Rainbows

 

Rainbow over the rue de Dinan, photograph by Jonathan Newby, our long-time friend.

We arrived back in St. Malo after two weeks at home. It was actually a little difficult to pull ourselves away from the countryside, as all the flowers in our spring garden were beginning to bloom. We departed there just as the lilac tree was filling the air with its perfume, the irises were budding up, and our clematis vine which had reached the top of the kitchen wall was only just beginning to reveal its glory. It was disappointing to think we were going to miss it all. But you can't be everywhere at once.

The clematis has such beautiful, but sadly very temporary blossoms.

Before leaving home last October, Rick put a protective net over our fish pond since the herons had gobbled up practically the entire lot for the last two springs. We were told that no heron would be so silly as to come anywhere near the net once he'd gotten a look at it. This turned out not to be the case. One morning we came down to find this charming creature completely caught. Rick was able to extract him and he flew away. I hope he learned his lesson. Had we not been there, I'm not sure what would have become of him. Our fish were thoroughly traumatized and hid in the depths of the pond for three days following this drama. But the net had saved them.

An embarrassed and disappointed bird.

We arrived back in town to find a lively up-tick in activity. When we began in the hospitality business we were told that the season begins in force after Easter, and this proved to be the case. After a few months where people mostly stay home, once the spring has arrived all of a sudden everyone is on the move again. Although St. Malo is rarely really quiet, there is a definite sense of expanded activity out on the streets since our return.

Cafe style tables and chairs on the streets, even though the weather doesn't quite support them yet.

Our lives have also become busier. Last weekend we had a visit from some very dear friends from our days at Maison Conti. We had a pleasant meal out with them. Later in the week we had a meal at a restaurant close to Mont Saint Michel, a Christmas gift from James and Daniel, which we finally made good on. We had another meal in Dinan just last night with some new friends who live there. This is more eating out than we have done since October!

The Dinard ferries are running again after months without service.

When we rented our apartment in October, we signed a lease until the end of June, which was longer than we had wanted to stay. But that was the deal. While in Burgundy this time we wrote to our agent to inquire if there was a chance we could extricate ourselves from this commitment. I had little hope that it would be possible, and even though we intended to be back in Burgundy for most of May and June, I suspected that we would just have to swallow the rent and leave the apartment mostly empty during that time. It turns out that here in France the law protects the little guy, and all that is required of us is to give a 30 day request to leave. I have to say I am always impressed with how justice works in this country.

The weather, which was warm and sunny the week before our return, turned a bit cold and cloudy this week.

It means, of course, that we have much less time left than we knew. We find ourselves rushing around making sure to do all that we have wanted to do since our arrival.

Our dinner near Mont Saint Michel was something we have been waiting to enjoy for several months. The drive up the coast was spectacular and we gave ourselves plenty of extra time to enjoy the drive. Our old friends from Montmirail who visited us last week had told us that the area near where we were going is called "the most beautiful 15 kilometers in France." That is certainly saying a lot!

Mont Saint Michel is so pretty, especially from a distance. It's like a wedding cake. 

It was raining as we began our drive, but fortunately, as we approached our destination it stopped and offered us many rainbow views over some very pretty countryside as we wended our way.

One of the many rainbow photos I took this week.

The coast between Normandy and Brittany is certainly one of my favorite places on this beautiful earth of ours. To drive between Mont Saint Michel and St. Malo takes less than an hour. It is a landscape that seems not to have changed much in the last several hundred years, with charming villages along the route. 

Time to pasture the lambs. One valiant dog ran from one end of the line to the other keeping everyone going in the right direction.

Our Christmas gift was for dinner at L'Auberge Sauvage, a Michelin-starred restaurant in the middle of the countryside near the Mont. What an adventure it turned out to be! It was one of the most unique dining experiences of our lives. Everything was bio, as they say over here, meaning natural and organic. Most of the food offered is from the garden with no meat served at all and only the most local fish. The wine offered is rustic, without sulfites. 

We got to know Jessica, the wife of the chef and only server, as she to chatted with us as she brought plate after plate.

We were served 16 small dishes, each one beautiful and delicious, with interesting flavors. We had fried nettles, consommé made from a garden variety of ivy, fermented almond mousse, celery and anchovy ice cream and a cake made with spinach, to mention a few. Not your normal fare! 

Jessica told us that her husband, the chef, was "more of an artist than a cook," and that he has Asperger Syndrome. His genius is apparently related to taste, texture and presentation. During the Covid confinement he, as she described it, came up with the "keys of flavor" that have been put together to create a really remarkable dining experience. They also run a bed and breakfast, have two children, a huge garden and only two helpers in the kitchen. What an accomplishment!

A few of the beautiful dishes we were presented with.

To top off a busy week, full of fun and adventure, it was my birthday and Rick celebrated me in a delightful way, including fresh flowers from the market and my favorite flavors of macarons (rose, vanilla, violet and pistachio.)