the marsh by boat: conclusion

Eventually, the fun had to end. Our tour ran a bit overtime, which was fine by me. It had been quite impressive and educational, and I was especially impressed by our guide's dedication to the local ecology.

It became obvious when we were back in civilization: houses and gardens started to reappear. One interesting highlight was a neighborhood that could be accessed only by water: no cars!

With the special grass he had collected, our guide wove a cute little decorative chair out of the blades. He gave the homemade trinket to Pauline, who accepted it with a smile.

The final pic in this series shows the back of Maman and Papa's house; more than the other shot, this photo gives you a clear idea of how massive the barn is.

This was quite an experience. I had been hoping to do a boat tour of the marshland, and to have it happen so suddenly was a welcome surprise. Tomorrow is going to be a not-much-of-anything day (we're all going to be doing lunch in the nearby town of Marans); Friday, though, we're apparently all going out to the coast to the city of La Rochelle. I've heard there's a lot to see there. Then, sadly, I leave Dom's place Saturday morning at 7:00 a.m. to catch the 7:30 TGV to Poitiers, where I'll switch to another TGV to go all the way to Paris Montparnasse. From there, it's the RER B to the airport, and my flight to Seoul leaves a bit after 1 p.m. It's been a quick two weeks.