Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Cap Ferret & Oyster Tasting - Appreciating the Basin d'Arcachon

 Cap Ferret & Arcachon

Looking back onto the town of Arcachon as we head toward Cap Ferret
As I said in one of my earlier posts - I have started a new job as a tour guide. It's definitely a change of pace and brand new - but loads of fun!  In the tourism industry - one has to also be prepared for the unexpected and be willing to adjust to quick changes.  Luckily, I'm the type of person who is fine going with the flow.  It's wonderful working with this group, as part of our training we follow around  more experienced guides - so we can see expectations and exactly how the tour will flow, before we do it on our own.

So this past Friday, I had the luxury of tagging along with another guide to learn the Arcachon/Cap Ferret excursion.  It was this reason that I was able to snap a few photos and be able to share this great experience.   I know when I do the tour myself - I will not have any time to be a photographer.    But wait until you see what was done in one day - just 45 minutes from Bordeaux! (Please pardon the quality of some of these photos - all of them were taken with my phone, not my favorite SLR camera.)

We left Bordeaux with a group of about 30 tourists and headed to the town of Arcachon by bus.  We did a very quick drive around parts of the town and then arrived at the dock and boarded a small chartered boat to head across the Basin.  The captain pointed out some of the islands and talked about the tide, the history and how on the far Eastern side of the Bassin the tide goes out so fast, it all becomes mud!  There are several islands with fishing cabins, along with the famous Bird Island or Isle d'Oiseaux.

It's about an hour across the basin to Cap Ferret  - the long peninsula on the other side. We arrived at a wonderful little fishing village called L'Herbe. This picturesque village truly takes you back in time.  It grew due to the fishing and oyster harvesting that is a primary occupation of many of it's residents.  Many shacks along the shore-line are Oyster farmers who have to tend their plots in the sand.  This is a year round business here and one that takes much hard work.


Exiting the boat!

We docked during high tide and exited the boat on the side of the stairs.  The picture below is a photo of arriving into the village.

Village of L'Herbe & Canon

Looking down the street

This village is very quaint and one feels like they stepped back in time.  Oyster harvesting has been going on here for centuries.


The shoreline & the Oyster boats

Many of the businesses have tastings available for tourists.  We went to Chez Yannik - He was all set up for the arrival of our guests.  He explained how he farms Oysters - the different kinds and ages..and then of course - how to eat them!!  Just for some interesting facts - The Bassin d'Arcachon is about 15,000 hectares in size (37,000 Acres) and about 1,000 hectares (2500 Acres) are licensed to be Oyster farms.  These farms have an annual production of about 22,000 pounds of Oysters.  Arcachon Bay was the first European Breeding center.  Approximately 60% of Oysters sold in France come from the basin, although they are not generally bought by supermarkets as the producers are not large-scale enough to supply them.

There are about 350 Oyster farmers in the Arcachon Basin and their production is about a third the size of production from up North in Brittany.  Arcachon is limited in the number of producers as it's an enclosed bay.


Oysters are best served with lemon and some bread & butter

Did you ever wonder how Oysters are cultivated?  Here's a short version:  

When Oyster larvae are born, they float around in the sea, looking for a rough surface to attach to.  Every July, the oyster farmers submerge terracotta tiles painted with lime (or plastic replicas) and wait for the larvae to cling to them. This practice has been employed in the Arcachon area since 1904 and it means that all the oysters from Arcachon start off wild.  Once the Oysters are big enough, the oyster farmer (Ostreiculter- in French) scrapes them off the tiles and places them in nets - that look something like a rope-mesh pillow case.  These nets are not filled as the Oysters need plenty of room to grow.

These cases are then placed on racks and left for over 2 years to grow.  Oysters are about 3 years old by the time they are eaten.  Arcachon oysters take longer to grow due to the tidal variations.  When the oysters are ready to be sold, they are graded by size and placed in oxygenated storage tanks.  

Delicious Raw Oysters
Ever wonder why or how one can find pearls in Oysters?  A pearl is a result of a foreign body introduced into the tissue of the oyster.  The reaction of the mollusk is to produce a layer of calcium carbonate in the form of calcite or more commonly called "nacre".  The shell continues to successively coat this layer of nacre and eventually the "intruder" will become the center of the future pearl.  Naturally, this process is pretty rare - one would need to consume about 10,000 oysters to find a gem!!


The rinsing tank & of course you drink white wine with Oysters!


Loved the informal but lovely deck at our tasting

Demonstration of how to open an Oyster - much harder than it looks!
After everyone enjoyed their share of raw Oysters, we climbed back into the boat and cruised along the shoreline and headed to Lege Cap Ferret.
In a couple months they houses will be bustling with activity

Arriving in Lege - inside the enclosure are Oysters growing...hard to see in high tide.


It is a very picturesque ride. We landed the boat and dined at L'Escale Brasserie - in Lege, situated on the water.  We enjoyed the view of the Dune du Pyla in the background and the Oyster farms along the shore.  The restaurant is known for it's FRESH seafood and it didn't disappoint.  The Fried Calamari for an entree and then the Cabaillaud (Cod) for the main dish - superb!!  I will definitely return here.Leg



Our view at lunch - Plus - Oyster nets more visible as the tide went out


As the tide went out, it was very interesting to see all the Oyster racks and nets.

Definitely looks like pillow cases all lined up in rows!..Oysters growing
After everyone was stuffed full of delicious seafood and had taken in the beautiful seaside view, we headed back across the basin and cruised along in front of the town of Arcachon.  Beautiful sight!  The day was PERFECT!!  Partly sunny, a nice breeze and by afternoon, warm enough to sit on the back of the boat and enjoy the fresh salt air.  
Arcachon  - View from the Basin



Now this excursion was created and organized for the tourists on this River Cruise ship.  However, There are Oyster tastings (degustations) given by many, many different harvesters in Cap Ferret, Arcachon, & Gujan Mestras which are open to the public.  There are also many boats that ferry people across the bay to allow visitors easy access to Cap Ferret - many allow bicycles too - making it a great way to further explore the peninsula. This is certainly a great way to learn more about this area and it's very special industry.  

Hope you enjoyed learning about Oysters.

30 comments:

  1. Those Oysters definitely look very yummy :D :D :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know...I had to wait until all the guests had their fill - luckily there was a a couple left. Thanks for commenting.

      Delete
  2. You have no need to apologize for the quality of your photos. They were great. I've never been to Bordeaux (have plans to, though!) and it's nice to see what the coast looks like.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your nice compliment. Bordeaux (& the Atlantic coast) is a beautiful place and so worth a visit!

      Delete
  3. Your new job sounds awesome!! I'm not a fan of oysters, so that doesn't really appeal, but interesting to see how they're harvested :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for commenting - always nice to hear from readers. Glad you enjoyed the post.

      Delete
  4. Oooh, I've been there! It is indeed very different and special. It looks as if it was quite warm when you visited - must have been a nice day on the water.
    Interesting what you say about the photo quality. I've just done a post (also involving water!) where I'm not happy with the quality of photos from a mobile. I did wonder if getting a smartphone would mean the demise of my pocket Canon Ixus, but as well as the lower photo quality I find taking photos on a phone a real fangle - it's much quicker and easier on a real camera.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I understand exactly what you mean about pocket cameras. I have a great little Canon Elph but I truly rarely use it as it's easier to grab my phone. I'm lucky that my phone does have an extra button on the side, so I don't have to always push the screen - which I find more inconvenient. I miss the quality though...Thanks for commenting - so nice to hear from you.

      Delete
  5. Looks like a fascinating trip, and a lovely place. I've never fancied eating oysters though!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was a fun excursion - I adore being out on the water and taking in the sea air...can't wait for the weather to be warmer.

      Delete
  6. Wow, these oysters look fantastic! I really want to go there now! Thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for commenting - so nice to hear from readers. Come back and visit anytime!

      Delete
  7. Wow, I am so hungry right now... I love oysters. I didn't know much about oyster farming, thanks for sharing the pics and post! The day out looks great fun.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know...I could eat oysters all day!! I didn't know too much about oyster farming either until we visited - always interesting to learn more. Thanks for commenting - nice to hear from readers.

      Delete
  8. Oysters and a dash of lemon is all you need! (I wouldn't personally bother with the bread and butter.) They look delicious and have my tastebuds going already... :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. we had a guest who brought his own tabsaco hot sauce...he loved them that way. I agree, I don't really need the bread and butter but a glass of wine - divine!! Thanks for commenting - come back and visit any time.

      Delete
  9. I always think I like oysters. Then I try a few and they slowly start to creep me out with their texture. I'll develop a taste for them eventually!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for commenting...love your description..it's exactly the way my middle daughter thinks...each time we have them..she's excited - tries one - and is then done...saying they're too slimy. They definitely have a texture of their own. Hope you will come back and visit again. Have a great weekend.

      Delete
  10. What an interesting tour! I'm not the biggest fan of oysters but I do like them every now and then. Definitely not raw though! Looks like a really pretty place

    ReplyDelete
  11. Congratulations on your new job! Looks like a good one :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm not a big fan of oysters, but those look soooo great :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I've never been a big fan of oysters, but this post definitely makes them seem more appealing. Very interesting to get a little more info on the cultivation. I never realised they take 2-3 years to grow.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Your photos are fantastic! I prefer my oysters cooked, but if I went on this tour I would definitely eat them raw. The calamari would interest me. I can never turn down a plate of well prepared calamari. Good luck in your new job!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Great photo's :)! Looks like a dreamy destination. Despite your attractive post still not a big fan of oysters though ;)!

    ReplyDelete
  16. The oysters look fantastic! I know that Alex would love to visit here! Its nice being a tour guide sometimes, you get to go to all these great destinations and learn so much about their history; I hope you are enjoying your new job!

    ReplyDelete
  17. This place looks great, not a fan of oysters though!

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a beautiful area. But I have to admit I like oysters more alive in the sea than on a plate. :D

    ReplyDelete
  19. What a hidden gem! One would not expect to find a village like this in France. What a fun job! Congratulations!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I have never sampled oysters and up until this post I was never really interested! However, after reading this and seeing what a great experience it could be, I think this would be a great chance to break my duck and try them on an excursion such as you have described here.

    ReplyDelete
  21. A boat ride, a crisp white and some oysters - sign me up! Great that you are entering the tour guide area and good luck.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for reading and visiting my blog. Feel free to leave a comment - I love hearing from people!

Popular Posts