Lazy Rainy Days then Port-Bail-de-Mer

So Saturday and Sunday were rainy and aside from a walk down into the village to look at the marina, we lazed around the cottage, read books, watched the bad news from the US with dread and weird fascination, ate good food and generally enjoyed the quiet.
By Monday, the day of the equinox that ushers in the shorter days here (but the longer days at home - yay summer is on its way!), we were ready to go out into the world again. We had decided that we would visit Port-Bail-de-Mer.

This little town was a trading port in the Gallo-Roman and early Christian era, then a Viking incursion happened and they quickly acculturated. We visited two of the town’s churches and the “pool baptistery” which dated from the Gallo-Roman era and is now housed in its own little building behind the Marie (town hall). It is the only baptistery of hexagonal form existing today along the Loire, and is made of materials of the Gallo-Roman era. It was interesting to read that in the early Roman period and early Middle Ages christenings were only performed on adults. Flowing water was recommended and the design of the baptistery created that effect.
Interesting too that the baptistery is built on the site of an earlier pagan temple of the Celtic tradition called a “fanum”. History is unavoidable here.

Which brings me to World War Two. This little town was included in the planning for D-Day landings and during the aerial bombings, 2/3rds of it was destroyed in June 1944. Only one house in the Main Street survived called Villa des Jasmins. On Remembrance Day 1948, the town was awarded the French Cross of War with Bronze Star.

We had snacks on the waterfront including the sweetest mandarin I’ve had for a long time. Indeed the fruit here is lovely and in this agricultural area at least, we have witnessed laden apple and pear trees on ostensibly public lands dropping their fruit for anyone. The land here is fruitful in the truest sense!Baca lagi