with John Black
What day of the week do I look forward to the most? Unusual as it may sound for some people, it’s Sunday. Not only do I stay in bed longer, as most of us do I am sure, but I get to look forward to my Sunday ritual of breakfast al fresco in the port St Cyprien.
But first I have to get out of bed….but not all of the way out. First I stretch forward and pull back the curtain to check the weather. If it’s sunny I will walk and if it’s raining…alors, I still walk.
Coming from Scotland, I am well experienced and prepared for the weather and you cannot let the weather dictate your day. Anyway, the walk is an important part of my Sunday morning ritual and you will find out why as you read on.
The routine starts by getting out of bed at 10.00, have a quick shower and put on my Sunday best which comprises of denims and a shirt…. but newly washed ones of course.
Sunday is bath time for Scots, have you seen the cost of electricity?
I then happily skip my way downstairs from my top floor apartment, not a Penthouse unfortunately but it has potential.
Like every other residence in the town we have a security fence and electronic locks on the gates and they are operated by a Zapette type contraption that I have heard can change television channels! I point it at the other apartment windows just for devilishness.
Once free of the ‘fortresse residence’ I enter a tree lined path. The trees are a type called Platane and were planted specifically for shading the walkers; it’s a perfect start to anyone’s walk.
As I briskly stride along I come to the ‘fork in the walk’ and it’s decision time. I am lucky enough to stay close to the Marina at les Capellans in St Cyprien and the walk around the lagoon is one of the most relaxing walks you can have, especially if the lagoon is calm.
So I make the decision to tourner à droite in the fork and head along by the marina.
The water is calm and the sky is blue. Parfait!
This 20 minute brisk walk takes me to the main Marina at the port. St Cyprien holds the record for having the second biggest marina in the Med but this record may be outdated and please correct me if I am wrong.
Donc the 10 min walk around the local marina leads me on to my first objective, buying a Sunday newspaper.
The local tabac is very handy and it’s just around the corner from my final destination which is called Le Bon Pain.
This boulangerie is well known to the local people as having one of the best tasting bread in the town. This is something you will have to judge for yourself when you visit. I am here for my petit-dejeuner, le pain comes plus tard.
I have been coming to le Bon Pain for 4 years now and am now well known, so I can just put my head in the door of the shop and say good morning to everyone to let them know I am here, then sit at a table.
Any table out of the sun is good for me and I know my regular breakfast will come when the staff gets a quiet moment. I can now open the newspaper and let out a long satisfying sigh.
Le Bon Pain is well established and in a good position in the port. It sits in the main square of the port and you look out across the square to the small fishing market.
The owner and also the baker is called Gilbert, his wife, Odile and her sister Pauline both hail from Cameroon and both work at the shop. It was their infectious laughter and warm welcome that drew me to the place so many years ago.
The food is simple, good and best of all, it’s at a reasonable price.
My breakfast arrives, it’s nothing special, an oversized pain au chocolate and a croissant delivered with orange juice and coffee, but, wow! They taste good and fill me up.
I could sit there all morning and all day if I wanted to because the owners are relaxed and let the customers take their time.
My breakfast is finished; I have read enough of the paper and its time to get back home. I normally leave the paper behind in the shop for others to read so.
My tummy is fit to burst and I need to deflate it and the only way to do this is to walk but this time the walk will be at a slower pace and maybe slightly longer, but first…”Une baguette sil te plait”.
I must tell you next about my Saturday night, but this can wait until I am safely out of the country.
