In the streets of Nantes, my man makes quite an impression with his red shorts, his t-shirt with a large fleur de lis, his cap backwards, his camera and his big backpack... a number of people make a double take. He really gives quite a show. See Françoise's blog. Notice how subtly she calls us old (the store's sigh behind us reads ANTIQUES.) Never mind, our revenge will be terrible.
My photographers are having a field day. I know, I wrote about that yesterday, but it has not changed. We are at Cathédrale Saint-Pierre and I think I could write a novel, or at least a chapter, without them realizing it.
As for me, I confess that this cathedral does not "speak" to me like Chartres.
We walk along the streets.
We are in the old city and some stores offer dresses, meals etc… in the medieval style. For example, this florist is showing medieval roses.
We spent a long time at the Cathedral and then on the streets. So we're now hungry. We eat on the terrace of Crêperie du Château (Castle Crepe restaurant). Roger and I are having a galette, a savory kind of crepe, and it's called the Meurtrière (Killer, I kid you not): Emmental, curé nantais (that's another kind of cheese), apple and chocolate. The melted chocolate glazes the crepe, like a coulis. It's different, I had never eaten anything like that, and it's delicious. Françoise ordered a Comtesse (Countess): curé nantais cheese again and caramelized apples. With a bowl of cider, $37, really not all that expensive.
Resuming the walk. My photographers get caught in the old stones while I get caught in design stores. Elizabeth, those long thin stems, in the front, what are candles, with very elegant candle holders. The store is called L'Autre Lumière (A Different Light) and it sells a lot of lamps and lighting devices, as well as high-end decor items. Ah, to be filthy rich ...
I only stopped to take a picture of the sign to show the store's name: Culinary Compulsive Disorder but He-who-doesn't-do-shops actually walks right into the store. Will wonders never cease!
And the name of the store makes sense. There really is enough stuff in there to make the more moderate cook (me, for instance) go crazy. Fine knives, tongs, whisks, utensils and presses for all sorts of stuff. Pots. Very beautiful pans, not heavy. Roger admires a KitchenAid mixer at €700 ($975), Made In USA if you please. Really strong and powerful. Françoise said, "Don't you recognize it? That's what I have next to my fridge. It is a gift, you know!" She also has very interesting accessories, a meat grinder, a pasta machine, a knife for raw vegetables. How I admire people who make fresh pasta from scratch! That's not me.
Here's an astonishing variety of tomato coeur de boeuf (beefsteak tomato). I put a glass in the picture to show the tomato's size.
Oh, my, now THAT'S a shopping center! Passage Pommeraye. There's an Hermès store, also some lower-cost boutiques.
Just like Paris, Nantes will offer some amazing sight just round the corner. Here's the église Sainte-Croix (Holy Cross Church) .
We go back. Traffic in Nantes, at half past three, is almost like rush hour in any big city, slow and heavy. With a sick feeling, I tell myself that I will have to be able to do that in Rocamadour, or Albi and Carcassonne. And the mere thought of driving in Marseille makes me shaky.
Françoise's car is still not ready and her bill keeps getting higher. It started with sparkplugs and they're now making noise about getting a new alternator. Roger is suspicious but Françoise says she knows the mechanics.
Weather: This morning was gray and rather cool, Francoise and I put on a light sweater, but this afternoon, the sun came out and the weather was really nice and warm.
We're taking things easy tonight. Françoise steamed some codfish, vegetables and rice and added some curried crème fraîche. And we had baked apples for dessert. Don't you wish you were here?
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