Day in pretty Pornic.

---

For some reason I had thought that Pornic was going to be a high-rise apartment sort of seaside resort. Very pleasantly surprised to find I was completely wrong. No sweeping seaside bay here but a fishing port built along a deep river estuary.
There was a very good walkway all along the north side of the estuary so we walked along it right to the end where it came out at the yachting marina and a proper little sandy beach. Shame we had not brought swimming things as the sea looked quite inviting. We had lunch at a bar and the brochettes de crevettes were delicious.
The walk back into town seemed much shorter than on the way out and we climbed a steep little path to the upper town. As normal for my shopping expectations, the shops were of course closed. Amazing how 90% of our town visits coincide with closed shops.
Never mind, the postcard shop was open which means there is a good chance our postcards will arrive before we get home.
We decided to sit awhile, people watching, in the lovely sunshine and enjoy an icecream and found a shop with possibly the most extensive and tempting menu of flavours ever seen. My nougat with honey was yummy.
Checking the time we realised that the tide must be at its lowest. There was barely any water in the estuary, just a tiny, residual stream with a couple of ducks sailing on it. All that remained was deep, evil looking sludge and no sign of actual sea. This continued all the way out of the estuary and the several hundred boats which were perched in the mud must be stuck there for several hours a day when the tide is out.
Would have been nice to see Pornic with a watery centre but we would have had several hours to wait for that.
We scootered back along the other side of the estuary and along the coastal road until it was closed to us and we had to return to the main road.
Back to the campsite and that lovely pool for a swim in the sunshine. What a glorious blue sky day it has been.

---