THE TROUBLE WITH OYSTERS...

Mont St Michel - April 4

Regrettably I am ill again. And the most likely culprit is oysters – again. It goes like this:

I adore oysters and for years in France I devoured them in large numbers. Although less confident of the English handling of this delicate jewel I did occasionally eat them in the UK. Then in 1993 I bought oysters for Christmas. Collected them fresh and alive on Christmas Eve and got them ready for Christmas dinner. Three of six adults ate them. Two of us best part of a dozen, one experimentally trying a couple for luck.

By midnight the three of us were very ill. By Boxing Morn it was touch and go that we called 999. We did not which I now think was regrettable. Mainly because it means I cannot honestly prove it was the oysters and the national and local suppliers therefore cannot be named.

The year went by and in 2003 we celebrated our 60^th birthdays by taking a house in Cornwall for both our daughters families – the same victims, of course as in 1993. We chose one of the best restaurants in the UK and were royally treated to a fabulous meal. Two chose oysters and one again had a dabble. Unbelievably the two main eaters were horribly ill again! And both had eaten oysters in France with no ill effect. The third was unwell but less so.

The years have rolled by and I have not sampled oysters in the UK again and even in France have avoided them. Until Thursday. In Cancale, home of vast numbers of highly respected oyster beds. Nine cruse number 3s did I enjoy. And all seemed well until 36 hours later when another night of horror began. The phrase both ends against the middle never had more resonance!

But here's the thing. It took too long to start for it to be bad or toxic oysters. I was not vomiting until I drank some water and then only briefly. And it has passed too quickly. Well, not quickly enough but you may know what I mean.

So now starts the hunt. Is it possible with such a specific and live comestible to attenuate your body to be intolerant? After all I have eaten oysters some 40-50 times but only the last three have made me ill. So, was it only that first batch that was 'off' or at least toxic from its water? And did the second, admittedly sever, event have more to do with intolerance than any real failing in the oysters? Either sway of course these were the last oysters I shall ever eat, which is deeply sad.

Now, what shall I google to establish this possibility?

FOUGERES

Still down with the gut trouble. Not very good but getting better. Fed up sitting around we travelled the 40k or so to the Town of Fougeres. It boasts and huge castle with the largest amount of medieval battlements in Europe. 13 towers for starters. It is very impressive, lots of old granite and much quite skilful restoration too.

But it is odd. Then town is one one clifftop, there are two more significant cliffs and in between, on a chunk of land virtually surrounded by a river turned moat is this huge castle. Within it are four mill wheels arranged in line; amazing. But the oddity is that archers on the bluffs around can easily shoot into the bailey. How was it defended? It was not open it being Sunday so finding out must wait another day or so.

The entire town is charming and mostly very old. The likes of Victor Hugo, Chateubriand and many others have sung its praises. I cannot disagree – castle, cliffs, town and parkland are all charming.