Sun 1 Aug 2004
La Baule, Batz-sur-mer and Guérande
Posted by Sandi Atherton under France
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Ken decided that it was high time we did something fun for the kids. (Or maybe it was just that he was tired of hearing them constantly ask to go to the beach.) So we set off on Saturday for a day of fun in the sun.
The kids jumped right in and had a blast from the moment their first toe hit the sand. Ken and I did not even bother bringing our swimsuits because we both really do not like swimming in the ocean. (which does not explain why I have this desire to spend a week this Christmas on a beach somewhere.) Sadie was not at all afraid of the water like her sisters were in Italy. She walked right up to the water and even with the tide coming in and the water rising higher, she never budged. We arrived as the tide was rising and kept having to move our belongings further and further up the beach as it drew closer. Ken and I had a good time talking, watching the kids, and checking out the scenery.
Ken enjoyed the latter most as this was apparently a topless beach. Many women chose to take this opportunity for no tan lines on their top halves. (Sorry, but we are not supplying a picture of this.) He was however, most impressed with the idea that we could hop in the car and be at a beach within an hour and half. (45 minutes if we headed north to the beach). He has never lived close to a beach and was always subjected to 12hour drives before hitting the sand.
After 2 long, sweltering, sticky salt and sand drenched, painful hours baking in the sun, though, Ken and I called it quits. We had enough and were ready to get into the sweet relief of the air conditioned car.
I wanted to head in the direction of the salt fields. They was a small blurb about them in the guide book and I thought they looked interesting and educational. It is one of those questions I had never asked myself. You know, the ones where you are blind sided by your child coming to you and asking where peanuts come from. In that moment you realize in your 30 years of life on this earth, you have absolutely NO CLUE where peanuts come from or how they grow. So you must go research peanuts for the next 3 hours. (BTW: peanuts grown in the ground like potatoes.)
I digress. The kids fell asleep within minutes so Ken and I used this opportunity to explore the countryside and all its small towns. We first drove to the town of Guérande which is a beautiful walled city. We decided to come back and explore it when the kids woke.
Our next goal was to see the salt fields. We drove past fields after fields of them. They were very interesting to see. In the distance Ken saw a church tower that intrigued him. He just had to hunt it down and see it up close and personal. It led us to the small village of Batz-sur-mer. This was one very quaint village set on the combination of beach and cliffs. A sea side resort perfect for owning a bed & breakfast in. We were only there long enough to pick up bread for the kids to snack on and to purchase a postcard but, I am putting it on my list of places to return to.
Finally, we stopped at the salt fields. We stopped at one of the larger road side stands harvesting and selling salt. We took a few minutes to watch the activity and explain it to the kids. (so now when they are asked where does salt come from, they will have the answer. Assuming they really cared enough to listen to us talk.)
Do you know where salt comes from? It can be mined from mountains and we saw evidence of this when we visited Halstatt, Austria. This process is a bit different however. There are small, shallow, square pans formed by raised walkways. The sea water flows into the pans by a network of channels. Natural evaporation by sun and wind cause the formation of crystals. It is then collected by hand, using an old fashioned rake. We watched as they would push the sea water out with the rake and scoop the salt crystals that had formed. It is quite an art form and has been done in this same fashion for 1,600 years. Techniques are passed down to younger generations and are now producing some of the best salt in the world, all from the waters of the Atlantic. (Or so they say.)
We spent the remainder of the day strolling and shopping in the streets of Guérande. The city wall and gates was impressive and the inside was no dissapointment either. The streets were tiny and every corner housed an outdoor cafe. Shop after shop sold the salt and all its accessories as well as any sea side decorations you could want. There were decorative boats and life rings everywhere. Even though we were enjoying our day, we were beat and dehydrated. I wanted to get home in time to get the pounds of sand out of the kids’ hair and give them a bath.
It was a great day and for a bonus, icing on the cake, cherry on top, I got this picture:
