Bonne Continuation

Restaurant Grain de Sel


Let me preface this posting by saying that I hadn't met David Martineau until we ate at his restaurant about a month ago.  Hard to believe, since walking into his restaurant feels like coming to see an old and dear friend.

We noticed that the table setting was a bit different, with new napkins and napkin holders that have a fork and knife theme.  I would love to have these when entertaining my Tea Ladies!  He also had a typed menu for tonight's choices.

For starters, while deciding on what to choose, Karl enjoyed a beer and I tried a new Kir, a "Kir Rose" - subtle and delicious, almost creamy.

My entrée was "Gazpacho Andalou", a cold consommé with a perfect blend of tomatoes and veggies.  It was smoother than the gazpacho soups I've eaten in the past, which were more chunky.  Probably why they say "consommé".  It was served with croutons covered with garlic and olive oil, which were just the right accompaniment.

Karl had the Iberica Tapas plate, which as the name implies, has Spanish flavours.  There was salad, chorizo sausage slices, Lorno, Boquerones, Picadillos, Manchego curado.  Not sure what all the names mean, but it was all delicious!  He did recognize the herring slices with lemon, and cheese that tasted very much like Pyrennée Vache.  Smacking of lips implies great satisfaction!

When an entrée is served, we are usually wished "Bon appétit". When the next course arrives, the server usually says, "Bonne Continuation", wishing us continued enjoyment of our meal.

As my main course, I had chicken pieces marinated in coconut milk, then skewered on a brochette with cherry tomatoes.  There was a hint of lime.  Oh my, could anything be more tender!  This was served with Basmati rice and a lovely mushroom gravy, the mushrooms being "cèpes", which we first discovered in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.

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Karl went Moroccan with his dish - a tajine of beef balls served "Kefta" style.  Again, rave reviews.

But if anyone should rave, it would be me with my dessert.  I had what I thought would be a simple and refreshing dessert: strawberries and raspberries.  But they were served in abundance in a fluted glass with a mint on top, with a spoonful of berry coulis and a spoonful of sugar on the side.  I don't know if there is a correct or incorrect way to eat this, but I would scoop up some berries, then dip my spoon in the coulis then into the sugar.  Each bite was exquisite!  It was so fresh that I swear the strawberries were being sliced on their way to our table. 

Have I told you that raspberries are my favourite fruit?

Karl went traditional with chocolate and vanilla ice-cream.  It is made locally, "artisanale" as they say, and it was sumptuous and rich and delicious.  It was topped with a generous dollop of Chantilly cream and a refreshing mint leaf.

And when we thought dinner was over and it was almost time to bid "bonsoir" to our host, he pulled out this incredible bottle of "Pure Folie", a strawberry liqueur made in Angers. He poured us each a glass with an ice-cube and sliced strawberry floating inside.  Not only was it pure ambrosia, it looked heavenly as well.

A perfect match to coffee, too!

So meet the artists, ahem, I mean chef and sous-chef: David Martineau, owner and Chef responsible for the main courses, and Nicolas, Sous-chef responsible for the entrées and the desserts.  These are no amateurs, but people who care deeply about the food they serve.  We can taste their passion.

Making everything so pleasant and so enjoyable is Magali, serving everyone with a smile and pleasant disposition. 

I tell you, going to the Grain de Sel is like going to a family member's home, only that family member doesn't shop at Costco and can cook up a storm!  The experience is warm, inviting, and ever so flavourful.

There was a hiccup with the credit card modem; try as they might, technology just wasn't cooperating.  David apologized and so as not to delay our departure, told us to come round tomorrow or the next day and pay then!  Coming from Vancouver, we don't encounter such trusting people after just two meetings.  You'll be pleased to note that they do accept cash.   By the way, the entire dinner, with pre-dinner drinks, wine, and coffee came to 44.80 euros.  Can you believe it?  Even by French standards, this is great value. 

There will be a time in the very near future when we won't be able to get into Grain de Sel without a reservation made weeks ahead.  I hope David will remember his Canadian friends when he's oh so famous! 

I can tell we've become friends because we parted with the traditional "bise", a bisou on both cheeks.


www.grain-de-sel79100.fr

Marais Poitevin

The Poitevin marshes, which have been slowly drained with canals, dikes, and sluices for a thousand years, cover about 197,000 acres (80,000 hectares) between Niort and the sea.  The area is now a regional park, divided into two parts.  To the north and south of the Sèvre estuary is the Marais Désséché (dry marsh), where cereal and other crops are grown.  The huge swathe of the Marais Mouillé (wet marsh) is upstream toward Niort.

The wet marshes, known as the Venise Verte (Green Venice), are the most interesting.  They are crisscrossed by a labyrinth of weed-choked canals, adorned by waterlilies and irises, shaded by poplars and beeches, and support a rich variety of birds and other wildlife.  The maraîchins who live here stoutly maintain that much of the huge, water-logged forest is unexplored.  The picturesque whitewashed villages hereabouts are all built on higher ground, and the customary means of transportation is a flat-bottomed boat, known as a platte.

Coulon was our convenient starting point for a boat trip around the marshes.  We rented a boat with a guide.

The minute we entered the waterways, I was reminded of the mangroves in the Amazon.

Cows are brought to the area in the spring for grazing and return home for winter.  We saw Charolais cattle, as well as Maraîchine cows, known for their milk production and their adaptation to humid climate.  I particularly loved their eyes since they looked like they were wearing mascara - very attractive in the bovine world!

This fenced area is where the cows are assembled in late summer, early fall, to be transferred to the higher lands by boat.

I can understand why people refer to this area as the Venice of France.

This family of swans (cygnes) followed us around, hoping we would have bread for them.  They eventually settled next to the picnic area.  These swans are smart!

This is Mom and Dad, the male having a thicker neck than the female.

Baby is still a brownish colour until he grows into his white plumage.

A weeping willow that enjoys the abundance of water.

Do you suppose the wind always comes from the same direction in these parts?

Remember when the rain was coming in at a slant in our Thouars house and there were leaks in various parts of the roof?  Well, that big storm hit the Marais Poitevin as well, and these trees were blown over.  Not as bad as a few years ago when 30,000 trees were torn out by their roots during a fierce windstorm, all within 30 minutes!

Look very carefully - those are flames on the surface of the marais!  Our guide and the one from the next boat over, jumped into the water, stirred the mud at the bottom, then lit the surface with their lighters: methane gas!

Wish I could remember the name of this insect, but apparently it's very rare.  When the guides find one of these, the entomologists take photos and call their colleagues and get very excited.  We were privileged to see one yet can't remember the name...

We did see a lot of dragon flies (libellules), which eat lots of smaller bugs, including mosquitoes.  That is why in such a marshy area, there are very few mosquitoes to bother us - or the cows!

Now if only there were a bug that could eat up the heat...  it was 36 today with very high humidity.  When we got in the car, the thermometer read 42, but that soon got reduced to 36 once we had driven a ways with the A/C on.  Our boat ride in the Marais was pleasant when we were in the shade, but it was burning hot when the branches would part and the sun shone in all its glory.  Could it not have been a little more temperate, with more heat when we were freezing in June, and less when we're touring at the end of July?

La Maison des Marais Mouillés, located in the old toll house, presents an account of life in the marshes in times gone by, along with details of the wetlands' flora and fauna.

We were hot and tired by the time we arrived on rue de la Tremoille, and there stood our creaky and cozy guest house.  It felt, on so many levels, like a pleasant homecoming.

Île de Ré

The long, narrow Île de Ré extends 30 km (19 miles) into the Atlantic and is France's 4th largest island, after Corsica, Belle-Île and Oléron.  Also known as the white island, Île de Ré is a long stretch of chalky cliffs and dunes with a rich bird life.  It is linked to the mainland at La Rochelle by an elegantly curved 3-km long (2-mile) bridge, the toll being 16 euros per car.

The south side is a succession of long beaches; the north, sheltered from direct ocean winds, provides safe berths for yachts in several small ports.  We toured the entire island, stopping at Le Bois Plage en Ré for lunch and a rest at Les Gollandières (Best Western), reaching the tip of the island at Les Portes en Ré, then stopping at Saint Martin de Ré, a popular resort town, for dinner and to sleep. 

Les Gollandières

Afternoon nap by the pool at Le Bois Plage en Ré

The church steeple in the background is actually in Ars en Ré, but the photo was taken from La Patache near Les Portes en Ré.  This Island is very narrow in some parts and has a curved tip shaped like the head of a seahorse, hence why you see the ocean between two points of land.

Île de Ré is a pretty and much-loved island, and warranted a picturesque coverage in last month's Châtelaine (French version), and a recent article in Condé Nast.  It seems to be popular with celebrities and bigwigs because of the privacy they retain while gamboling about.  We found the island very, very hot, (it was 36 the day we toured) and filled with so many cyclists that we could barely move.  There are more than 100 km (60 miles) of official bicycle (vélo) tracks to explore.  In summer it is touristy and pricey.

We stopped at Les Portes en Ré at the far end of the Island for a look-see and for a refreshment to quench our thirst and rest from the sun.  Can you see the blue sky?  Unrelenting in its clarity, with not even a wisp of cloud to be seen.

Time for a Perrier and an Orangina

A small wine store

From one end of the island to the other, the houses are all white, with only the shutters varying in colour.  It looks very white washed.

This is about as typical as it gets: a white house, colourful shutters, and a bike leaning on the wall.  This is the main transportation on the island.


Saint Martin de Ré is sometimes referred to as the capital of the Island.  Its economy is strong and although it doesn't boast the largest population, it does display past eloquence.  On July 7, 2008, it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, joining the likes of the Great Wall of China and Versailles.

The ruins above the town are from an old Abbey.

Entrance to the port

Busy marina

This second-hand store has made clever use of an old tricycle, in a town where cycling is predominant.

Well outside walls

All part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

First there were 3 little donkeys...

 

then along came three more...

  

... until it was a crowd, all vying for a gulp of water from the trough!

These donkeys were not wearing pants, a local tradition in years past to protect their legs when they worked in the salt marshes.  Lots of postcards still portray the donkeys with these pants.

There are plenty of seafood restaurants serving locally grown oysters.  At dinner, I ordered a spring roll with shrimp, followed by a scallop dish au gratin.  Note that the spring roll is served on slate, my new placemat!

The view of Saint Martin de Ré, taken from our hotel bedroom window at La Jetée.

Emélie was wondering if there really were pointy breads like she saw on a picture, so this is to prove that they're definitely served for breakfast at La Jetée.







We are happy to have seen this island, but doubt we would ever return.  It's just not for us since we don't care for beaches, heat, cycling or crowds, combined with elevated prices on food and souvenirs.  But if you enjoy cycling and love to bask on the beach, this may well be your idea of paradise!