Well I said we were going to go out for dinner on ourlast night in Pardoux, so after hearing such good reports from Bruce and Diana about the wonderful meal they’d had at Pardoux’s Hotel de France we thought we should go there. Wow! What a great place and what a lovely meal!
The day had been stifling and even with the sun gone it was still very warm so we were very glad to have a table on the huge deck the hotel. The menu was comprehensive and had an English translation for each dish which was very helpful, but for simplicity’s sake we both chose one of the set menus. Good choices!!! A complimentary appetiser arrived being a shot glass with a layer of cucumber topped with a salsa of tomato finished with a swirl of truffle flavoured cream. Yum yum.
My entrée was a huge leafy salad with white asparagus, fresh fruit, nuts, tiny portions of lobster and thin slices of smoked duck. My main was beautifully cooked duck with roast potatoes and a fantastic rich thyme and berry gravy, and then I followed up with their three sorbets!
Fred’s entrée was foie gras with spice fruit bread, fresh fruit and veg, then a deliciously light omelette bulging with meaty mushrooms. His main was a tender leg of roast duck with roast taties, then they came out with a platter of five different cheeses each one amazingly different to taste. He finished off with profiteroles filled with ice-cream and lost in lashings of thick, rich chocolate sauce! Needless to say we’re afraid our clothes which were looking quite smart on Pilates toned bodies are now failing to hide the increasing rolls and bulges!
After thunder and a little rain in the night we were up, packed and away in good time this morning for a long drive from St Pardoux all the way up to Bayeaux. We had decided to side-track a little to incorporate a stop at Oradour-sur-Glane on the way as it would hadn’t managed to fit it in as a day trip while in St Pardoux. June 10th 1944 this tranquil little farming village of about 650 people was attached and completely annihilated by the Nazis. The town was never rebuilt or inhabited again, but in more recent times it has been made safe to visit (with documentary movie, explanation if you wish – we didn’t). It’s a chilling memorial to that and other similar horrors and a moving plea against such insanity.
From here we drove North West right through the beautiful farmland of the Loire Valley. Crops as far as the eye could see hour after hour; what a lot of food they produce here! A patchwork of nature’s colours and a fairyland of chateaux, whizzed through on some very busy, fast motorways until finally we started to near the Coast. The terrain flattened out, the traffic numbers diminished, wind farms re-emerged and we rolled into Bayeaux about 7.00.
Out hotel here is very smart and fresh here and we were glad to settle in and have a quick cuppa before heading into town for dinner. Bayeaux is of course home to the Bayeaux Tapestry telling the story of William the Conqueror’s invasion of England and his defeat of Harold king of England at Hastings in 1066; we’re going for a look tomorrow which I’m really looking forward to. Remember Dan and Andrea we went to Hastings and did the tour with the audio guide about the Battle of Hastings? Now I’m at the other end! Bayeux was fortunate to escape war damage and has a very beautiful old church which was originally consecrated in 1077. It was open tonight when we arrived in town and lit up so was very impressive.
Would you believe we’re lucky enough to have arrived here on the first of the two nights that Bayeux has its annual medieval Festival! The town was really rocking with heaps of folk dressed in medieval costumes, troubadours singing, dancing (even on stilts on the cobblestones!), juggling and making wild medieval music on wild medieval instruments (we heard some very wild recorder music Isabelle!). Stalls were selling everything from medieval goods such as herbs, spices, leather money pouches, jewellery, masks, swords and chainmail helmets, to party knick knacks like babies dummy which had flashing lights! There were endless entertainment acts and everyone in party mode. School holidays started here today so it seemed no problem that it was 10.30 and that everyone including children were trailing through the streets after the musicians.
What a wonderful night and we had a wonderful meal - medieval of course! With just one night here we wanted to try some of the local cuisine so had to start with a traditional Normandy cider and finish with an apple tart and a glass of their “apple brandy” Calvados! Missed out on their other specialty Camembert, but will track that down tomorrow.
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