Roundabouts, Rabbits, and Recharging

Well, it wasn't easy, but we've made it to the coast of Brittany. Here is the current count: 142 roundabouts (plus 3 we had to traverse through AGAIN), 12 roadside rabbits (alive), and about 10% recharged. Please remind me to never, ever, never, ever, never again enter a foreign city after 12+ hours of travel, jet-lagged, with my mother, and rent a car to drive a mere hour...which turned into over 3 simply because one (being myself) cannot navigate with only 3 hours of sleep. Hm, that roughly translates into one hour lost sleep into one hour extra driving time. We did eventually arrive at our first place of rest: charming B&B run by a couple with the surname of Knitter. They also had an adorable daughter and an even more adorable kitten. We slept for a couple of hours before heading out to dinner at a nearby restaurant, Le Vol au Vent. We were the only people in the place, because dinner doesn't really get going until 8pm, and it was only 7:30pm. All in all, it was delicious. Imagine as a first course a plate of pink salmon marinated to perfection in a lime/lemon sauce. Yes, that was heaven, and what followed must have been St. Peter's own dinner.

Today, driving was much more successful. I don't think we had to turn around once...no wait, we did once, but that is only because, ahem, the driver did not wait for the navigator's (me) instructions. We stopped in Beaumesnil to take in some lovely gardens surrounding a chateau, then Fougeres to conquer a caste and learn the history behind the Bretagne Independence, and then finally to repose in our own Breton cottage only a short promenade to the sea. In face, from our bedroom window, I can see the sea setting over the Channel. I am happy as an oyster...the very one that I plan to eat tomorrow. The couple who run this "gites" or place to rent is incredibly friendly seeing that we showed up on their doorstep at 9pm and have set up a restaurant lesson in Breton cooking, plus Jo, the husband, offered to show us how to make crepes. I already know the polisinki way (Polish), but I know nothing of the fancy pants French way. 

It is time to rest my head and recover from jet-lag some more, but I leave you with another count: 2 fox roadkills (you never see that in Oregon, now do you?), 1 church bell tower ringing after mass, 3 near-misses, and 1 cream-soaked lunch.