Ile de Re - Day 2 (Tuesday)

Another fun day in Ile de Re! We are enjoying sleeping in until 9-9:30 am and having a slower pace than we had in London. After breakfast this morning Keegan led Taylor and I on a bike ride to La Flotte, another "village" on the island. I never realized how large the island actually is. It's neat to see all the different villages. The bike ride was not as easy as I'd hoped. Myself not being a regular bike rider, I was not prepared for the body pains I experienced just after our much shorter bike ride the previous day! I have much respect for people I know who ride long distances, because I definitely would struggle with that at the moment! Taylor and Keegan were much better at keeping a fast pace... :)

But eventually, we made it to La Flotte, and after initially ignoring directions on street signs (typical man behavior exhibited by Keegan! lol) we found the market. Keeg described it as something almost out of the Middle Ages. It's definitely unlike anything in the US. Very interesting to see and experience, and a good way to start the day! Afterwards, we biked back to the house, which luckily went by faster than the ride there, and got ready to head to La Rochelle for the day with Keegan's aunt, Anne.

We had about 3 1/2 hours to kill until we were to meet her and her husband to head back, so we started with lunch by the port. I must say, trying to order in French at a restaurant is probably the most nervewracking experience we've had yet, at least for Taylor and myself. Luckily Keegan is pretty confident in his ordering skills, so we rely on him when issues arise. I always feel a little proud of myself when I recognize foods on the menu, but today I almost ordered an uncooked steak! Instead, I got the "cooked" version, but it wasn't exactly cooked to my American standards. I'd say it was even less done than meat Keegan enjoys, and that is saying a lot! We were joking about how in London they overcook steaks, and here they undercook them, at least by the US standards. Just a different way of life I suppose. So, not my fave food but the atmosphere at the restaurant/cafe was nice. We sat outside. And Keegan LOVED his mussels, so all was well.

After lunch, we walked the streets and eventually got ice cream (so good!) and then Taylor and I bought some cute French scarves :). I still want to try and buy a hat and maybe one other thing before coming home! Ha. Then we got back to the island, had some R&R, then another delicious meal. Tonight: French bread, slices of ham, awesome potatoes, and super tasty melon (cantaloupe). Keegan and I have a system; he drinks my wine and I eat his melon! I really enjoy dinner with his grandparents. Tonight we talked about some of the trips they have taken all around the world, from the US in Arizona/Vegas to Egypt to Peru! My cousin Sarah warned me that after my first trip out of the US I might get the travel bug, and she is definitely correct about that! :)

After dinner, the three of us took a walk. Taylor and I are still surprised by how bright it is until late here. It's not fully dark until about 11 pm! The sun is still out until like 9:30 pm. We get confused about what time it is because of this! Anyway, we walked to an old church nearby, tried to take pics of a snail, and then settled in for the night.

Tomorrow we are going to the beach with Keegan's cousin for a volleyball match tourney she is in with her friends from school, and then there is a party on the beach afterwards. Looking forward to meeting her and other people tomorrow! For now, bonne nuit! (Probably spelled that wrong, I'm tried, sorry!)