Roscoff and the Races

The Low and Highs of Renting a House on the Internet

Everything looks good on the internet.

Our first house rental (for six weeks in Dingle, Ireland) was for a restored (to an extent) stone cottage (hut?) and, it was nearly a disaster.  We spent the first 24 hours cleaning EVERYTHING – washing every glass and dish, scrubbing the kitchen, cleaning the cabinets, etc, etc.  Liberal doses of Febreez on all the upholstered furniture.  After that it was livable – just.  Irish clean does not live up to Elaine standards.  Or mine.  I was ready to leave the house the first day and never come back.  We had guests:  Bob Messina and Toby for a week;  Elaine’s Mom and Dad for a week;  and Ed and Phyllis Wrenn for a week.

Our second rental (for two weeks in Rieux Minervois, France) was a small restored apartment built right into the town’s ancient ramparts..  It was spotless, and clean linens were provided for the second week.  The only adjustment was getting used to the endless wash cycles of European washers and dryers.  At least they provided instructions in English.  It was a delight.

Then it was back to Dingle for four weeks where we rented a new home (actually in Ventry, just outside Dingle).  It was clean and modern.  The only down side was the location.  While on a beautiful bay, it was nigh on impossible to walk anywhere.  The most minor of errands required driving.  Bill and Mianne visited us here for a week as did Elaine’s sister Ann with husband Russ.

Then it was Dingle again (for just 10 days this time as part of a trip that included Northern Ireland) in a complex of new homes.  It was within walking distance to town and the Dingle Pub.  It had a combined all-in-one washer/dryer that was cool but still took forever to run a cycle.  Clean.  The only negative:  the son of the people next door was a drummer and he played every afternoon for an hour or so.

Now it’s back to France and another restored stone house. Manoir de Keristin.  There are issues.  It’s not our favorite place.  Remember Irish clean?  The French are not impeccable house cleaners either.

The Report Card

• Cob webs and spiders of all kinds and sizes.  Really large spiders!
• No screens on the windows, so bugs everywhere.
• Irish clean except for the dishes, cookware, and glassware which were spotless.
• Double beds.  Too small for us so we use two.
• TV has a annoying hum.  Ho hum, we can’t understand French TV anyway. No English channels.
• Downstairs is dark inside, possibly to help keep it cool in summer.
• First load of wash took four hours in the machine (no English instructions) and two days on the line to dry.
• Third floor bedroom is big and bright but there are bats or rats or ferral cats or other animals skittering about in the innards of the ceiling.  We stayed off the third floor!
• Second floor shower stopped working on day five.  Fortunately there are three full bathrooms.
• “Sachets” for mites in bedroom closets.  Yikes.
• No mattress pads on the beds.
• No instructions (in English or otherwise) on how to operate anything.
• Constant musty smell.
• There is a beautiful back patio and yard with outdoor dining table (we used it often).  That’s Elaine spot.

So, anyway, when we used the outside patio, we left the door open.  One night when we were done, I closed it.  Then Elaine noticed a big blotch of red by the door.  Did I somehow spill raspberry jam?  How could I do that?  Well, I didn’t.  I opened the door and found that in closing it, I had accidentally crushed and killed a frog, and the red ooze was his blood.  Yucchhhhhh!  There went a full roll of paper towels cleaning up the frogicide.  From then on, the door stayed closed when were outside.  (No, no pictures of the untimely death of a poor innocent frog.)

SATURDAY

Low Key Day

It was rainy when we got up, so we spent the morning at the Tourist Office catching up on email and Google news. Then we drove to Roscoff, a pleasant seaport that is the terminus for ferries from Plymouth, UK and from Ireland.  We had a pleasant lunch on a restaurant terrace (the sun was out now) of  croque monsieurs (grilled ham and cheese sandwiches) with frites and salad.  Beer for me, wine for Elaine.

Then we spent some time in Roscoff’s Jardin Exotique (exotic garden)which features plants and flowers from all over the world.  In the first part of the garden, it was like we had been transported back to Arizona.  Then we drove home.  Time for an infrequent nap for me before cocktail hour.  Dinner was simple and at home:  cheese, sausage, wine, and a fresh loaf of bread from our boulangerie.  We trying different kinds of bread, and they are all wonderful.  It was thundering and raining again, se we partook the meal in the sun room.

SUNDAY

Horse Racing

There was a race day scheduled in Morlaix today.  We went for the 2:30 post time.  This is a VERY small track.  Eight races.  Four flat horse races on the grass and four harness races, also on the grass.  In many years of going to races, this is the first time I have seen harness racing on grass.

There is a program listing the entries (including jockey, trainer, and sire and dam) that shows how the horses have finished in prior races.  That’s the sum total of the information available.  No racing form of any type.  No tip sheets. No jockey or trainer stats.  OK then, I’ll use observations of the horses in the paddock and sire information to make my picks.  First race on the flat – loser.  Second race was a harness race – my nag finished last.  Third race on the flat.  I decided to bet on the jockey who won the first race.  He won again at 6-1.  Celebratory pression (draft beer).  Elaine was not drinking in fear of having to use the primitive toilettes.  Another harness race, another loser.  Then I bet a horse sired by Dynaformer.  He broke on top and led every step of the 2,600 meters at a generous 9-1.  Another celebratory pression.  Harness race next.  I thought the driver of the #14 horse looked professional, so I bet him.  He won at 6-1.  Une pression, s’il vous plait, and Elaine joined me in une verre de vin rouge.  We lost the next and left before the final race.  Wonderful day!  I made 130 euros, and we both had fun.

We had dinner at the little creperie right in our town, Plouezoc’h.  We were the only ones in the restaurant.  It was fine but not memorable.

Later!