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I love France so the thought of an overnight stay near Le Mans was very appealing to me and I nodded to Hub’s suggestion of finding the Green 7 hotel.
This comfortable hotel lies on the southern edge of Le Mans on the 138 ‘Tours’ road and not very far from the famous Le Mans racetrack. It sits at the entrance to a large wooded area. We had stayed here before and found the management very friendly and welcoming.
Soon we were parking in the forecourt of the hotel and then went to book a room for the night. After leaving our overnight bags in our room, we went seeking something to eat. We stretched our legs and went for quite a long walk and soon came across a McDonalds- type restaurant and take away. There we bought burgers, fries and drinks and took them back to our hotel room. After our little feast, I indulged in a hot bath and then we settled into the comfy beds and watched French TV. I seem to recall we watched an old black and white French film and really enjoyed it; I’ve always liked French films, finding them very atmospheric.
Hub & Raymond
Bed & Breakfast
Cimetiere Chinoise
It was our last full day and after having a drive down to the bay at Cap Hornu (this really is a delightful spot), we met up again with Raymond and he took us to lunch at a restaurant on the outskirts of the town, called Le Moulin (the windmill). I say lunch but it ended up a 4 course meal and with a wonderful red wine to accompany it!
For starters we had little pieces of toast with all kinds of pate. Hub and I had steak in red wine for main course and Raymond had Ostrich. It was beautifully cooked but then I have never, in all my times of visiting France, experienced a bad meal. Then some glass bowls appeared in front of us, filled with sorbet; Raymond said it was apple sorbet with Calvados, the apple brandy. He warned us not to drink too much of the liquid as we could end up drunk! He also told us it was to ‘clean’ the palette, ready for dessert, which as I recall was mixed ice creams.
Where we sat overlooked the marshlands at the back of Le Moulin and we saw sheep grazing there; Raymond said that was where the lamb came from of our previous dinner and that it had the unique flavour because the animals grazed on the salt marshes.
After our sumptuous meal we drove back into St Valery and Raymond took us to the graveyard where his wife was buried. It was a very handsome headstone made of black marble and I laid a few flowers there, feeling quite tearful that I had never met this lady who Raymond had loved so much. In a corner of the graveyard was a spot where some British soldiers lay buried; soldiers who had died in battle during world war two.
That was our last meal with Raymond, as we were leaving the following day at midday. So we said our goodbyes to him but I felt rather sad at leaving him. He had obviously enjoyed our company and he looked a lonely figure as we took our leave; he lived alone and now had no loving wife to return to.
The following day we were all ready to leave the Bed & Breakfast. I presented the owners Jacques and Marie Christine with a potted plant saying how much we had enjoyed our stay and that we would come back some day. They were a very nice couple and along with their two teenage sons had made us very welcome, even making us a pot of tea each morning for breakfast.
We drove away from the B&B and went to take one last look at the riverside in St Valery. But as we left the parking area by the river and before we reached the level crossing, the engine of the camper started to splutter. Before we had gone a few metres, the camper stalled, then stopped completely…..
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