cancale.oyster

[it’s hard to believe that i just returned to work for four days and i am completely swamp by my work. i am used to see johannes 24 hours a day during our vacation and now i hardly see him due to my long hours at work. i need to eat some oysters and drink some champagne to distress!!! let me bring travel back with my memory on the oysters experience in cancale.]

twenty nine august

a charming port city just about 12 km away from saint malo. you come here for the morning market and for seafood. as you approach the city, the sea view entices you, the market looks small at first but then you found the farmer market tug at the other corner. plenty of sausages, plenty of colorful fruits, plenty of roast chicken, pork and beef stalls. you bought two sweet melons, two sausages and some fruits. but, but you can’t find the things that you are looking for and the reason cancale is famous for…

you leave the farmer’s market, you walk down the slop to the seaside and port area, lot of beautiful walls welcoming you. you finally saw a sign that interest you, ‘marche de huitre’, you follow the sign and the smell and tada!!

you found it!! the market for oysters, fresh and cheap oysters… there aren’t too many stalls but definitely enough to choose from, all selling at the same price. you randomly chose one stall and order a dozen of size 2 oysters, open on the spot, with citroen and take it with you to the other side, and you tuck in, just like that – simple and primitive but flavorsome. they are not too big or fleshy but definitely fresh enough to swallow without even citroen juice, take it plain is the best!

while you slowly enjoy the oyster, he tackles with the even faster pace than you, and before you realize, he is attacking your share too… but that’s okay because you are buying more to take ‘home’ for dinner tonight.

thirty first august

you cannot forget the taste of oysters and you both decide to come back for more two days later. you eat your heart out this time, you ordered 2 dozen (number 2 and number 3) plus two special type to try.

you are a little well prepared and byob of white wine to wash down the fresh oysters. number 2 is fleshy ...

 

number3 is a bit of the slim side, but both have a rather different salty taste. as for the special one, you know that it is completely different from the dozen you have just eaten and that the nutty after taste is rather appealing to your palette.

it is low tide, so the sand bed is exposed and you can see how the oysters are cultivated here... no matter how, it doesn't put you off from enjoying your oysters

look at the empty oyster shells at the beach, they are almost like the pebble stones...

and the low tide view at the other side of the oyster market is not bad either, especially nice to take in the view with a stroll after a satisfied stomach...

[i feel much better now that i composed this blog entry.  some time writing blog is enlightening for me, hope you enjoy the journey with me too!]