It took about two hours to drive from Mont Saint-Michel to the guest house we'd rented. and we were only hungry upon arriving. It was 9pm in a small French town.
We were so lucky to find Les Chaises open. Not only because it was the only restaurant in the area still serving dinner, but because they serve one heck of a meal. We shared a fantastic bottle of white wine and each ordered off the three-course menu. For me: les rillettes aux saumon, the catch of the day with ratatouille, broccoli, and wild rice, and le mousse au chocolat. Delicious and affordable at 24 euros.
After dinner we retreated to our cottage to play French board games. My favorite was a French-version of charades. Amy, Marie, and I are a crazy bunch, I tell ya :).
The next morning, we awoke well-rested to a well-stocked kitchen. We'd brought Bon Maman preserves from the breakfast buffet at the hotel in Rennes in addition to fresh pears, local yogurt, butter, tea, and, of course, a baguette. Then, we hit the beach.
It may not have been warm enough to go swimming (even if Marie did take a dip anyway) but the views were no less beautiful in the autumn chill.
We walked and drove across the coast for quite a while. There was no reason to go back to the cottage! That is, until we got hungry...
Many of the local crêperies were closed for the holiday so we took matters into our own hands. We made a stop to the grocery store for the essentials: galettes (or buckwheat flour crêpes), country ham, emmental cheese, and fresh eggs.
I also insisted on spinach for some greenery. As it rained outside we each enjoyed two crêpes with the cider our host had so graciously provided us.
In other words, lunch was perfect. Stay tuned for oysters and day 3: more crêpes, a sunny market visit, and tea and cookies at Marie's great aunt's home!
