Just about the time Jan and I were ready to go down for breakfast, there was a knock on the door. M. Malfere handed me a phone. Vern and Ginnette called from Chicago to find out how our trip was going. They had called M. Malfere earlier to make sure we were still coming that day. Considering that it was about 1 AM in Chicago that was quite a surprise!

After a wonderful breakfast that included white currant jam which we loved but couldn't find in stores, we headed to the Cap Ferret. One town in particular, L'Herbe, is still a working fishing village. We had seen pictures of it in France magazine. You have to park outside the town and walk in since the streets are very narrow and the oyster fishermen use the roads to move their product to market.

Just as we got out of the car we spotted this church and tree. The church is called the Algerian Chapel and was commissioned by someone who had spent much time in North Africa. It looks out at the tree and the bay behind the tree.

The Hôtel du Plage is famous for its no nonsense cuisine and water views.

Oysters brought ashore here are stored in large holding tanks and cleaned in these buildings. We were almost alone on the dock, except for a large black lab who offered us his pine cone.

Houses all around the Basin Arcachon have Rococo woodwork that is brightly painted. The fishermen's houses (below, left) are tightly spaced since there isn't much land near the docks.

After leaving L'Herbe, we drove to Cap Ferret, the village at the end of the Cape. The village was undergoing a major renovation of its main street (this had become an all too familiar sight by now!), so the merchants became sidewalk superintendents since there were no customers to keep them busy. The Phare du Cap Ferret (Cape Ferret Lighthouse) is a must see in Cap Ferret. We wanted to get back to Bordeaux during the lunch hour (less trafic), so we started to head back.

The trip to Bordeaux was uneventful, but we got lost (again) in the construction around the train station. Eventually, we found our way back to the Avis parking lot and got a taxi to our hotel. Time to go to the Galeries LaFeyette to do a little shopping (this one isn't as good as the one in Nice) and another short trip to the cybercafé to check our e-mail.

After dinner, we were ready to sleep. About 9 p.m. a jovial group that had been meeting down in the hotel lobby began to sing, but only for a short time. It was a fitting end to a busy day.