SAINTES
THE ARC DE GERMANICUS
I’d made a few notes, but in the end we lazily made for the Arc de Germanicus, which we knew had been moved from its original site, where it had proved a blockage to traffic. It now occupies a large circular space close to the river.
Germanicus had been the nephew of the Emperor Tiberius, and the arch was erected to mark the monumental entrance to Gaul -Aquitaine – the ‘Mediolanum’, and the completion of the crossroads of Gaul, the ‘Via Agrippa’.
WE NEGLECT THE ROMAN STADIUM
Having in our travels in Europe (especially Italy) visited so many Roman stadia and amphitheatres, we decided it was just too hot to trail through the streets to find yet another one. So we just generally pottered around this attractive old town of white stone houses built mainly in the 17th century to the 19th, but left before it was time to eat dinner at any of the attractive restaurants.
TAKE ANY ROAD…
We cruised around the area, keeping an eye open for a likely place, but what we eventually found were some umbrella-shaded tables overlooking the river –overspill from a large hotel just over the road.
MUSIC AND COCKTAILS:
There was music, and a band about to start up, and people were sipping cocktails. Now I have had very, very few cocktails in my long life, and I suddenly decided I’d like to try one. We spent a good hour relaxing while the sun went down; then made our way back to Taillebourg, meaning to try the better-class auberge. But we found it closed – also the restaurant in the hotel by the river.
FREE-RANGE CHILDREN CAN RUIN ANY MEAL
So we went back to the same place as the evening before. Only this time there was a large party of families with very noisy and unruly children, who were constantly running in and out, shouting and playing with the settings on the ready-laid tables. If that were not enough, the food that evening was abysmal.
We had the same nice waitress, who did her best to tame those children – but their parents were totally indifferent. I wondered – could this group be English? We’d always found in our Continental travels that French and Italian – and certainly German children, all knew how to behave in public. But no; a mother actually chided her child in rapid French. I felt a little better then, and mentally apologised to all the British parents who do keep their kids in order…
NO GOOD REVUE THIS TIME
As for the food that evening – I concluded there must have been a change of chef. I decided that instead of writing the five-star revue I had planned the night before, the kindest (and most honest) thing was to not put anything at all on Trip Advisor.
We took a last little walk along the riverbank while Graham experimented at using the dying light for ‘special effects’
Then it was back to Cynlyns. John and Valerie were not to be found – evidently enjoying each other’s company. We debated watching some television in the atrium lounge, but opted instead for a nice long read in bed. Clean clothes for the morning waited in our backpacks.
WE FOUND IT HARD TO LEAVE THIS GREAT B&B
We found it hard to leave this lovely haven, and indeed, John and Valerie seemed happy to chat over the breakfast table. Then there were photographs to take. Finally we made for our car and the next leg of our journey. Only a three-hour drive direct – but we were about to enter the Dordogne, regarded by many as the most scenically beautiful area in all France, so it was not about to be a quick drive-through…
Even so – we were setting out well rested and full of contentment, thanks to the seamless professionalism and genuine friendliness of Valerie and John in sharing their lovely home. We assured them that only illness would stop us from booking a week with them next year.
CYNLYNS Le Ruisseau dans le Marais | B&B/Chambres d’hôtes à St Savinien
www.leruisseaudanslemarais.fr/
Text by – Jackie Usher, SWWJ. (aka author Debbie Darkin, & ‘Graham Liverpool’ on Trip Advisor.)
Photographs by – Graham Usher.
