Its tradition in Vendee that one night in the summer everybody gets together and has a picnic on the beach to watch the sunset. I was lucky enough to be around for this, and it really was a truly magical experience. You couldn't get much closer to nature than this if you tried, and it was so nice to be able to just sit back and take it all in.
I was actually surprised by how many people there were. They just kept coming and coming, not to mention the fact that all of these people knew each other! Everybody was so friendly, and the greetings (the classic French kiss on each cheek) never seemed to end!
We were pretty pushed for time beforehand so we just made up sandwiches(Pate and Cornichons was the obvious choice, grabbed a few bags of crisps and a bottle of red wine and headed for the beach.
Two little sandwich lovers.
After eating all of the boys headed off to play rugby. There was a good mix of English and French, many of which couldn't even utter a word of the others language. I have always found it so touching how sport connects people. It just shows how language is really only a barrier if you let it become one.
This left me and Em to have a good old gossip whilst enjoying the last of the evenings sun.
This left me and Em to have a good old gossip whilst enjoying the last of the evenings sun.
We took a look around and realised that there were four generations all mingling,
chattering and laughing away together, right from elderly grandparents
down to teenie tiny tots. Family is so important in France, and I think that everybody could do with taking a leaf out of their book.
Em and her mama
As the sun continued to set it started to get a little chilly so we packed up and decided to head home. I couldn't have picked a more picturesque dinner spot, and its certainly something I'll remember for years to come. My time in France went ridiculously fast, and after this I only had one day left... but theres more on that to come...
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