: more wine for the other three.

 

Only in France do they have food trucks dedicated to serving alcohol.

After a short nap, we drive into Saint Malo where Didier demonstrates his incredible pride in his home town, we return to the ramparts and share a drink, CJ's final Chat Malo (best French beer ever). A distinguishing feature of the waterfront beyond the ramparts is the town's tidal pool. It's nothing more than a three-sided retaining wall with a diving platform on the ocean side. This is the first time we've seen people swimming in the pool and diving and jumping from the platform.

 The tide is farther out today than Thursday when we visited.

The new bells for the cathedral are on display prior to their upcoming replacement of the existing bells. Each of the four bells represents a specific tone and represents a person or event of significance to the city.  Each is ornately engraved telling its story.

This evening we treat at their favorite restaurant in the village.  We all order the lamb and it does not disappoint.

 

 

CJ and Didier drive down to the shore of the bay and the town of Saint Benoit des Ondes to purchase oysters for Maxime. Unsecured outdoor tanks are apparently not a local problem.

 

The last lunch of this visit is an elegant presentation of left overs accompanied by the last of the Sauternes and a fine Burgundy.