Sunday, January 09, 2011

Erquy, out of season.




These are from nearly a month ago now, from a visit we made to Erquy for Sunday lunch on my birthday. I've only just got around to sorting them out, but thought that they were worth putting up, better late than never.


Le Vivier is open, the sign proclaimed, and the terrace is heated.  The terrace, under the closed in awning, where we had spent pleasant evenings in balmy late sunshine or in the racket of summer rainstorms,  was not in fact heated or prepared for visitors; the tanks which give it its name were empty of water and crustaceans, the Alsace Tokay which was chalked up on the blackboard on the terrace was no longer in store.  But no matter, inside was warm and friendly, and we ate oysters and smoked salmon and red mullet and sea bass, and kouign amman and a heavenly chocolate tart with orange. I can't remember what we drank but it went down fine, perhaps it was just the house white which is always uncommonly good there for an inexpensive pichet.

It was all much too good and absorbing to think about photographing it, or not until the coffee anyway.



After, when we came out, the sun had come out on what had started off a foggy dull day, so we wandered off along the quay, to nod to some of the inhabitants, 


some of whom were feeling rather shy,


 and to look at shapes and colours,








and the tide going out, and the sun on the wet sand and water.






And then we went home.  It was smashing.


9 comments:

marja-leena said...

Lovely record of a special day, I particularly like the wet sand ones. Belated happy birthday wishes, Lucy!

HLiza said...

I love seeing your world through your eyes and words..invigorating!

Catalyst said...

But no photo of the birthday girl! For shame, Lucy, or for shyness.

Rouchswalwe said...

The phrase "it was smashing" is one of my favourites. I say it around here now and again because I love the looks I get. Your birthday-day sounds and looks like a slice of birthday cake baked just right and served with all of the colours of happiness. The last photo of Tom and Mol made me smile.

Roderick Robinson said...

The name Erquy is wriggling round my noggin like a maggot; such a memorable name (so short too) that I feel I must have been there and yet I can't ever remember being in that part of Brittany, other than when we drove from Calais to Perros Guirec where we shared a villa with Plutarch. And that meal - so grown-up my dear. Just the thing for an individual as opposed to a communal celebration. The year before last we felt so snobbily self-indulgent when we had Dover sole for Christmas dinner.

I sympathise about the lack of photos of the meal itself. During my six-month stint as restaurant critic for Theatregoer, the business of recording nutritional detail together with gustatory impressions greatly interfered with any enjoyment the meals might have offered. Better that the whole experience becomes one blurry memory. Even if blurry memories are hard to sell.

Nimble said...

A good day! I like the collection and the one of houses seen over low tide is my favorite.

YourFireAnt said...

Great photos, Lucy. I especially love that one with the chain and the ring. on the pier.

Dick said...

Yes, that chain photo in particular. Late happy birthday!

20th Century Woman said...

That georgeous cup of coffee really speaks about the wonderful meal.

Love the photos of the walk after. What a wonderful celebration of a birthday.