Alex remains the undisputed fooz-ball champion of Nantes. We had our best game so far this morning. It went down to the wire, nine all. He won again, we laughed and laughed it was such a great game.
Not all medieval villages are alike and medieval Guerande stands apart from many others we have visited. Its cobbled rues own fanciful names like ‘Rue du Beau Soleil’, rue of the Golden Sun. Every street inside Guerande’s fortress walls are clean and full of old-world character.
We had booked a tour at 'Les Maison des Paludiers' in Saille, Guerande at 2.30pm. A palaudier, (salt worker) with ten years experience, met us before the tour and answered all of our questions about his industry. We joined the tour and listened to him share the secrets of the Guerande salt trade explaining how the salt-pans work, then we watched a film. We were all enthralled and learned so much. Our guide was excited to learn that I have been using Guerande sea-salt at home for over ten years, he was amazed.
Just after 4pm we drove out amongst the salt-pans, this is the time many palaudiers return to work after siesta, to harvest their white gold. First, the surface of the salt-pans are cleared of the most precious salt, the fleur de sel. The salt bloom lies on the surface of the pools, shimmering in the light and tinged with a soft pink hue. The palaudiers were only too happy to show us their trade, some boasted wheel-barrows filled with fleur de sel, others scooped the crystals into bags along the narrow clay walls dividing one pool from the next. After the harvest of fleur de sel is finished, attention is turned to the gross sel that lies on the clay bottoms of the salt pan, this is the grey tinged Guerande salt we know at home.
Like every artisan or person who works with their hands, part of them is in the end product. This, along with the sun, the wind, the moon, and the tides all play their part in making Guerande salt a very special and precious commodity.
We could have stayed forever in this world where white gold is produced entirely by hand and such pride is taken in a good days work but we had to return home. We leave Nantes tomorrow and we have so much to do to get ready for our 1pm departure.
Not all medieval villages are alike and medieval Guerande stands apart from many others we have visited. Its cobbled rues own fanciful names like ‘Rue du Beau Soleil’, rue of the Golden Sun. Every street inside Guerande’s fortress walls are clean and full of old-world character.
We had booked a tour at 'Les Maison des Paludiers' in Saille, Guerande at 2.30pm. A palaudier, (salt worker) with ten years experience, met us before the tour and answered all of our questions about his industry. We joined the tour and listened to him share the secrets of the Guerande salt trade explaining how the salt-pans work, then we watched a film. We were all enthralled and learned so much. Our guide was excited to learn that I have been using Guerande sea-salt at home for over ten years, he was amazed.
Just after 4pm we drove out amongst the salt-pans, this is the time many palaudiers return to work after siesta, to harvest their white gold. First, the surface of the salt-pans are cleared of the most precious salt, the fleur de sel. The salt bloom lies on the surface of the pools, shimmering in the light and tinged with a soft pink hue. The palaudiers were only too happy to show us their trade, some boasted wheel-barrows filled with fleur de sel, others scooped the crystals into bags along the narrow clay walls dividing one pool from the next. After the harvest of fleur de sel is finished, attention is turned to the gross sel that lies on the clay bottoms of the salt pan, this is the grey tinged Guerande salt we know at home.
We were happy as pigs in mud driving on the narrow roads of the Marais Salants, with salt-pans on either side. One of the palaudiers we all thought looked like Papa, his mannerisms were the same too. With my hand on my heart, I told him he looked so much like my Papa, he smiled and invited us to follow him through his little maze of clay walls as he worked happily, chatting away.
The paludiers sell the products of their labour roadside, Fleur de Sel, Gros Sel, Salicorne – the weed that is plucked from the salt-pan walls and is only good when green. We saw it growing in green and red, we watched a paludier pluck the red weed from his salt-pan, place it in a bucket and throw it out. He waved a finger at us , shaking his head, “it’s no good in rouge, only vert” he said.
The paludiers sell the products of their labour roadside, Fleur de Sel, Gros Sel, Salicorne – the weed that is plucked from the salt-pan walls and is only good when green. We saw it growing in green and red, we watched a paludier pluck the red weed from his salt-pan, place it in a bucket and throw it out. He waved a finger at us , shaking his head, “it’s no good in rouge, only vert” he said.
Like every artisan or person who works with their hands, part of them is in the end product. This, along with the sun, the wind, the moon, and the tides all play their part in making Guerande salt a very special and precious commodity.
We could have stayed forever in this world where white gold is produced entirely by hand and such pride is taken in a good days work but we had to return home. We leave Nantes tomorrow and we have so much to do to get ready for our 1pm departure.
