04 March 2021

La Cotinière — details

Boats in the harbor, signs, things to do and places to eat and sleep... I really need to go back to La Cotinière when the fishermen are not on strike. For the first 15 years we lived here in Saint-Aignan, there was a Marennes-Oléron fishmonger who came to our Saturday morning market and set up a very big stand where you could admire and buy all the seafood you could imagine. Unfortunately, the couple that ran the business retired, and nobody from the Marennes-Oléron area stepped in to replace them. We miss their displays, the variety, and the quality of the seafood they brought to our town every weekend.







20 comments:

  1. All this is very colorful. I crave oysters!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Moi aussi, mais je me méfie maintenant. Malheureusement....

      Delete
    2. The next time we’re both in Paris, chm, let’s have an oyster dinner together.

      Delete
    3. For a good discussion of the oyster business, as well as an enjoyable mystery, see Missing Corpse; a Brittany Mystery by Jean-Luc Bannalec.

      Delete
    4. BettyAnn, it's a deal, but I might not be back in Paris, ever!

      Delete
    5. Yes, yes, I agree completely with you, Bob Rossi! Jean-Luc Bannalec really puts me in the scene with his vivid descriptions and thoughts! I've read all of his books so far! Did you get into Martin Walker's series,yet? About the Dordogne and Officer Bruno? Also fun to read about France when we're 'stuck' here at home!

      Delete
    6. Yes, Mary, I have read a number of Martin Walker's Bruno books. However, I stopped a few years ago. There was something about them that started to irritate me. But I have really liked Bannalec so far.

      Delete
    7. A friend in California just sent me a book by a woman named Susie Kelly called Best Foot Forward, about a 500 mile walk across central France. Have either of you read any of Kelly's books. She seems to have written quite a few.

      Delete
    8. No, Ken, I haven't read that, but I think I might have read another of her books about travel or living in France.

      Delete
    9. No, Ken, I hadn't come across her name or the title until now. I will check and if it is available I will eagerly read it. I've met or talked to several people who have followed the route to Spain from France and others who are personal friends here who have biked all over France. Biking in France is in my future - I hope! Thanks for suggesting Susie Kelly!


      Delete
  2. Beautiful colors! What a shame that there is no longer anyone coming from Ile d'Oléron to your market.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've always been impressed with the distribution of seafood in France and the quality, especially at the weekly markets. I was reminded of that one day many years ago when we were spending a night in Sete. In late afternoon we were walking around the port, and walked by the wholesale fish market. There were loads of little trucks being loaded with seafood for distribution all over that part of France.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Really enjoying all these colorful pictures and commentary. I love anything to do with boats and, of course, seafood.

    ReplyDelete
  5. You got me when you said "in our first fifteen years". How does time fly like that! I hope you will return to Marennes-Oléron in your next fifteen years. I've really enjoyed seeing these seaside photos.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your comment yesterday on tides prompted me to look up the tide tables for the Ile. Highest today is 5.21 meters, lowest is 1.76 meters. Which makes sense, because they're on about the same latitude as northern New Brunswick or southern Newfoundland.

    ReplyDelete
  7. sorry, meant Nova Scotia, not New Brunswick.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's what I had seen. The difference between low tide and high tide is nearly 3.5 meters, and that's between 11 and 12 feet. The highest and lowest tides are predicted for the spring equinox, in about two weeks.

      Delete
    2. New Brunswick is a place I would really like to see one day, along with the Gaspe peninsula. Walt and I have talked about going there for years, but I don't know if we'll ever go.

      Delete
  8. If you do go to the Gaspé, go in spring or summer. Just saying. You could see Quebec City, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. With Walt being from Albany, I know about the winters up there. And I've been to Montreal and Quebec city two or three times. I've also been to Chicoutimi and other places way north like that. Just not to Maritimes or the coast up there.

      Delete

What's on your mind? Qu'avez-vous à me dire ?