Three restaurants in Brittany...First up Avel Vor

To celebrate Alain's thirty something birthday, we reserved to table at L'Avel Vor in Port Louis.
We had heard mixed reviews about this place, hence us not eating there before now (we've been going to Brittany ever year for twelve years now.
The website probably sold me on trying this place out, so hats off to whoever did the job on it, because you (me at least) feel virtually immersed in the restaurant.
The compliments stop here...well nearly, maybe just one for the dessert.

Upon entering the restaurant we were fairly warmly greeted and shown to our table, which was placed next to a window, which good (there are some badly positioned tables, with little or no intimacy, fairly gloomy and noisy to add), then we mulled over the menu, knowing really that we'd already decided before hand. We chose the menu Terre et Mer at 63 euros and then waited.  
More people arrived, the restaurant was almost to full capacity and there were only two floor staff, and the chef's wife who wasn't very efficient.   Before even ordering (we were ready though) some amuse bouches were served, I thought this odd, but ate up. I racking my brains trying to remember what we actually ate, but nothing springs to mind, so nothing exceptional, just ok.
Still no-one came to take our order, making us feel slightly uncomfortable, we finished by having to ask by form of gestures (this is a one star michelin restaurant, service should be important),    
Eventually, after our order was taken and wine chosen, the first course came quickly, which was Nage de lotte aux aromates et tomates, vinaigre de Xeres (Monfish with herbs, tomatoes and Xeres vinegar).  The fish was good (never had a bad experience when it comes to fish from this region of France), however the plate lacked something, maybe some more seasoning would have been good.
For our next service we had a filet of sole, stuffed with blue lobster  and a duxelle of mushrooms, it looked good, tasted ok, still missing that something special and the course was served a little too cold for my liking.
I knew when it came to the next course, pigeon with pan-fried foie gras and crispy potatoes, that I'd probably have issues with the pigeon, which turned out to be true, so I can't be objective about this one, because I just don't like pigeon, but Alain disliked it too and the way it was prepared.  
I did say earlier there weren't any more compliments to be given a part from the dessert and thanks to that, it saved our evening from being one huge gastronomic disappointment (that sounds harsh, but true).
We ate the most amazing, truly probably one of the best ever desserts served in a restaurant or anywhere else for that matter, that night, a delice  choco passion, sablé à la vanille de Madagascar (chocolate passion delice,  and a Madagascar vanilla sable.
It looked fantastic, tasted devine, just faultless, awesome chocolate, texture, taste, vanilla sable that just melted in my mouth....now just for that I'd go back there, right now, but just for dessert.  And, I'd do almost anything for a sable right now with my cup of tea, but I'll have to do with a chocolate tartine.

Brittany in a kayak and Port Louis

On a whim we bought a kayak, we always wanted one when we lived in Sanary but never got round to actually buying one. The first day we went across to Port Louis for a picnic, we had the whole beach to ourselves which was great.

On the subject of Port Louis, a little seaside town I love, I was disappointed to see that our favourite bookshop there is closing down. We always buy books from this place and it's sad to know it will not be there, next time we go.

Something new to see in Port Louis. Elephants. There are lots dotted around the town, but I just got a shot of these two.

Brittany on the beach

Alexis and Marie-Kate love spending time on the beach and they are lucky enough to have grand-parents who live within 50 meters from one, so they spend a lot of time there.

After the first week, we joined the children and eventually made an appearance the day before coming home

Kinder liked it most when the tide was low.

Back from Brittany and shopping

After rainy weekend in Brittany, lots of walks on the beach, good food and wine and even a yummy mini kouign-aman, we're back home.

Yesterday we popped to the Conran shop and I finally got to see the Mathieu Challières lamp I been wanting but glad I saw it before I bought it, as although it was very beautiful and dreamingly poetic , I just prefered his ceiling lights more...problem is, down stairs we have only one place to hang one and it just wouldn't work there.

Good news is, while looking for a photo of the original table lamp to put on the blog, I came across Mathieu C's site and there is a smaller table model that I just love (shade/cage is higher which is what I wanted). I just need to find where to buy one now!

A couple of streets down we went to get more paint samples and buy the paint we had decided on for the sitting/tv/family room and for the entrance.

In the entrance we've gone for Elephant's Breath (looks better in reality).

And I'm going to do a tester first, but I really like to paint the ceiling cornices in Charlotte's Locks

Charlotte's Locks (number 1)

For the family room, we're painting it in Mizzle, I did originally plan on Pigeon, but I found it to be a little bit too intense for this room (45m2)...I really have to find a room for this colour though, because it's one of my favourites.

Finally, going back to our visit to Conran, I got to sit on a lovely Eames lounge chair (always wanted one of these), and even Alain who had a preference for an Corbusier LC4 is smitten too!

My birthday's in May....

School's out

Yippee, tomorrow is the last day of school before the long summer break. Our two terrible teenagers are flying "alone" to Brittany tomorrow to stay with the grand-parents for a couple of weeks, while we drive up to Calais and the Euro Tunnel to spend one week camping " à la ferme" on the Surrey/Sussex border. Camping without electricity was just too difficult of O and C to comtemplate, hence their trip to Brittany.

Gaby, Alexis and Marie Kate will be able to enjoy a real (organic) working farm, fetching fresh eggs each morning, reading, dreaming and playing, what bliss.

We don't even have to shop, the farm has a "honesty shop" where we can stock up on organic sausages, eggs, milk, juice....et cetera, the list is long.

On the way back, we'll go to Brittany and pick up Oliver and Charlotte and spend perhaps another week there.


Marie-Kate on the local beach (2007) just 50 metres from home in Brittany.