Final menu choice yet to be decided - 
but in the meantime ...........

To all our readers ...........

So Christmas Eve dinner menu 

ideas so far ……….

Entrée:

Seared Scallops with Parmesan & Rocket Risotto and Parmesan crisp

Marinated Duck Breast with a warm salad of Puy Lentils and Bacon

Onion, Shallot and Sage Tarte Tatin

Classic Freshly Opened Cancale Oysters with Shallot Vinegar (oh and maybe a sliver of Sizzling Chorizo)

Plat:

Beef Wellington with Celeriac Mash and Sugar Roasted Carrots

Caramelised Baked Gammon with Dauphinois Potatoes and Garlic Haricots Vert

Apple & Garlic stuffed Loin of Sanglier (Wild Boar) with Sage & Onion Mash and Roasted Roots

Classic Game Pie with a Flaky Crust sautéed Cabbage with Bacon and Onions

Dessert:

Sticky Toffee Pudding with Pecan Toffee Sauce

Chocolate & Hazelnut Roulade with Cinnamon Cream

Spiced Poached Pears

Cranberry & Orange Tart with Lemon Ice Cream

Of course there will be a suitable amuse bouche, possibly a sorbet and certainly cheese and we can only choose one for each course obviously (shame) but what do you think so far ……..?

Anyone care to vote???

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas ......

While Amy Winehouses’ ‘they tried to make me go to rehab’ and Adeles’ ‘someone like you’ aren't immediately thought of as jolly ‘Christmas Music’ they do feature heavily in the selection of festive tracks which are piped gently through the increasingly busy shopping streets here in St Malo. 

It’s eclectic to be sure but …how we love Christmas here ………..

The Christmas lights were turned on last week (yes, just last week and not in October as is so often the case in the UK), the small wooden huts are arriving en mass to create the pretty Christmas village market and the seasonal beverage of choice ‘Vin Chaud’ is now readily available for consumption almost everywhere you look!

Every evening at 6pm throughout December, excited children gather with their parents at a pre-determined window location within the walls to hear the voice of ‘Pere Noel’, to listen to a suitably festive story (usually concerning pirates – it is St Malo after all!) and to collect a small token gift that is provided by the town.  This wonderful little local tradition of ‘les fenetres d’advent’ – ‘the windows of advent’ only serves to heighten the children’s’ excitement at the arrival of Christmas and provide the adults with a suitably festive reason for additional socialising (not that they need one!).

And of course Christmas food …… but what to cook?  France is awash with excellent food as we all know (that’s one of the main reasons we are here) but with no really set traditional dish for Christmas, so it’s ‘carte blanche’ as they say.  We are hosting good friends and family chez nous for ‘le reveillion de Noel’ or ‘Christmas Eve, the very traditional main event for the French and there is much discussion and debate on menu selections …………

…….. any suggestions from anyone???

Public Holidays in France

The main difference between British/American and French public holidays is that while most of the British/American holidays are pushed around each year to fall on a Friday or Monday, most French holidays are on fixed dates.

Bank holidays are usually taken on the day on which they fall. However, if a bank holiday is on a Sunday, the Monday afterwards will often be considered a work-free day, instead so it's worth checking if you're making a special trip.  It takes a bit of getting used to and they can catch you unawares especially when they fall in the middle of the week in May (because there are four!)

When a holiday falls on a Thursday or Tuesday, a large percentage of the working French take the extra day off work to have a long weekend. This is referred to in French as faire le pont (literally 'make the bridge' from the week day to the weekend).

Be warned however - holidays in France are adhered to strictly, which means in certain places you may find it difficult to find a supermarket, pharmacy or baker open on such a day.

French public holidays:

2012                      

Dec 25   Christmas Day (Noël)     Tuesday

2013                      

Jan 1      New Year's Day (Jour de l’An)                    Tuesday

Apr 1     Easter Monday (Lundi de Pâques)              Monday

May 1    Labour Day (Fête du Travail)                       Wednesday

May 8    VE Day (Fête de la Libération)                    Wednesday

May 9    Ascension Day (Ascension)                         Thursday

May 19 Pentecost (Pentecôte)                                   Sunday

Jul 14     Bastille Day (Fête Nationale)                       Sunday

Aug 15  Assumption (Assomption)                            Thursday

Nov 1    All Saint's Day (Toussaint)                             Friday

Nov 11  Armistice Day (Fête de l’Armistice)               Monday

Dec 25   Christmas Day (Noël)                                  Wednesday

Always best to be prepared!!!

France consistently features as one of the top ten global property hotspots.

Despite the regular gloom about property, with dipping prices and slow markets it is sometimes important to remind ourselves of the price increases that have been achieved over periods longer than just 2 or 3 years ……

So perhaps it’s a good idea to take a look at how global property prices have fared over the last 10 years …

According to a survey carried out by AOL money and finance this month there is a distinct top ten list when it comes to global property hotspots - some surprises perhaps but pleasing to note for us that France is up there and has performed well in its usual consistent and secure fashion.

League Table Position:                                  %age Average Price Change

                                                                                In last 10 years:

India                                                                           284%

Russia                                                                       209%

South Africa                                                              161%

Lithuania                                                                    143%

Hong Kong                                                                125%

Bulgaria                                                                     106%

FRANCE                                                                     82%

New Zealand                                                               79%

Australia                                                                       76%

Norway                                                                         72%

The UK was recorded at 50% and came fairly low down in the rankings

France remains a safe bet and as it equally fares well in ‘best places to live’ surveys, a sound property buying decision both financially and for 

quality of life …..

We really like a challenge ......

We are always very excited about our property searches – but with this one we have been seriously challenged ….. and we love it!

Our client has a dream, it’s a very wonderful dream, a dream that revolves around an isolated house full of light and with direct access to a rugged beach right at the end of the garden ….. Very ‘French Lieutenants Woman’ we think.  Clearly houses like this are few and far between and once owned are fiercely protected and cherished – so it is going to be a tough one.  But as we said, we really like a challenge and as our lovely client is in no rush and happy to wait as long as it takes to find the right house we can thoroughly enjoy the search process.

We made a good start and found a property with an awesome location and fantastic 360◦ sea views – we knew the house probably wasn’t going to be right in terms of its size and accommodation so it wasn’t a serious contender but what a view ……..

Yes – this really is the view from the house - any other takers?????

French interiors – mirrors

We see so many different styles of property - from the ‘Hansel & Gretl’ style cottage to stylish Maison Bourgeoise town houses and just about everything in between.  Our clients have different dreams and different budgets so we have to root out the best for each of them in each category. 

Of course, as you can imagine, within this broad range of property styles we see a similar number of interior design styles – some are more to our taste than others and some are just horrors but clearly to vendors that is not the point and in many cases we have to convince our clients to have vision and to see beyond what is presented in front of them.  But within these different styles more often than not we will see a version of the ‘leaning mirror’!

A style we have championed for a long time, the 'lean against the wall' mirror is a great feature in traditional and modern French interior design. Large mirrors propped up nonchalantly against the wall to either reflect light back into the room or for a chance of a double take look at a beautiful object or view just look great.  Where did the idea come from we wonder? Did someone leave one up against a wall one day intending to hang it up later, but never quite getting round to it? Perhaps they kept moving it around the room trying to decide where to hang it but never quite made up their mind (doesn't that sound familiar!). Whatever the reason, it certainly works for a great design style.

Most square or oblong mirrors, of a reasonable size, can look very stylish with this laid-back treatment. Add a touch of glamour to a beautifully decorated French style bedroom with a carefully chosen mirror, thoughtfully placed to reflect not only the bed but the furniture and furnishings surrounding it. The whole ambience of the room can be captured in its reflection.

Some of the modern designed mirrors - especially those with glass or clear frames - look stunning if displayed in this way, as do silver, gold, white or black painted reproductions.

For a more traditional look, it is worth scouring the antique shops for a long mirror still showing the remains of old gilding or perhaps if you are lucky some original paint. Once you have brought it home, lean it against whichever wall takes your fancy.

Achievement and success ……

You know; as I sit on our balcony on a Sunday morning, looking out across the town, coffee in hand and with the bells of the cathedral ringing I couldn’t be happier.  Moving over to France is most definitely one of the best things we have done.  The pace of life, the community spirit, yes of course the food and wine and even the idiosyncrasies and anomalies of French life have given us a new perspective. 

We feel a real sense of achievement because we are making a life for ourselves here.  We are working and making a living enjoying what we do.  We are meeting some great people, making good friends and helping many of them achieve their dream of a life in France too. I really hope that this is a permanent move and that we continue to and further enjoy our ‘dream’.

Many people move to France, buy property and immerse themselves into the French way of life.  They enjoy the benefits of a more relaxed lifestyle and relish the experiences that daily life here offers, not to mention that community spirit and the wine!  But many reach a natural conclusion to their French adventure and decide to return home. There must be many reasons for that decision, as many as the number of people making the decision I am sure and everyone will have their own story to tell.  I only hope that no-one either saying goodbye to them or seeing them return think that they have ‘failed’.

To my mind it is the people who have dreams and never try to achieve them that ‘fail’ – making something happen is the real achievement and even if that something is a new and different life for a few years before going home then what an achievement and what success.  

Watching films in French

Watching films in French
Make language learning fun

Watching films in French is a great way to familiarise yourself with the language, wherever you are in the world. Settle down with a DVD at home and just allow the words to wash over you. This simple exercise will help your ear to 'tune in'.

But if after several attempts you are still struggling to keep up, then switch on the sub-titles and see if looking at the French words as they are spoken helps you to identify them. Failing that, watch the film with English sub-titles until you grow in confidence.

If you buy a French language film and want to watch it outside of France, it might be worth checking first to make sure that the disk will be compatible with your DVD player by referring to the DVD region code indicated on the box.

If you have the opportunity next time you are in France, why not go to the cinema? Over the course of a 90 minute listening exercise you'll have earned your popcorn! Below is a list of popular French films, give them a go:

The Fabulous Destiny of Amelie Poulain - who hasn't heard of this one?
OSS 117 - a James Bond style spy spoof
Bienvenue Chez les Ch'tis - a comedy about the North-South divide in France
La Vie en Rose - a film about Edith Piaf
Le Scaphandre et Le Papillon - Bauby can communicate only by blinking, award winning
Le Dîner de Cons - recently given a Hollywood makeover (Dinner for Schmucks)
Le Pari - two brothers-in-law vow to stop smoking, with hilarious consequences...
Delicatessen - one for Halloween, perhaps?
Taxi - a speeding taxi driver is forced to help the police catch criminals
Jules et Jim - a classic!
Ne le Dit à Personne - thriller based on a novel of the same name, with Kristin Scott Thomas

A snapshot of our Summer in Saint Malo!

A snapshot of our Summer in Saint Malo!

We are about to breathe a sigh of relief……….

…..because tomorrow is the last day of August.  A sigh of relief, not because we haven’t enjoyed the hectic hustle and bustle of St Malo, our beautiful home town, as it bulges with Summer tourists and second home owners but because we can get back to normality in terms of running our property finding business.

August is holiday time and over these wonderful 31 sunshine filled days it seems that the whole of France stops working.  Everyone needs a holiday there is no denying that but whole offices close, estate agents stop making viewing appointments, vendors cannot be contacted and Notaires stop preparing that all important paperwork. 

It has been frustrating to say the least and indeed many of our competitors give up and adopt an ‘if you can’t beat them attitude’.  But by stealing ourselves, having the necessary tenacity and pure ‘true grit’ we have aggressively battled on and with the help of some very helpful ‘non-French’ agents and Notaires negotiators we have achieved 6 full days of house viewings and had two accepted offers on properties for clients.

So bring on the autumn and what by all accounts seems likely to be a busy time for the property market here in Brittany.  Things are moving and realistic vendors who understand that we are definitely in the middle of a buyers’ market are selling well. 

There are definite bargains to be had – and who knows when it comes to August next year maybe it will be you enjoying the 31 sunshine filled days of August in your new home ………….

€85,000

€110,000

€169,000

€176,550

€96,500

A tearful moment ……..

We just had to share this little gem …….

We have spent the last couple of days showing a very excited client the houses that we’ve selected for her viewing shortlist.  We certainly think we hit the spot and one in particular has caught her eye but that is a story to be continued …………….

We’re not sure but could her loving the house have something to do this ….

On our second visit to the house and on entering the vendors daughter’s bedroom we find her and two young friends quietly (yes quietly!!!!!!) amusing themselves with a computer game. 

Harry Enfield's"Kevin"

Harry Enfield's"Kevin and Perry"

Whilst I suppose this is not an unusual sight in children’s bedrooms these days what was unusual (for us Brits at least) was the fact that immediately upon our entry the computer game was switched off, all three children jumped up,  gave a polite bow and kissed each of us once on the cheek as a welcome.

We were stunned to say the least and there was more than one tear brought to the eye…..

Vive la vie poli ………………….

Its a Dogs life!

With several current clients on the go at the moment we are spending alot of time out and about in our beautiful corner of France viewing potential ‘shortlistable’properties.  We just love doing this and what’s more we get to take our boy ‘Alfie’ on these trips with us.

Alfie Rock Pooling

Now this of course is a far cry from his experience of our previous existence when sadly he would spend most days ‘home alone’ while we were out at work (I hasten to add that the conveniently installed dog flap meant that those days were not spent cross legged!!!).  Of course, occasionally Alfie will see something that excites him too, the odd rabbit, a horse or two or even one or two of his Breton Spaniel cousins, but even on the ‘Alfie’ scale this weekend was exciting ……..

Spotted in a sleepy village (appropriately named Lassey) ……. ‘The Mystery Machine’, as featured on the boys favourite TV show Scooby Doo.  

Of course we had to stop – but oh no Scooby Doo – where are you ……….?  Alfie was gutted but was insistent on having his picture taken against the van …… ‘star struck’ he is not but he said he couldn’t wait to get home to tell his two closest friends – Monsieur  Bouba and the very chilled Yuton of course.

Monsieur  Bouba

Monsieur  Yuton

Trying to secure a French mortgage? Give yourself the best chance

Trying to secure a French mortgage?

Give yourself the best chance

Up until now, 2012 has certainly been an eventful year for the French economy. Banks have had to contend with the ongoing financial troubles affecting the eurozone, in addition to the uncertainty inevitably caused by the country’s own presidential elections.

Consequently, some mortgage applicants have found banks to be more cautious than usual with regards to lending for French property purchases. This results in refused applications and a lot of frustration for otherwise keen buyers.

Certain criteria must always be met in order for a buyer to qualify for a mortgage with a French lender. For example, when taking into account the future French mortgage payment, all contractual outgoings must not exceed one third of a borrower’s monthly income.

So, what steps can you take to give yourself the best possible chance of successfully obtaining a French mortgage?

The answer to this question largely rests in how you manage your bank accounts. As part of the application, all French lenders will ask to see three full months of statements for each account that you hold. They will want to see that you are in complete control of your finances, and that you are ideally adding to your savings on a monthly basis. Overdraft facilities are not commonplace in France, and banks will take a dim view of applicants who regularly dip into an overdraft or, worse still, who have exceeded an overdraft limit.

Credit card payments do not typically form the basis of the affordability calculations carried out by French lenders. You should, however, aim to reduce your credit card debt as much as possible before commencing the application. The ideal scenario for the lender is therefore that the buyer is not overly indebted already and, month after month, can be seen to put aside money. This creates the reassuring impression that there is space for another outgoing alongside the applicant’s existing commitments.

Lenders will almost always demand a 15% or 20% deposit for purchases financed by a mortgage, and buyers will also have to pay for the notary fees out of their own funds. In the current lending climate, credit departments are asking for evidence of savings over and above the bare minimum. This is essential in reassuring the lenders that you will be able to cope with the ongoing financial demands of maintaining a new property.

Some of you may also be fortunate enough to have access to donated funds for your purchase, be it from a family member or friend. Caution should again be advised in this scenario. More and more, the lenders will require the buyer to be contributing at least some of their own funds to the purchase. It is no longer the case that a complete absence of savings can be made up for by a sizable donation to the buyer’s benefit.

With regards to the property being purchased, the lenders will invariably carry out their own valuation to confirm that it is a sufficient security against which to guarantee the loan amount. It has become increasingly common for properties to be ‘down valued’ and for lenders to refuse the financing on these grounds. If you are taking out a mortgage for your purchase, it is best to avoid properties which are completely isolated in rural areas. Although these often represent the best bargains for your purchase, the lenders may worry that they will be difficult to sell on if they ever needed to be repossessed.

The most important thing to bear in mind is that all French mortgage banks employ very different criteria when it comes to assessing a mortgage application. Just because you are not able to secure a mortgage with one French lender, it doesn’t necessarily mean that will be the case across the board - shop around is always the best advice!

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Consideration for some of the practicalities of buying property in France……

It’s quite understandable that a great many people who are looking to buy a property in France, particularly if it is to be a vacation home, have had a dream for a long time and in many cases that dream consists of peace, tranquillity, isolation and as much land as their buying euros can get them.

‘We really want a place with land – we feel so hemmed in at home and have always wanted space – perhaps something with an orchard ………  We want to be able to get away to a place that’s quiet and not surrounded by other people – yes we really want to be right out in the country…….!’

We hear this from so many of the clients that we talk to and yes doesn’t it sound wonderful?  But we never want people to make a mistake.  Our job is to work with people to find a property that is a perfect gem for them and so we regularly challenge this dream.  We take our responsibility very seriously and try hard to pass on some of the practicalities of living with this dream and what it will actually mean to our clients.

If it’s right for you land is great and it brings with it some great opportunities.  Properties with large amounts of land are certainly readily available and compared to elsewhere still great value in France.  But if it’s a vacation home, who is going to maintain that land and who is going to keep that garden looking pristine for each time you visit.  It’s certainly possible to employ property and land management companies to do this for you but if you can’t run to that expense do you really want to be spending all of your vacation time, mowing, pruning, trimming, digging and in some cases harvesting orchard fruits in quantities that you probably can’t consume- It’s certainly worth consideration? Would a small manageable garden with a terrace allowing you to sit with a glass of something suitably chilled and enjoy the view be more appropriate and give you more of the lifestyle dream that you have.

Even if the property is for a permanent move – perhaps a retirement, is the land that is manageable now going to be as much of a pleasure in say 5 or 10 year’s time?

Similarly, solitude and isolation have a great attraction particularly if you are surrounded by neighbours at home but consider the practicality of the journey for fresh bread and croissants each morning or the forgotten bottle of milk?  If you can’t walk to even a basic shop do you really want to have to get into the car for these little daily tasks or emergencies?

If you don’t have easy access to a restaurant or a bar, do you really want to get into the car every time you fancy an evening out? And perhaps more importantly, does that mean that the second glass of wine with dinner would not be a good idea?  Again certainly worth serious consideration.

Of course in our job we understand that each client is different and in some cases the practicalities of living with the dream far outweigh any disadvantages but make sure that all the aspects of your new life are considered and whichever way you do decide to go we can certainly help you find the property of your dreams.

And as a PS and certainly an important property tip, just because it’s going to be a holiday home – don’t think that it’s a good place to ‘practice’ you DIY skills.  Even if you think you will never sell on your property, try to get work done to as high a specification as possible.  Buyers want the best value they can get and if work has been done, a finish that is as professional as it can be.  We have seen some DIY horrors in our time and advise our clients that unless they are well skilled and understand French structural nuances to leave work to the professionals either French artisans or expats who have been recommended.  Ensuite bathrooms created in corners of bedrooms from UPVC cladding – I don’t think so………. 

If you do need to do work and want to use French artisans, be prepared for the 4 or 5 different tradesmen it will take to complete a new bathroom for example.  If you can’t be there yourself to oversee the work, don’t just hand over the keys and expect completion – get someone to project manage on your behalf – there are companies out there that will do that for you….like us Brittany Gems

Saturday is a big day for us ………..Bastille Day!

Bastille Day, the French national holiday celebrated on July 14^th each year, celebrates the storming of ‘La Bastille’ prison by French peasants in 1789 and therefore the start of the French revolution.

While most people think the holiday commemorates just the storming of the Bastille, it actually also commemorates the Fête de la Fédération held on July 14, 1790 to celebrate its first anniversary. A huge national party, the Fête de la Fédération was held to celebrate the new post-revolution French state, and has come to be seen as a symbol of the birth of the nation of France.

The Bastille was a prison where people had been unfairly jailed by the King and famous for holding political prisoners and those whose writings displeased Louis 16th. Thus the Bastille had become a symbol of the unfair repression of the monarchy.

Somewhat ironically, in actuality there were only 7 inmates housed in the Bastille when it was stormed. Truth be told, the storming of the Bastille was more important as a symbolic act of rebellion than a practical act of defiance. Although it was certainly an important moment in the French Revolution and the history of France, the typical image of courageous French patriots storming the Bastille and freeing hundreds of oppressed peasants is not quite historically accurate.

Still, the whole day, its history and now the large national party that it has become, is extremely important to the people of France with fireworks being the highlight in most French towns.

To us this year it is equally as important as it will be the first ‘Bastille Day’ that we have spent in St Malo and therefore marks our own revolution and the rebirth of our life here in France.

Vive la France and Bonne quatorze Juillet!

Tall Ships and a Gallery Exhibition Opening:

The crowd control barriers are up, the flags are out and the whole of St Malo is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the tall ships on Thursday. 

This is a once every four year event and one which certainly draws the crowds – 150,000 visitors are expected on each of the four days.  There are lots of associated events taking place in and around the town with street parades, dancing and live music which will hopefully include the crews from the tall ships themselves.

Local artists are also taking full advantage of the event and in their varying styles they will be capturing the ships and the atmosphere as the event unfolds. 

Eric Duhan, a resident of St Malo for 30 years plus, specialises in watercolours and has just opened an exhibition in his ‘intra muros’ gallery to mark the arrival of the ships.  We were delighted to have been invited to the opening last Saturday evening and to see the work that he had already done.  The Tall Ships are well known to Eric and his gallery is now full of beautiful images of them.

Well worth a look to give yourselves a feeling of how the town will look and feel over the next few days.

I'm cured!!... I no longer miss Baked Beans or indeed UK supermarkets!

We have just returned from our weekly stroll from St Malo to St Servan market. Its a journey which is such a contrast to our old drive in the UK to any of the major supermarket chains. No congested roads or overly busy car parks, no mobs of frantic shoppers who wouldn't dare to make eye contact let along say "good day" and no supermarket specials that require a degree in Maths to understand if it's a genuine bargain or not, and that's if you have the time?

Why are UK supermarkets so busy and why are everyone's trolleys filled to the brim? How much is wasted? According to  Food Aware 18 million tonnes of edible food end up in landfill every year .

Life for us has changed.......and most definitely for the better!

Leaving our beautiful walled city (walking via the quay side in the bright warm sun shine admiring the first of the Tall Ships that have berthed in advance of the Tall Ships Race next week) 

we take a slight diversion across the Plage de bas Sablons "the beach of the low sand" and walk around the headland La Cite D'Alet to admire the stunning view of the Rance estuary and to collect wild herbs.

We arrive at the Food market and spend time perusing all the farm fresh produce before making a decision on what to cook for dinner. Today we visited our regular fruit and vegetable stall where we always get looked after, we bought a lettuce and were offered one free, a globe artichoke, head of garlic and some vine tomatoes.

A bunch of parsley and fresh thyme were added to our bag with a cheeky wink! This has to be better than any loyalty card!

So tonight's menu  will be:

Globe Artichoke served warm, dipped in a fresh Herb Vinaigrette

Pan-fried Breast of Duck with a Salad of Tomatoes and Sautéed Garlic Potatoes

Petit Pont L'Evêque avec du Pain

Homemade Apricot Ice Cream

Served with a bottle or two of Cote Du Rhone

All of this costing less than €15.00, beat that M&S!.... and I can guarantee no waste!...... Vive La France!    

What a weekend …Musicians and Artisits everywhere you look !

Today really needs to be a calm and work focussed day after what has been a fantastic weekend of cultural activity here in St Malo.  There is always something going on here in this little corner of Brittany to keep the tourists and locals occupied but this weekend we out did ourselves!

Activities for us started on Friday with a very early morning walk to the market in St Servan – we promise ourselves a luscious treat from the market every week and on this occasion it was the most beautiful ‘bavette’ (a rich red and surprisingly tender frying steak cut from what we would call the ‘skirt’) and an ample bunch of fresh shallots to make the traditional sauce accompaniment.

Back at the desks by 9.30am and a full day’s work!  We are currently working for a client who has been a little anxious about what her property budget will buy her – but on Friday we discovered some real corkers and we are already looking forward to viewing them and reporting back!

The ‘fete de musique’ is an annual event across France and in St Malo it takes the form of an evening of live music in all its forms with what seems to be every outside space taken up with stages, bands and individual musicians.  Intra Muros, there were 9 designated ‘en concert’ areas but many more ‘hot spots’ that played host to buskers, acapella singers and bagpipe players alike.  We were spoilt for choice – so with wine bottle and disposable glasses in hand we wandered around the town stopping to listen to what has to be some of the most exceptional talent from the local area.   Of course impromptu dancing was plentiful and we ended the evening along with many of these dancers at one of the unofficial concert areas listening to an excellent blues and jazz band that were never once put off by the myriad of cars and vans trying to pass by (well they were playing on one of the main street routes through the town!).

Saturday saw a rather more sedate event, ‘Solidor en Peinture’ an annual painting competition around the beautiful ‘Tour Solidor’. Open to professional, amateur and young painters of all styles the Kudos of winning one of the categories in this competition is great – not to mention the €1,000 first prize.  We strolled leisurely around the artists as they put paint to canvas and envied much of their talent.

Now never let it be said that we would decry anybody’s efforts and we understand completely that everyone’s taste in art is different but we did wonder as we gazed over the views that were in front of some of these artists what happens in the creative psyche to deliver the results that appear on their canvases.  ‘Vive la difference’ – we suppose!

The prize we agree though was justly deserved by the winner……..

Sunday was a gentle lunch ‘chez nous’ for our friends Neil, Jennifer and Bouba of course!  Paella, cheese and a scrumptious home-made fresh apricot ice-cream was served and enjoyed by all. 

During lunch there was talk of yet more events in the town that evening namely a beach bonfire to celebrate the feast of St Jean.  Apparently wood and other suitable burning materials were delivered to the beach but sadly the weather had other ideas and events were postponed due to rain!  Spirits were not dampened however and a suitably pleasant evening was spent in the local bar.  It wasn’t quite as dramatic as a raging bonfire but a glass was raised to the Saint!

On to the next pending activities, with next weekend the start of the week long ‘folklores du monde’ a celebration of global folklore and of course the eagerly awaited arrival of the tall ships.  Let’s hope the weather is kinder to sail and rigging than it was to poor old St Jean!

St Malo in pictures

This really does show off our home town of St Malo. 

What do you think?

I want to live here!