Jolly Boating Weather

1.6.17: Boating through Green Venice

Started the day with a good buffet breakfast and then we loaded our cases and ourselves back on the bus for a trip to the Marais Poitevin also known as the "Green Venice" which consists of a large area near the sea called the "dry marsh" (or "dried marsh"), used for farming and breeding, and a smaller area to the east called the "wet marsh", a maze of islets criss-crossed by picturesque canals. It's also the main area of angelica cultivation in France. I had thought that a trip for 1h30 in a boat where I'd be sitting so close to the water would not be much of a pleasure; how wrong was I! It was lovely and tranquil, birds were singing and the guide-cum-boatman who punted us along was interesting to listen to. At one point he agitated the water and set fire to it. No, it wasn't wizardry but a pocket of methane gas. It's not just tourists who are transported; livestock is often moved by boat too! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marais_Poitevin
Safely back on dry land, we took a short walk into the village of Coulon, https://www.tripadvisor.fr/Restaurant_Review-g1490900-d1493411-Reviews-La_Passerelle Coulon_Deux_Sevres_Nouvelle_Aquitaine.html
Hugging the shade as we went, we were pleased to find  "La Passerelle, our lunch stop where traditional dishes were on the menu. http://www.restaurantscoulon.com/
From here there was a drive of over 5 hours until we arrived at our destination in Normandy for the start of the twinning visit. There was much hugging, kissing and chatter over an apéritif before we could finally get off to our respective accommodation. André, Nany and I were billeted on Agnes with whom Christian and I had already stayed. She in her turn has stayed with us a couple of times. Bruno and Christine joined us for dinner so it was after midnight before we got to bed.
Weather:
Sunshine