il de re

friday, july 26th

a new day.  a new beach.
after a lazy start to the day, we hit the pool for a mid-morning swim & wake up call.  a quick stop for lunch items to go - greek salad, baguettes + water - we traveled to the neighboring "la bois plage" (forrest beach).  

a short walk through a so-called forrest (small shrub like trees) we landed on a large and beautiful beach.  huge stretches of sand and very few rocks and seaweed meant this was a beach for typical beach play & swim.  it was much more crowded than the small stone filled beach of saint marina de re but we enjoyed it more.  for better or worse, the speedo and topless sunbathing is becoming a thing of the past.  most europeans now wear the american board shorts and bikinis.  emily, however, did spot likely the most unflattering display of toplessness on the beach.  i vow to never embarrass my grandchildren like that. :)

the sun was hot and we needed a bit of shade.  since there wasn't a nearby "tabac" or shop to purchase an umbrella, ingenuity and creativity saved us.  emily, harry and i made a shade fort using my long cotton sarong, 3 sticks from "la bois" and a few scrounged rocks.  though it looked a little survivor-esque, it served its purpose beautifully.

charlotte took photographs, emily and bakes played paddle ball, and harry and i splashed in the water and collected shells.  

4:15pm - "way past" gouter (goo-tay) or the common 4pm snack time for french kids, we drove a short distance to saint-martin de re, the largest town on il de re, for ice cream.  

since our kids are obsessed with sweets, they have quickly adopted a keen sense for time - counting down the hours of each day until 4pm / aka ice cream time.  like many things french, i find this snacking strategy brilliant.  the one sweet a day, at a certain time of day, means that they know they will get something and we know they won't keep asking over and over again for sweets throughout the day...at least that is the goal.  

with ice cream in hand, we walked around the crescent shaped harbor along its stone paved streets lined with beautiful (and expensive) boutiques and of course a serious cafe seen.  it never ceases to amaze me.  vacation town or not, french people are always taking time out of the day and truly enjoying a meal and likely a glass of wine.  

evening snuck up quickly.  a quick afternoon pool swim and shower at our hotel, we were ready for the 5 minute walk to the town square.  like every night, the 2 restaurants of saint marie de re, had set up their beautiful tables, umbrellas and chairs.  its simple and beautiful.  i wish this same magic wand would create this scene nightly in my home. perhaps another french trend i will bring me? 

another delicious long dinner with wine.  this time the kids found a new friend, emma.  she is from brussels.  her mother the french side, her father the dutch.  she spoke as much english as our children french but of course the international language and desire of play outweighed any awkwardness.  games of tag, shared carousel rides and the canard (duck) game on the square meant we adults could really sit back and enjoy dinner, wine and company.