This past weekend, I spent my days in Nantes. This charming city is located on the West side of France. My boyfriend and I went to visit his family there, and it provided a great opportunity for me to see more of France!
Only a two hour train ride from Paris, we set out Thursday evening for our long weekend. Our days were filled with lots of sightseeing and TONS of food! After arriving Thursday night, and enjoying a great dinner we set out for the downtown area to have some drinks. We ended up in a bar right on the water enjoying some fruity liquids.
Friday morning, we drove about 45 minutes west to the seaside to a place called Le Pouiguen. On the way there, we saw areas where they collect the salt from water and sell it for bath salts etc. The earth is dug out into these square areas, and as the water dries up, the salt is gathered.
Once we arrived, it was nice to walk around in the sunshine, and see the sea. We went to a little creperie on the waters edge, and had crepes for lunch followed by gelato. This is were I learned the difference between Galettes and Crepes! A Galette is for savoury fillings such as cheese. You eat these first, then crepes come next filled with something sweet like chocolate. Cider is also popular to drink with crepes, and it was delicious!
After enjoying our delicious french foods, we went to La Baule and enjoyed the beach. I dipped my foot in the water and waved to Canada across the sea.
The streets in this area are filled with quaint little houses wrapped in purple flowering wisteria. Flowering trees line the streets, and old brick walls act as fences around the houses. Traditional french houses in this region are known for having blue shutters with white concrete walls. Some of the area that we drove past were just like looking at a postcard.
The next day, we spent shopping ate more delicious galettes and crepes again! We spent time with my boyfriend's family and enjoyed some nice relaxing time.
Sunday was our last day, so we had a nice lunch with his family. In France, it is tradition to have apertifs and drinks before the meal. We sat and ate salty types of crackers, nuts and other snacks while drinking Champagne! At the lunch table we had white wine, and salad with fresh veggies and cheese, and ratatouille. Then came the cheese and red wine, then dessert. Dessert was 9 different little cakes from the local patisserie that you could choose from! French lunch is VERY different than lunch in Canada! I will take a french lunch anytime!!
This weekend was a great experience to stay with a French family, and practice my french language skills. I had a wonderful time, and hope to visit again soon!
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