Brittany 2023

WEEK 1

Day 1:  Monday 24^th April 2023

We had been busy over the last few days preparing for our trip and most of our stuff had been packed away in Colin.  Geoff headed off after breakfast to the weighbridge in Redruth, with some trepidation, if we were overweight, we had already decided to leave the bikes behind.  The good news was that we weighed in much less than we expected, and even better, there was plenty of scope for bringing wine home at the end of our trip.

We eventually left home at 5pm, after a trip to Camborne to get Geoff measured for his suit for Jon’s wedding, and our intention was to stop at Cornwall Services for a quick bite to eat.  As we were about to lock up the van at the services, Geoff realised that we had forgotten the keys for the bike locks, so we headed back home instead.  We finally arrived at Millbay Docks just before 8pm and watched the Armorique dock in front of us before being subjected to considerable scrutiny by the privately contracted security people.  Amazingly, we were the first vehicle onto the ferry and were lined up to be pretty much first off in the morning.  We were very pleased with our cabin, and we quickly dumped our stuff before heading to the cafeteria for a late supper, then up to the deck to watch the departure from Plymouth.

Day 2:  Tuesday 25^th April 2023

Geoff had set his alarm for 5.45am this morning as we wanted to make sure we were out of the cabin before they turfed us out, as had happened a couple of years ago.  As it turned out, we were up far too early and had time to kill before heading down to the car deck!  It was a lovely morning and we were 4^th off the ferry, speedily through passport control, including the stamps and on the wrong side of the road before we knew it.

We drove into Roscoff and parked in a car park identified by my park4night app near the harbour.  We parked across 2 spaces and were the only motorhome in a busy car park.  We walked through to our usual breakfast café and enjoyed a lovely coffee, bread and croissants.  A wander through the town reminded us what a charming place Roscoff is, but we heard only English spoken everywhere.

Shopping was next on the agenda and we drove into St Pol de Leon and Super U, a favourite supermarket of ours.  We filled up with diesel at the petrol station next door and then managed to find a parking spot on the side of the road as there was no room in the supermarket car park.  We wandered around admiring all the wonderful fresh food on offer and bought a lovely salmon parmentier for supper as well as all the basics.

The intention then was to park in an aire for the day overlooking the sweep of the Baie de Morlaix and then move on to the campsite.  Geoff suggested we go straight to the site and hope we could get in.  Even though they had not received my email booking, they very kindly accommodated us at 10.30 am because the local roads were being shut at 11am for a Tour de Bretagne cycle race.  We couldn’t believe our luck as we were allocated a huge quiet pitch and were soon set up, drinking coffee sat outside in the sunshine!

The sun didn’t last long, as the clouds crept in the temperature dropped and we retreated inside for a while.  The cycle race was planned to go past the campsite 5 times, and, like the tour of Great Britain which passed through Playing Place a couple of years ago, the number of support cars and motorbikes was astonishing, as well as the cyclists themselves.  We could see them approaching down the hill from Colin, but stood at the side of the road outside the campsite to be up close and personal.

Once the roads were open to the public again we decided to go out on our bikes to check out a couple of local restaurants for our lunch with Francoise and Tony on Thursday.  We were only out for half an hour, and Geoff managed to fall off his bike in the middle of the road, causing a very nice young lady to stop and offer to take him to hospital! Fortunately he had just grazed his knee and was OK, so we decided to carry on as he said he was fine.

Home for an excellent supper.  It is really cold outside and we are very glad of the electric hook up and the reliable heating on this van.

Day 3:  Wednesday 26^th April 2023

Raining this morning but it takes more than a few drops of rain to dampen our spirits when on holiday.  After a breakfast of fresh baguette, courtesy of the campsite, we completed our chores before setting off to walk into the town for a coffee and a sightsee.  We must have driven through or near St Pol de Leon more than 40 times over the past 40 years, yet we only saw a fraction of this lovely town and coastline. 

We walked up to an observation point overlooking the Bay and Ilot Saint Anne.  The view was worth the effort of climbing up the steep hill, fortunately there were plenty of seats at the top to sit and get our breath back!  We then walked into the town through some pretty old residential streets emerging in front of the Cathedral in the main square.  We had a lovely coffee in a bar on the corner opposite the Cathedral before walking down the main street to the Chapelle de Notre Dame and then down to the coast via a beautiful tree lined avenue.

We enjoyed our picnic lunch overlooking the Bay and finished just in time as the rain started again.  It was a lovely walk back around the bay to the campsite, and we were shocked to find that another motorhome was parked in the adjacent pitch, shame because we had enjoyed having our part of the site to ourselves!

We whiled away the rest of the day playing scrabble, rummy and reading, what a joy to just do nothing.

Day 4:  Thursday 27^th April 2023

We woke to the sound of heavy rain battering on the roof of the van, and decided there was very little point getting up early as we weren’t meeting Francoise and Tony till midday, but the rain prompted a message asking them to pick us up en route to avoid us arriving at the restaurant looking like drowned rats.  We still managed to enjoy breakfast, having ordered bread from the campsite again, but this was supped at a leisurely pace.

We waited outside the campsite and were duly collected at midday in a Twingo!  We had long been admirers of this delightful French car and our kids enjoyed the spot the Twingo game for many summers.  We were first to arrive in the restaurant, Quai des Iles on the promenade overlooking the Baie, and I wondered if we needed to reserve but within minutes the restaurant was full of local families enjoying, as we did, superb food and wine.

We started our meal in true French fashion with a Kir as an aperitif and our Menu Matelot, including Red Gurnard as a main course and profiteroles for dessert was excellent value.

We never stopped chattering, and that continued as we introduced Francoise and Tony to Colin III.  There was room for us all to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and more conversation and when we came to say goodbye we discovered that we had all booked the same ferry back to England on 31 May, so we are looking forward to more chatter then!

As we had not done any exercise today, we went out for a walk along the promenade again and out on to the Ilot Sainte Anne.  The views were spectacular but as we walked out we could see the rain closing in so turned home.  We got talking to our new neighbours, an English couple from Devon, Bob and Libby.  They were on their way home having spent a couple of weeks on the south Breton coast and they were kind enough to recommend some campsites.  They came and had a look around Colin as they were considering changing from their caravan to a camper, and of course we were delighted to oblige!

Day 5:  Friday 28^th April 2023

Today was intended to be our moving day, but unfortunately Geoff had a really bad night and was feeling distinctly under the weather this morning.  We were low on water so we needed to move the van to fill up and to empty the waste water, so as we had to move to do both of those chores, we decided to continue on to another campsite.  Part of the deal for us acquiring Colin was that we would both be able to do all the chores, so I emptied the loo (!) and prepared the van for departure, before taking my turn driving.

We drove down the promenade and emptied the waste water at a more convenient service point than that located in the campsite.  We then needed to do some shopping, so called in at L’Eclerc where Geoff stayed in Colin, resting, and I went in to the store, with hundreds of others who I can only assume were shopping for the bank holiday weekend.  I managed to find all the items on our list, but it took ages, as did queuing to pay.

Google maps told us that it would take an hour and 15 minutes to our next chosen campsite near Tregastel.   Geoff wasn’t up to taking a circuitous scenic route so we headed straight there, stopping in a parking area adjacent to the beach at Saint Michel en Greve for a cup of tea before heading to Camping du Port Landrellec.  This site is amazing, and we have a pitch right on the edge of the beach fringed on two sides with high hedges, making a very private large space with a stunning view across the beach in front of us.

Geoff was glad to be settled again, and we have booked in for 4 nights to cover the bank holiday weekend, after which we hope he is feeling much better.

Day 6:  Saturday 29^th April 2023

Geoff was much better this morning, albeit still not back to normal.  Having eaten nothing at all yesterday, he managed some bread and butter for breakfast.  We had a misty start to the day, but by mid morning, I had got the chairs out and sat outside admiring our amazing view as the sun broke through the mist and clouds and stayed for the rest of the day.

We had already planned to have a quiet day, so I took advantage of the facilities and did a load of washing in between reading my book and attempting a watercolour painting. After lunch I rode off on my bike to explore the locale and was delighted to discover more stunning beaches around the corner, very reminiscent of Scilly with the grey granite, seaweed, white sand and a turquoise sea.  I didn’t cycle far, but enough to whet the appetite for more exploring tomorrow and Monday.

I had a lovely chat with Sue late afternoon, before cooking some steak burgers outside which we enjoyed with a salad and some frites a emporter (take away from the campsite snack bar!).  Geoff ate everything, which was a good sign, and then enjoyed a chat with David.

After dinner, we walked along the coastal footpath, the GR34, to the Port of Landrellac, which was really just a jetty and a place to store some small boats, and onto a fabulous beach beyond which the sun was starting to set.  In every other direction the sea mist was creeping in, and before long the sun was lost so we headed home to Colin.

Day 7:  Sunday 30^th April 2023

Nothing much to say today I’m afraid.  Geoff is still poorly and spent most of the day sleeping.  I went for a walk accompanied by a Radio 4 play on my headphones and read my book!

We are hoping for an improvement in both Geoff and the weather tomorrow!

WEEK 2

Day 8:  Monday 1^st May 2023

Today promised to be a much better day, with Geoff having had a full nights sleep and feeling OK.  After breakfast I cycled into Tregastel to stock up with a few provisions, only to discover it was market day, and a huge one, presumably due to the Bank Holiday.  I locked up the bike and wandered around the stalls, which were superb, just as I remembered, but I didn’t buy anything in the market, it just didn’t seem right without Geoff there.

I found my way to Carrefour Express and purchased the few things we needed before finding my bike again.  I cycled down to the promenade, amidst hundreds of cars, and even more people, to find a quiet spot to contemplate the amazing beach in front of me.  It was low tide, so not looking at its best, but with a glimpse of the turquoise sea in the distance, fringed by the rounded pink granite rocks, which this area is famous for, it was idyllic.

Time to retrace my steps and go home, not so easy.  I thought it was a good idea to avoid the busy area around the market and checking my map headed down some side roads through lovely old housing areas to pick up the route I followed into town.  At one point I realised I was heading in the wrong direction, so turned round and soon picked up the correct road.  The bike performed brilliantly and I got home and collapsed on the chair outside and remained there most of the afternoon!

Late afternoon we walked along to the port again and sat overlooking a beach while I did another small painting as a memory (not good enough to display!).  I managed a paddle before enjoying an aperitif before dinner on what has proved to be the best day weatherwise of the tour so far.

Day 9:  Tuesday 2^nd May 2023

Moving day again and actually we were quite sad to leave this lovely site and our stunning pitch located by the edge of the beach.  We showered, breakfasted and were away from the site by 10.30, heading to St Brieuc and a Camping Car dealership.  I drove first through Tregastel and Perros Guirec, this being our only real glimpse of the Granit Rose coast, then on to Lannion and the motorway.  Sadly they were unable to fix our leaking tap until June, rather too long to wait.  We will have to make do with a strip of towel wrapped around the tap which we regularly ring out!  So much for having a virtually brand new motorhome!

We stopped at a Hyper U and stocked up on more food items, plus a watering can, which we should have brought with us to top up the water when required.  We got in a bit of a muddle trying to park, managing to drive into the car park the wrong way and then having to turn around and reverse into a spot.  Fortunately we just fitted under the covered parking area!

Lunch was a jambon baguette eaten in a layby on the way to Erquy, we had wanted to park overlooking the sea, but couldn’t find anywhere on our line of route so ended up driving straight to the campsite, Camping des Hautes Grees.  This is a lovely site, with excellent facilities and individual hedged pitches.  It took us ages to decide which pitch to choose, we are much better off with a designated pitch! The absolute best bit though was the indoor swimming pool, to which we headed once we were set up and had our obligatory cuppa.  We both really enjoyed our swim, although we must remember to buy Geoff some speedo style swimming trunks, his shorts are not deemed acceptable.

We ate our dinner outside, Geoff is still feeling a little delicate so I made him an omelette and I had salmon and of course, a couple of glasses of Muscadet, I nearly nodded off in the sunshine!

A walk around the site, finding a book swap cupboard and disposing of our rubbish rounded off another lovely sunny day.

Day 10:  Wednesday 3^rd May 2023

We woke to another glorious blue day and Geoff collected the bread but sadly it was a bit too windy to sit out for breakfast, my next goal on this trip!  After chores we decided to go out for a gentle walk, down to the beach. 

That was rather an understatement as at the foot of the hill there were beaches almost as far as the eye could see in each direction.  East towards Sable d’or les Pins and Cap Frehal beyond and west to the Ile Saint Michel (known locally as Petit Saint Michel) and Cap d’Erquy beyond.  We were both a little awestruck at how beautiful the beaches were, with the turquoise sea behind.  It was practically low tide, and judging by the evidence of how high the tide reached, it must come in jolly quick to cover that huge expanse. Geoff checked and there was a 10m tidal range. We saw a couple of divers returning from their missions with large bags of spider crabs!

There was a restaurant shown on the map, just up from the Saint Michel beach and we had hoped to stop for a snack and a drink, but sadly it was closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  Shame as it looked lovely, one to note for another occasion.

We walked back to the site via a different route, which took us through a network of paths snaking between what we can only describe as posh shacks!  They were mostly holiday homes, built out of old caravans, or newer chalet style buildings, all served with electric, mains water and waste facilities.  We managed to find a back way into the campsite, clearly not an approved entrance, but no one was watching!

After a late lunch we decided to go for another swim while we had the chance and were disappointed to discover that we had to share the pool with some children.  They were a bit splashy, but were probably just as disappointed that they had to share their fun space with some old fogies!

A lazy remainder of the afternoon preceded a light supper, after which we pretty much packed the van ready for a prompt departure tomorrow.  Geoff had spent some time on the phone today to the Caravan Club to gain some assistance in finding a dealer who could fix our leaking tap.  We are off to Nantes in the morning to visit one, so fingers crossed that does the trick!

Day 11:  Thursday 4^th May 2023

Having made plans to go to Nantes today to try and get the tap fixed, we were up earlier than usual and dashing to collect the bread between some very heavy showers.  After breakfast and some speedy chores, we managed to be on the road south before 10am.

We stopped briefly at a Super U to top up the fuel before continuing around Lamballe to join the N12, equivalent to the A30, to Rennes.  We had decided to stop at an Aire for coffee, but ended up stopping for an early lunch instead.  We shared the driving, but I was the nominated navigator around Nantes to the Narbonne Accessories workshop recommended by the Caravan Club, or more precisely, Red Pennant.  We found the place quite easily and asked in our terrible French aided by a translation app to have the tap fixed.  A very helpful chap explained that the technician could not look at it today but if we brought the van back at 10.30am tomorrow they would see what they could do.

Fortunately, I found a Camping-Car Park site, through my app, just 5 minutes away.  It was a small car park, secured with a barrier and equipped with electric hook up, water, waste and toilet emptying – all for only 13 Euros a night, bargain!

Jean had text me this morning to ask if we were going to travel on the trams in Nantes and visit the mechanical elephant.  Well, it hadn’t occurred to us to do either as Nantes was not on our original plan at all, but plans are made to be changed, so that is exactly what we did.  After parking up and taking on water we caught a bus which stopped just down the road to a tram terminus and from there into the city.  I downloaded an mticket on my phone for the two of us, so we just hopped on and off without paying any extra.  We didn’t have time to visit the elephant, but saw the castle and cathedral, which we recall from visiting years ago with the kids.  We are fairly sure we saw the elephant then too but can’t remember! Thanks Jean!

After rather a lot of walking we found a bar for an aperitif and then a creperie, Au Vieux Quimper, for a Galette complet and a glass of wine for me, orangina for Geoff!  It was just enough for us both and we ambled to catch the tram and the bus back to our little home.  There were a few more vans than when we left, and it looks as though we are sharing this site with 4 others tonight.

Day 12:  Friday 5^th May 2023

We woke to discover that 3 of the other motorhomes had already left the site and by the time we had breakfasted the last one left too.  So, we had the site to ourselves to complete our chores.  I was a little nervous that my smartcard for the Aire might not operate the barrier, but I didn’t have to worry, all was well, and I tapped the card on the reader and hey presto, up it went!

We drove straight to the workshop, and they attended to us immediately.  A very nice man, with good English identified that we needed a new tap which he would have to order, he said it would take a couple of weeks, and he must have seen from my face that was bad news.  He asked us to wait a moment and he went and found a tap, which was a bit bigger than we needed, and it was a little too big but it served the purpose and stopped the leak which was a win for us.

We walked up the road and had a coffee while we waited and then returned to peruse the amazing range of camping accessories in the shop.  Inevitably we found something we couldn’t be without, a griddle for our external gas cooker, to add to the bill.  The bill was higher than we had anticipated, but quite frankly we would have paid more just to solve the problem.  We were suitably thankful before paying and leaving.

En route to our next campsite we stopped for a break in an aire de pique nique to wash Colin, he was absolutely filthy after nearly two weeks touring, and to have some lunch.  Our route then took us over the fabulous bridge to St Nazaire where we viewed some wonderful fishing jetties, similar to those we remember seeing in La Rochelle for the first time some years ago.

We arrived at our site for 4 nights, La Falaise, in La Turballe, as recommended by Bob and Libby who we met in St Pol de Leon last weekend.  It is much busier than we would like and we were unable to secure a seaside pitch, but we have a large pitch and it is easy to access a Super U, the beach and more importantly has a lovely indoor pool, which is immediately behind our pitch!  A bonus is free wi-fi.

After setting up and having the usual cuppa, we set out to get the lay of the land, first the beach, then the site facilities, including the location of the washing machines, the access to the pool and ordering the bread for the morning.  We then walked over to Super U and Brico Marche and picked up a few items, including some speedo type trunks for Geoff to use in the pool, they seem to be stricter here!

When we got back, we changed and went to use the pool as we could see there were only a few people in there.  It was even warmer than the one in Erquy and we really enjoyed our swim after another busy day.

Back to the van for aperitifs, well we felt we deserved a treat!

Day 13:  Saturday 6^th May 2023:  Coronation Day!

Rain!  Really heavy rain pounding on the roof of Colin woke us up this morning, what a shame on Coronation Day.  We had intended getting up early to breakfast and then wander down to the market in Turballe, but we also wanted to watch all of the procession and service, so we decided to take our time over breakfast instead and stay home in the dry!  We had decorated inside the van last night, but when there was a gap in the showers I popped outside and hung some more bunting across the front window.

This is the time when we realised free wi-fi was an absolute bonus.  We had used up loads of data when Geoff watched the football last week, so we appreciated being able to watch all morning without charge.  BBC News allowed us to watch everything, we just missed a few minutes as it was buffering, but our new laptop gave us a superb picture and we enjoyed it very much.

After the balcony appearance, the sun had come out so we decided to put the awning out and I moved the bunting onto that.  Just as we were about to set off on our bikes, a British couple stopped to say hello and ask if we had seen it all, they are further down the site from us and were sporting some colourful bunting and another two vans were flying huge Union Jacks.  As Geoff pointed out, they could have been Brexit supporters rather than royalists, like us!

We cycled into Turballe, the first time cycling for Geoff since his fall, so he was a little apprehensive.  The Port was enormous and clearly had a lot of money spent on it in recent years.  We cycled along the promenade, fringed with bars and restaurants on one side and a huge sandy beach on the other,  then down towards the start of the Marais, known for its salt pans.  On our return into the town, we saw a petit train, and discovered that it operated on Sunday and did a tour of the salt pans, so we are planning to be tourists and do that tomorrow!

Home to have another swim before dinner, for which Geoff cooked his steak outside for the first time this tour and I had salmon with salad.

We had put the sun canopy up today, principally to decorate with the bunting, but it didn’t appear too windy so we left it up when we went to bed.  Big mistake as the wind increased slightly and the flapping noise really worried me.  After a while I persuaded Geoff to get up with me and we wound it back in.  It took us several minutes to pull the tent pegs up with which we had secured the feet, but even longer to try and retract the legs, in fact we ended up breaking one of the legs in our efforts to tuck it back in to the awning.  We were able to wind it up though, the mending of it is another problem for another day!

Day 14:  Sunday 7^th May 2023

After the trauma of the awning hassle last night, we slept quite well.  After breakfast we drove over to the waste water emptying and completed the chores.  There was a gaggle of British men around the toilet emptying area, which was quite amusing bearing in mind we hadn’t come across many here, only the one couple yesterday.

We then walked into La Turballe par la cote, GR34.  The tide was out and lots of rocks were exposed over which lots of people were walking and digging for something, presumably some shellfish of some kind.  There was a poster illustrating the permitted sizes of different fish which could be taken from the beach.

We walked into the restaurant area and booked a table for lunch in what appeared to be a nice-looking fish restaurant with a Menu du Jour at a good price with a good choice.  We had an hour before our reservation time, so we walked out to the end of an enormous breakwater.  It was built very recently, clearly with EU money.  It must have been nearly ¾ mile long and the views back across the port and the town beyond were worth the walk.

Lunch was excellent, three courses for around £18.  We had salmon tartare to start with, followed by Hake in a shellfish sauce and I had crème brulee and Geoff had Apricot tart crumble.  All washed down with our favourite Muscadet.

How to follow that? Well, a ride on a road train of course!  We discovered this yesterday, offering a ride around the salt pans of the Marais, including an explanatory talk as it happened, in French of course,  and then a tour of the peninsula south of La Turballe with stunning views across the estuary to La Croisic.  We thought it was great value for money and seemed the appropriate gentle thing to do after an indulgent Sunday lunch.

The trip was timed to finish in time for us to get home for the Newcastle v Arsenal football match, which unfortunately Geoff had to listen to on the radio as he couldn’t get the VPN to work today.  He is starting to get excited because Newcastle stand a chance of getting into the Champions League this year, fingers crossed!  Newcastle lost 2-0 so someone is a bit fed up.

No swim today I’m afraid as the pool was full of kids when we got back to the van.

WEEK 3

Day 15:  Monday 8^th May 2023

Bank Holiday Monday here, Victory Day, and in true British form it was raining!  We noticed that several vans were moving early today and before long the site was looking emptier.  We decided to have a domestic day, so after breakfast I trotted off to the laundry room to do a couple of loads of washing.  It cost us 28 euros (approx £25) so we probably won’t be doing much of that again!

By the time all was dry it was gone midday, but we packed a picnic and set off on foot along the GR34 in the opposite direction to La Turballe.  The route left the coast and detoured around an older housing area which we found very interesting, having a good nosey at all the houses, many of which had been expensively refurbished in very modern ways.

The path wound back to the coast, and we found a lovely spot for our pique nique on a promontory overlooking a little harbour in one direction and back towards the campsite in the other.  We walked back along the beach and discovered lots of oysters growing all over the rocks, which we have never seen before and huge sea slugs (ringed in red on the photo) in the rock pools.  I saw one large fish but absolutely no crabs!  We also collected a few spiral shells, a favourite seaside pastime of Jenni’s, especially on Scilly, years ago.

When we got home to the van we noticed that the pool was empty, so we quickly changed and enjoyed a good half an hour on our own before someone spoilt our solitude! 

We loaded the bikes onto the back of the van ready for the off tomorrow.  The forecast is for very heavy rain, so if we can minimise chores outside, tis a good idea to do so.

We have enjoyed our time here, but probably wouldn’t choose to return.  It served a purpose in that we had excellent wi-fi, especially good to watch the Coronation, good laundry facilities, an excellent swimming pool, good access to a supermarket and the local town with good restaurants and a lovely beach just a few steps away from the van.  However, it was far too busy for us, and we had no view from the van, so we are hoping for better as we continue our tour around the Breton coast.

Day 16:  Tuesday 9^th May 2023

After a long weekend here in La Turballe it was time to move on, especially as it was raining.  We were all ready to go, just breakfast and water emptying and we were on our way before 10am.  We weren’t on any schedule today, so we enjoyed tootling around the coast and the marshy areas to La Roche Bernard, which we have very fond memories of a holiday with friends around 35 years ago now.

We stopped at a L’Eclerc to top up supplies and then for coffee and cakes before pressing on down through Sarzeau and onto Arzon and Port Navalo, the very end of the peninsula south of the Golfe de Morbihan.  I had found a municipal campsite, Camping Port Sable, on the park4night app and having checked it out on google, we thought we would give it a try.  Well what a lovely site it turned out to be.  No swimming pool, but the most amazing view of a very blue sea.  After choosing a pitch, always a problem, we had to use the ramps to get even remotely level, but it was definitely worth it. 

After setting up we enjoyed a cup of tea and a sandwich sat outside in the sunshine.  Then we headed off on the GR34 again, through the campsite to a lovely beach and onto the coast path which reminded us of the Garrison walk on St Marys.  The very windy route took us back to Port Navalo and all around the edge of the point of the peninsula, which seemed to be a stones throw from the Pointe de Kerpenhir, which together with Port Navalo formed the neck of the Golfe itself.  The views in every direction were breathtaking and I was busy taking photographs.

We walked back to the van and sat outside again with drinks and nibbles.  We had to move our chairs to a sunny spot as the sun had moved off the van by this point.  Chicken and salad or potatoes for supper tonight, and several glasses of Muscadet, it just has to be done I’m afraid!

Day 17:  Wednesday 10^th May 2023

We enjoyed a much quieter night here in Port Navalo, but woke to the sound of rain on the roof, sadly.  However, by the time we had breakfasted and completed the normal chores, it had stopped and we decided to just go for it!  We had planned a day out on the bikes, following lots of bike trails and the coast as much as possible.

We headed first to the Port and then clockwise around the coast stopping at various viewpoints to take in the beauty of the Golfe de Morbihan.  We were here around five years ago with Jean and John and enjoyed a trip to the Isle aux Moines, which was fabulous.  Today we just admired it from afar!

We stopped in the small town of Arzon for a wander and a coffee in a café before heading back to the Golfe again and the Etang de Pen Castel where the map indicated there were picnic tables.  There were not, but we didn’t mind, we found a wall to sit on overlooking the Golfe to eat our jambon baguettes.  I know, we are very boring having the same thing all the time, but the bread and ham are superb!

The rain was evident further north of us, but we were very lucky to escape with just a few drops.  The route to the south took us on a dedicated bike trail which went under the main road through a tunnel! 

Our route home took us first to the sea entrance to the Port du Crouesty, flanked with huge castle like port and starboard markers and then back through the very commercialised harbourside shops, restaurants and cafes to the Tourist Information Office.  Probably a little late to visit here, bearing in mind we are moving on tomorrow, but Geoff just cant resist going in and picking up some publicity!

Home for tea and cakes and a well earned rest.  We had cycled over 26 kilometres (approx.16 miles) and had really enjoyed the views, the coffee, the picnic and the weather – in the end we had only experienced sunshine and a few drops of rain, and we had expected to get soaked at some point.

We spent the rest of the day relaxing in the sunshine, preparing supper and then packing up for our departure in the morning.  This has been an excellent site in a wonderful location, and we are looking forward to more.

Day 18:  Thursday 11^th May 2023

No rain today, but still a little cool to sit out for breakfast.  We left this lovely site (highly recommended) just after 10am and stopped in Super U in Sarzeau for a few basic supplies before pressing on to Vannes.  We had examined the broken leg on the Fiamma awning last night and think we know what we need to fix it, so we were heading to a dealer who we thought was an agent for Fiamma.  Turned out they were one for Thule, a competitor, so we left empty handed.

After crossing the bridge at Auray, with the lovely view to the north over the river side town, we headed to La Trinite sur Mer and then onto Carnac.  We had some great views over the coast and in Carnac we drove alongside the famous standing stones.  Whilst there are an awful lot of them, they are rather small and although we intended to stop for a wander, the motorhome parking was heaving, so we decided to carry on down the peninsula.

At its narrowest point, the isthmus Penthievre, we stopped in a layby and had a picnic overlooking the coast to the east, this being the sheltered side, watching a man in waders fishing.  Then we went for a walk to view the wide sandy beach on the other side where they were sand yachting.  We also walked up to a memorial dedicated to the loss of 59 Resistance fighters in WW2 in 1944.  The 360 degree views here were spectacular.

We had waited till after 2pm thinking the office at the next campsite, Camping les Joncs du Roch, would be open.  It wasn’t and from the notice on the office door would not be so until 5pm!  However, the notice also said to pitch up and notify them later.  This we promptly did and settled on a flat hedged pitch in what has proved to be a quiet site.  The bonus here of course is the swimming pool!  It looked amazing, even though the rest of the facilities were rather tired. 

After our customary cuppa, we cycled down to the port where we hoped to get a ferry to Belle Isle tomorrow.  It was an excellent 10km ride, right along the coast in an area which clearly favours bikes.  We purchased our tickets in a rather smart enormous departure building and were pleased to be able to book exactly what we wanted.  I had tried to do it online, but it had failed at the payment screen on several occasions.

We had a wander round the tourist shops and cafes, but decided to return to the site so we could have a swim in that wonderful pool.  This was the warmest pool of the trip so far, and we think the best in terms of size and shape.  Getting into it was not the easiest though, first we couldn’t open the security gate, intended to stop children getting in!  Then we couldn’t open the door to the pool and the lady in there had to open it for us.  Then we couldn’t make the shower work, which was supposed to be obligatory, so we gave up on that.  Our perseverance paid off though and we had a great swim. A big thank you to Anne by the way for telling us about the great pools available through ACSI!

Day 19:  Friday 12^th May 2023

We were very excited about today, our trip to Belle Isle.  We were up early, breakfasted and out of the van by 8.40am, no mean feat after a few weeks of lazy starts!  We cycled to the Port and were disappointed to discover that the bike racks were full adjacent to the office, so we had to leave them further away from the Port, but outside a security office, so we felt a little more confident about leaving them.

There were hordes of people queuing to board both the Bangor, our boat to Belle Isle and also another to Hoedic and Houat, including a group of very excited school children.  The ticketing and boarding system worked like clockwork, and we were soon on board and seated on the open top deck.  It was a lovely day and the weather forecast indicated it was set to be so all day, but we were conscious that very few other people were wearing shorts, in fact most people looked as though they had dressed for a cold February day!

Our first view of La Palais, the main town on Belle Isle, was of the ramparts of the Citadelle.  This towered over the entrance to the port.  The pretty hotels and restaurants which fringed the harbour promenade looked enticing in the morning sunshine.  We were amazed that the boat moored right up to the edge of the Promenade, where it disgorged several lorries as well as lots of cars and all of us foot passengers.  We wandered around some of the restaurants thinking we would book for lunch but couldn’t find any serving a menu du jour, only a la carte, so we thought we would leave it till later and take pot luck. 

We made our way to the bus station, up a steep hill, and purchased our day tickets (forfait jour) for unlimited travel.  We caught a number 3 bus to Locmaria and then stayed on it to return to La Palais via a pretty coastal route.  We got chatting with Sam the driver who gave us his life story and some tips on what to do for the rest of the day.

Lunch was at the Grand Hotel de Bretagne, which had a set menu for 25 euros, no fish today, but a lovely meal all the same and some rather nice wine to go with it.  It was so nice that on the afternoon bus to Les Poulains and Sauzon, I’m afraid I nodded off!  I woke in Sauzon when loads of people boarded the bus back to La Palais.  With a standing load the driver refused to take the last 6 people.

On returning to La Palais we walked through the town and bought an ice cream which we ate overlooking the harbour, watching some rather posh yachts come in for the night and some tall ships which moored just outside.  We eventually boarded the Vindilis and departed at 5.15pm.  We were tired but happy after a really great day, having been to both ends of the island on the bus.  We were pleased to see our bikes were where we left them, so cycled home for that very welcome cuppa!

Day 20:  Saturday 13^th May 2023

We were so tired after yesterday’s outing we decided to take it easy this morning, and indeed that decision was reflected in the weather.  It was windy and grey outside, not at all encouraging to go out, so we didn’t!  Instead, I read a book, a new one from the book swap in the office here and Geoff read his book on his iPad.

We took advantage of the fact that the French generally stop doing anything between 12 and 2 for lunch, so we decided to go swimming then, and sure enough, we had this wonderful swimming pool to ourselves for almost an hour.  It was glorious, walking into a warm pool while the wind blew outside.  Whilst we were in there the sun came out and the promised better weather in the afternoon looked to be arriving.  When we got back from the pool it was time for Geoff to listen to the Newcastle v Leeds match on the radio.  I retired to a chair outside to read my book in the sunshine.

When the match was finished, a 2 all draw, much to Geoff’s disgust, we set off for a tour of the Quiberon area on our bikes.  We headed first for Port Haliguen along the coast.  This completely took us by surprise as it had been completely updated and looked amazing with a new quay and marina complementing the old.  We were particularly taken by a statue of an old fisherman with a torn net looking across to the opposite old quiay where a naked woman/mermaid emerged from the net.

The modern Capitainerie, cafes and restaurants looked like those we found in Western Australia, so clean and modern.

From there we turned inland, and found our way via an old village and a housing estate, where unfortunately I took a wrong turn and took a few hundred meters to realise it(!) We were heading to Mr Bricolage as we were looking to buy a socket set.  Well, for those of us who like to peruse hardware stores, this was like Aladdins Cave!  To John Weld …. we more than understand why you liked visiting the Brico stores!  We found just what we wanted and inevitably several things we didn’t know we wanted.

My main objective in this cycle ride was to visit the Cote Sauvage on the western coast of the peninsula.  We made it and it did not disappoint.  We parked the bikes up and climbed up on to a rocky promontory to gain a view north and south.  It was spectacular, and being appreciated by a large number of people on this very pleasant Saturday afternoon.

We cycled home via a now familiar route around the coast to Colin to enjoy aperitifs in the sunshine before supper.  Another lovely day.

Day 21:  Sunday 14^th May 2023

We are well into the swing of packing up after breakfast, emptying the waste water and moving on!  My turn to drive again this morning, well at least as far as a supermarket.  Geoff’s reason for my not driving more is that he is a rubbish navigator and I would not wish to contradict my husband!

Just before we reached our planned stop at an Intermarche, I spotted some standing stones in a village called Erdeven, next to a parking spot and pulled in to take some photos.  I thought these more impressive than those we saw in Carnac, but what do I know!

Restocked we then headed to our next campsite but taking a leisurely circuitous route which confused our sat nav.  I had the route on my phone and directed Geoff via what I thought looked like scenic coastal roads.  Unfortunately, some of the roads were not permissible for our vehicle so Geoff had to turn around, and, I will confess, I went wrong with my map reading on a couple of occasions which also necessitated a change of direction for the driver!  Geoff refers you to my comment in the first paragraph!!

We stopped for a picnic lunch on the coast road near Ploemeur.  It was a stunning spot and a convenient seat was perfectly situated for us to view a golf course in front of us and a beach beyond.  We crossed a couple of big rivers en route to our campsite, the Blavet and the Scorff and eventually checked in late afternoon to Camping Sandaya Le Kerou near Le Pouldu, after a wander and a sunbathe on the cliff top. 

This site is not as good as some we have been on, and the first pitch we were given was rather small, but we asked if we could change and are now on a much larger pitch on the edge of the site so feel we have much more space to spread out in.  The swimming pool is excellent, but being connoisseurs of pools now, we would rank it below the one in the last site!

We went swimming just before 5pm and there was only one other family in there, and we were surprised that there was a lifeguard, the first time we have come across one.  There are many more facilities on this site, a large café bar and play areas, and it is clear that it must be heaving in the summer.  One extra on this pitch is a picnic table, so we laid it up for aperitifs and supper both of which we enjoyed outside, as its much warmer today. 

Our visit to Mr Briccolage yesterday was to purchase a socket set which we needed to try and fix the leg on the Fiamma awning.  We had watched a You Tube video on how to fix it, so I had a go and hey presto, it worked!  We now have a functioning awning, albeit it will need a new part when we get home.

WEEK 4

Day 22:  Monday 15^th May 2023

After the stunning sunshine of yesterday, this morning seemed very grey and quite cold.  We breakfasted a little later than usual as the bread wasn’t available till 9am.  We took our time over the chores and had coffee before setting off for a walk.  We wanted to walk on the GR34 around the coast today so decided two feet were better than two wheels.

The nearest beach, Le Kerou, was just 200 meters away and we were fortunate that the sun popped out at the right time as can be seen in the photos.  The coast here was much more undulating than we had been used to further east and it proved more interesting as a result.  There were several gun emplacements and lookouts which were clearly left over from the war and a little further on in Le Pouldu we came across a larger gun emplacement which was open to the public, though not today!  Geoff perused the posters outside and a guide helped him to understand that these formed part of the Atlantic Wall, and was a control centre for the area.

At various points along the route we spotted photos of Paul Gauguin’s paintings.  Apparently this was a favourite haunt of this famous post impressionist artist and the pictures were sited at the points which inspired the work.

We were pleased to discover that the Café de la Plage, with a bar, was open for business, although there were only a couple of people inside.  We enjoyed a coffee before turning for home.  The map tried to take us through someone’s garden but we managed to find a path to enter the campsite through a side gate.

After a cuppa we changed and headed for the swimming pool again and were delighted to find it was empty!  I managed 20 lengths today, the most so far, and Geoff pottered along behind me!  Home for steak, cooked outside, followed by poached peaches and ice cream for supper, delicious.

Day 23:  Tuesday 16^th May 2023

It was a lovely morning and for the very first time we were able to have breakfast outside!  Hooray!  I love to do this and we eat out at home whenever we can, but we hadn’t had the opportunity before coming away this year.

We weren’t disappointed to leave this site.  The pool was lovely and we had a picnic table but it wasn’t enough to make us like it.  The site was trying to be a holiday resort, even had wrist bands which we refused to wear, and we didn’t feel comfortable there really.

We decided this morning to visit Concarneau, a favourite haunt of our family over many years of holidaying in La Foret Fouesnant.  I had researched the parking but when we got to where I was planning to park it was full!  We drove around the port area and found an on street parking place on the side of the road.  We were both wary of leaving Colin and the bikes, but we locked it up securely and monitored it on the app!

A stop at a pharmacie was next on the agenda as Geoff has had a persistent chesty cough over the past couple of weeks.  He was recommended some sirop so we purchased it and he took his first dose there and then.

From there we headed to the Ville Clos, the old fortified town on an island linked to the main town by a bridge.  This was achingly familiar and we walked along the ramparts to the far end and back into the town looking for a restaurant to have moules frites for lunch.  We did, but sadly not the best we have ever tasted but it was a nice restaurant and we enjoyed watching the world go by.

Colin was safe and sound when we returned and our next port of call was Super U in Rosporden, but not before driving around the coast road of Concarneau with its magnificent views across the Baie de la Foret to Beg Meil and La Foret, both of which we intend to visit later in the week.

Shopping and refuelling complete we pressed on to Saint Goazec, a small village close to the Nantes-Brest canal, south of Chateauneuf de Faou.  I had found a Camping Car Park Aire there and it looked like a proper village camp site rather than an Aire which is more like a car park.  We were delighted when we arrived to discover that it was in a lovely setting and whilst there were 31 pitches, only 9 were occupied.  We picked a lovely sunny pitch with lots of grass around it and a stream nearby.  We broke Aire convention and sat out in our chairs first drinking tea and then moving on to wine and Ricard.  We were royally entertained by a couple trying to level their van, particularly funny as we had done the same ourselves only an hour before!

We wandered down to the canal to see where we would be starting our cycle ride from tomorrow.  It looked amazing, more a river than a canal but with locks. 

We have had a great day today, and tomorrow should be one too, if this weather continues.

Day 24:  Wednesday 17^th May 2023

After a very quiet night we woke to the sound of birdsong, lots of it.  Not surprising when you consider we are surrounded by trees.  No fresh bread this morning as we were not on a proper campsite, but we had bought some pain au raisins from Super U yesterday so we had a treat!

It was another beautiful day, so after the normal chores we had a coffee sat outside before setting off for an adventure on our bikes.  We cycled down to the canal and turned left, westbound.  The river, for that is what it appeared, rather than a canal, the River Aulne, was very still, reflecting the trees perfectly.  Until …. we spotted a beaver!  I couldn’t believe it.  I photographed it and took a video and we are quite sure it wasn’t an otter, and beavers are known to be found in this river, so we are sure it must be.  Sadly the photo wasn’t good enough to make the collage!

Further on and Geoff was very taken with a bike maintenance station we discovered alongside the cycle path.  It had every conceivable tool which you would ever need to fix a bike, along with a QR code to identify nearby bike fitters should you need them.

We cycled on to Chateuneuf de Faou where we found a pizzeria, Le Chaland.  We sat outside in glorious sunshine, almost too hot, and I had a huge pizza and Geoff had fish and chips!  Both meals were infinitely better than yesterday and a good deal cheaper too.  We cycled up to the Pont du Roy, the new bridge which overlooked the old with the restaurant in the background before turning around and heading back. 

We stopped en route by another weir and lock, of which we saw 4 in total on our ride, all of them also had a canoe slalom bypass.  It was so peaceful and we hardly saw anyone on the excellent, well maintained cycle path.  We decided to head home and have a cup of tea and contemplate whether to go out again. We had a lovely chat with Jenni and the boys before heading off again, this time in the other direction to the next bridge.  By the time we got home we had tipped the 20km.

We must send a big thank you to John and Val Flatt for lending us a book about the canal.  It was this which inspired us to find a campsite close to the canal to enable a cycle along the towpath.   Throughout all the years we have visited Brittany this is the first time we have explored any part of the canal and we loved it.

Another great day topped off with aperitifs in the sunshine again.  There are 7 other vans on this site tonight and no one else sat outside in the evening sunshine, they must all think we are very odd!

Day 25:  Thursday 18^th May 2023

Today is Ascension Day and as this is celebrated in France, today was a public holiday.  We packed up after breakfast and set off for Rosporden to do a shop at Super U.  Google maps took us on an interesting route down a very narrow road, and then I noticed that I still had it set on bike routes!  Fortunately no one was about so we didn’t have to reverse today.  We had noticed when we were at Super U on Tuesday that it was only open in the morning so we made sure we were on time to stock up on essentials like bread, milk and water!

I had done some research and discovered that there was a parking place for Camper vans next to Rosporden lake so we moved on to there and had a coffee overlooking the lake.  It was too early to try and check into the campsite, so on leaving Rosporden we stopped off in a large layby and gave Colin a wash!  He was not particularly dirty, but he was looking a little grubby so we gave him a good bobby dazzle and he positively shone afterwards!

Our route then took us over very familiar territory through La Foret Fouesnant, our holiday destination for many years with our children.  It was buzzing with lots of cars and lots of people and there was nowhere to park in the village.  We went to check out a new Aire opened up very close to Aunty Norma and Uncle Norman’s house, which looked very good but busy.

We arrived at Camping de Kersentic in Fouesnant (thank you Anne and Terry for the tip!) just before 2pm and we were lucky to find a free large pitch, as we were told they were full for the weekend.  There is no view from here, but it is well located for all we wish to do over the next 3 days.  We were soon settled in with our usual cuppa and belated lunch.  We decided to do some washing whilst we had the opportunity so Geoff marched off to the laundry and I sat down with my book!

This site has a lovely swimming pool and we tried it out just after 4pm and couldn’t believe our luck, whilst there were 4 people sunbathing around the pool no one was actually in it!  We had a good half an hour to ourselves before some others came along.  Due to the shape of the pool I swam circuits today not lengths, I reckon I did about 15!

We decided to cycle down to Cap Coz, right to the very end and back.  What an amazing sight greeted us.  We have lost count of the number of times we have been here, but it never fails to impress.  We were lucky to see it at high tide and the photographs can hardly do justice to just how fabulous it looks – to our kids, who are reluctant to read this diary – we have wonderful memories of this place and hope you do too.

As it was 7pm by now, we felt we deserved an aperitif so stopped off at a bar right by the beach for a kir and a Ricard!  Check out the name on the glass! Home to the van, up a steep hill, thank goodness for electric bikes, and fish (eglefin/haddock) with new potatoes for supper, delicious. 

Day 26:  Friday 19^th May 2023

Leisurely start to the day with fresh bread for breakfast again, this is a habit we really will need to break in a week or so! 

Our mission today was to go to Fouesnant market and then on down to Beg Meil on our bikes.  However, Geoff decided that his cough was not getting any better despite completing the sirop very kindly recommended by the pharmacist in Concarneau so we looked up where the closest surgery was, Cabinet Medical in Fouesnant, and set off there.  We went into the office at 1105 and the receptionist offered us an appointment at 1145, today!  We couldn’t believe it!  We had a brief wander around the market and presented ourselves back at the surgery at 1135.  A very nice young man, probably no older than Jonathan, Maxine David, saw Geoff and gave him a thorough examination and prescribed some antibiotics, because it has lingered so long.  We were amazed, 25 euros, job done!

From there we cycled down to Beg Meil on the most amazing cycle track alongside the main road, fringed with loads of flowering rhododendrons.  Now we remember a flat road from Fouesnant to Beg Meil, a route we frequently travelled in our car.  However, it is actually downhill all the way, which meant it was uphill all the way back!

We cycled right to the end of the road near the Phare and by a wonderful beach with a great view out to the Isles des Glenan.  We remember going there in our own boat in 2006, difficult to believe now that we did that.  I had a paddle before moving on as it was too hot to sit out in the direct sun.  We cycled a little further on to the Plage Kermyl, where I can’t remember visiting before, and found a picnic table under the trees overlooking the beach and I did a small painting for our memory box.

We returned into the village intending to have a drink in a café, but changed our minds, going straight to the pharmacy to cash Geoff’s prescription.  Meds obtained we decided to cycle straight home.  We surprised ourselves that it was much easier cycling back up the slope than we had expected, and we were home in no time to sit out in the shade/sun for half an hour before going for another swim.

I thought the pool would be full today, but although one family were there, the main part of the pool was empty and in a short while we had it virtually to ourselves for a good half hour.  Then, at 5pm, several people showed up, so that was our signal to leave.

We had a lovely chat with Jonathan who rang us from the car on his way to London, then to Prague for Luke’s stag weekend followed by steak and salad for supper, cooked outside.

Day 27:  Saturday 20^th May 2023

The second of our trips down memory lane today.  After our usual breakfast and a leisurely morning we headed off on our bikes for lunch at Le P’tit Mousse on the road to Mousterlin, which seemed a lot longer than we remembered.  This was a favourite creperie over many years and we were delighted to discover that it had been refurbished and updated, in fact we can’t remember what it was called, it may even have changed names, but it was definitely the same building!

We enjoyed our favourite galette complet, and Geoff topped it off with a banana crepe and ice cream, no flambe this time! As we left the restaurant a large group of young men came in and it reminded us of Jonathan and his friends who are all in Prague this weekend for a stag do!

We cycled the short distance down to Mousterlin point and were again amazed by the beauty of this place.  Clearly we were seeing it at its very best with blue skies and bright sunshine.  Our kids used to love coming here and we spent many hours rock pooling and clambering over the rocks, or islands, as we used to call them.  I found a couple of small crabs in a rockpool.

We cycled around the point, which used to be crammed with parked cars, and now has been changed into a wide cycle and walking path, with cars relegated to a car park, some walk away.  The route then continued behind a marsh area and then parallel with the coast right into Beg Meil.  We parked our bikes up and wandered down to the quay and sat a while watching kids leap into the sea off the quayside, and some young canoeists paddling around in an inflatable canoe.  We walked back into the village hoping to find a glacier for an ice cream, but no luck, so we bought two cakes from the patisserie and returned to the quay to eat them in the sunshine instead.

We cycled home on the now familiar cycle track to Fouesnant, overtaking cyclists en route with our amazing GoCycles! When we got back we realised we had cycled 28km and decided that was enough exercise for one day.  We sat outside in the sunshine and read our books, or listened to the football, who do you think did what? Another lovely day in continuing sunny weather.

Day 28:  Sunday 21^st May 2023

Last memory lane day today and we saved the best till last.  La Foret Fouesnant is the village where for nearly 20 years we visited and stayed in my Aunt and Uncle’s holiday home for 2 or 3 weeks in August.  Google maps told me it would take 20 minutes to cycle to their house on unfamiliar roads, so we set off on our bikes.  I was trying to map read and cycle at the same time, memorising the route, and thought I was on the right road, which was taking us a long way uphill.  When we stopped to check the map, we were a long way from where we should have been and the only way to correct the mistake was to cycle back 2km the way we had come! 

We finally found our way to the house via some delightful little lanes hiding some rather lovely houses.  It was a surprise to find that our holiday home had changed so much, having been depersonalised by its new owners, but it still was a pretty house just missing its flowers.  Clearly the changes made it easy to maintain, having got rid of all the planting in the front garden and the hedge in preparation for a new fence.  An interesting change was the installation of solar panels all over the garage.

From here we cycled down to Les Viviers de la Foret, a seafood farm which we used to frequent and which Geoff was keen to visit to buy some oysters.  Purchase made we carried on along the coast road, marvelling at the changes in the infrastructure, a new play park and changes in the road priority to the benefit of cyclists.

Sunday is market day in La Foret and it did not disappoint with lots of stalls: clothes, gifts, bags and hats as well as the usual food stalls.  I bought a new navy jacket and we bought some strawberries from Plougastel.

We had hoped to buy a sandwich from the boulangerie, but it was closed by the time we got to it, so we visited another creperie for a bargain lunch instead. 

Our tour of La Foret was completed with a cycle around the Port where we moored our boat in 2006 for 3 weeks.  It was one of the best holidays we had here and Jenni managed to persuade the Capitainerie that we were entitled to moor there because we were resident in the village!  We took time out on a seat looking back up towards the village to eat our strawberries.

We returned to the campsite via Cap Coz, a much easier journey than the outward one and nearly all at sea level.  Having not had a dessert for lunch we treated ourselves to giant ice cream sundaes in a café overlooking the beach before cycling back up the hill to the campsite, me very low on electric after all the hill climbing we had done earlier.

A last swim was called for and we enjoyed a nearly empty pool for another half hour session.  We weren’t very hungry this evening, but Geoff had his oysters to prepare.  The photograph shows the prepped platter, which he promptly devoured.  They really were huge!

We have really enjoyed our few days tripping down memory lane.  Whilst we visited briefly in 2021 to collect some of my Aunt and Uncle’s things from the house, it was November and we didn’t experience the memory as we have done this time. 

WEEK 5

Day 29:  Monday 22^nd May 2023

Moving day today after 4 nights here in Kersenick.  We were away from the site by 10 and heading to Benodet and then to Combrit to do some shopping at our favourite supermarket, Super U.

We only needed a few food items, so we decided to take the opportunity of starting to buy our wine supply to take home.  We managed to acquire some empty wine boxes and packed them up with 20 bottles of Muscadet.  This is our favourite white wine, and is almost half the price of what we pay at home!

Shopping done we headed to Pointe de la Torche, a headland separating two amazing beaches facing west to the Atlantic.  We parked up in an Aire, and walked out onto and around the Point with its many gun emplacements, yet more leftovers from the WWII Atlantic Wall.  We remember this area being wild and open.  Clearly the usage it has received over the years has eroded the dunes and grassy areas to the point where a footpath delineated with wire and post fencing over the whole area controls where people go, but sadly, makes it quite inaccessible.  We carried our picnic lunch with us looking for a grassy spot to eat it on, but ended up returning to the van and eating it outside that!  However, the views more than made up for that disappointment.

We continued north to Camping Pors Peron on the peninsula beyond Audierne ending in the Point du Raz. We arrived at 2.30 and were lucky to find the owner in reception which wasn’t due to open till 3.30.  It took us a while to set up because we couldn’t make up our minds whether we needed to bother to level the van.  The upshot was that we did, and were surprised just how high up the ramps we ended up being!  Time for the inevitable cuppa before a swim.  This was a much smaller pool than on previous sites, but apart from one other lady, who then left, we were on our own!

Supper was more oysters for Geoff and some large prawns for me with a salad.  The best bit was that it was warm enough to sit outside.  After our meal we walked down to the beach, only 250 metres but downhill, which meant, of course, uphill back! 

Football tonight, an important game for Newcastle, so Geoff was occupied with that while I rang Sue!  Fortunately, Newcastle drew 0-0 with Leicester which meant that they qualified for the Champions League, good news apparently!  On the down side, the signal is so poor here that I had to abandon my call with Sue, to be postponed to another evening.

Day 30:  Tuesday 23^rd May 2023

We decided that today would be a rest day after the busyness of the past few days.  We packed a picnic and headed off on a circular walk, initially to Phare du Millier.  After walking uphill for a couple of miles we changed our plans and headed straight for the coast to then walk back via the coast path (GR 34 again!) to the campsite.  At one point a young deer ran towards us across a field, then saw us and promptly ran in the opposite direction!

The coastline was stunning, we could have been home in Cornwall on the north coast or even on the Scillies.  The sea was a deep turquoise blue and the grey granite cliffs were covered with pink thrift, yellow vetch, honeysuckle and a myriad of other wild flowers and butterflies.  We spied a red spotted moth several times, which was really pretty.

We picnicked on the cliff top before walking back along a rather precarious path.  We spied an alternative route back to the site to avoid the very steep hill from the Plage de Pors Peron where we walked to last night, and were glad to arrive back at the van mid afternoon having completed 4 miles.  It was much hotter today, so after a rest and a cold drink we relished our dip in the pool, especially as we had it to ourselves.

Supper was cooked and eaten al fresco, this is definitely the life!

Day 31:  Wednesday 24^th May 2023

Moving day!  We were up and about fairly promptly this morning and were away just after 10am heading west.  We were heading to Pointe du Raz at the very end of the peninsula on another glorious day.  It was a lovely drive with glimpses of the coast along the way and in particular a bay just before the point where a hotel had a helicopter parked in the car park!

The parking arrangements at the point were very well organised for Motorhomes.  We parked up and then walked to the commercial centre which was packed with creperies, bars and shops, strategically placed to take the most money from the most tourists!

We walked along the coast path to reach the Point and a wonderful statue of Notre Dame for sailors, which was placed overlooking the point and the lighthouse beyond with the Ile de Sein in the distance.  The sea was a vibrant blue and the colours of the wild flowers made for a wonderful picture, not sure that came through in the photos.

We turned inland from here and stopped in a layby for a picnic lunch before calling into Super U for more supplies.  Parking here was a little tight, but we were assisted by a Frenchman who was waving us on to a parking bay!

We drove via Douarnenez and arrived in Camping Car Park in Locranon at around 3.30pm and installed with a cuppa and a cake.  We realised once we were through the barrier that the water and services were outside the site!  So we decided to just collect some water in a bucket and a watering can as we only needed a minimum top up today.  The downside of this site is no electric, but how exciting to see if we can cope!

After a short time reading our books, we got changed and wandered into the village.  What a delightful place, a preserved village looking quite pristine at 6pm now most of the day trippers have left.  We had an aperitif and dinner at the Logis Hotel restaurant, it was very welcome if not brilliant!

Home to the van to find another Chausson motorhome had parked right next to us in a relatively empty site! Why???

Day 32:  Thursday 25^th May 2023

Our first night ‘off grid’ was a success!  No loss of battery power and phones and iPad charged successfully.  Only negative was I couldn’t use my hairdryer, but lets face it my hair is an unruly mess at the moment, especially in all this wind, so that didn’t matter!

The van that parked unreasonably close to us last night left early this morning so we were able to open all the blinds for breakfast.  This was a croissant and pain au raisin from Super U yesterday, having no access to fresh bread today.  We wandered into the village again to do some shopping and to have a look at the Church before heading off.

We planned a fairly long touring day today.  The first port of call was Cameret sur Mer at the end of the Crozon peninsula, but the road to it was quite spectacular with high up far reaching views across the Baie de Douarnenez, including from a layby where we stopped for coffee en route.

We found a good parking spot next to an old station in Cameret and walked along the promenade and out to a promontory with the Tour Vauban located at the end, along with a small, but perfectly formed Church, dedicated to sailors.  The tower has figured on some playing cards we use every evening and I have been wanting to see it for some time.  It did not disappoint and we were fairly blown around the coastline and witnessed some stunning colours in the sea.  We treated ourselves to an ice cream in a café and did some souvenir shopping before heading back to Colin.

The next treat was to drive all around the Point des Espagnols.  The views were amazing and for the most part this was a fairly narrow road, ie no white lines in the centre.  We were lucky not to meet any other significantly large vehicles.  We stopped at the Point for Geoff to examine the naval activity in Brest on the other side of the channel.

We continued along the coast, stopping for tea in another layby overlooking a pretty beach, we were glared at by a walker, we think he thought we were planning to spend the night there.  We weren’t as we had planned to stay in another Camping Car Park Aire, this time with electric.  It was located next to a small lake right by the coast in a place called La Fret.  We filled up with water before parking up and then packed a bag with some aperitifs and nibbles which we took with us into the village and ate and drank them in the sunshine sheltering from the wind by a stone building.  It was only after we had finished that we discovered it was a public toilet!

We were both tired by now, so much fresh windy air today, we didn’t really feel like any supper so just ate up some ice cream and fruit instead!

PS:  the foxgloves are added only because I love them!

Day 33:  Friday 26^th May 2023

I woke to find a couple of text messages announcing the birth of our newest great niece!  Chloe Elizabeth Whiting was born yesterday and weighs in at 6lb 4oz, what wonderful news.  We were delighted.

It was an interesting experience on this Aire this morning.  Most of the vans left before us and we took our time over a leisurely breakfast as per usual and enjoyed watching the others.  My turn to drive this morning as I had set the sat nav and Geoff didn’t need to navigate.  We drove over the most amazing bridge, Pont de Terenez, over the River Aulne (the same river which turns into the Nantes-Brest canal!) very reminiscent of Norway.   I stopped and photographed Colin in front of it, much to the annoyance of a German lady who was trying to photograph it as well!

We stopped at a large Super U just before Brest and had a coffee before doing another shop.  We didn’t need much but we just love to linger and explore these supermarkets.

We had planned to drive through Brest to the west coast.  The drive through the north of the city was interesting especially as we passed several rather smart new trams.  Sadly, we don’t have enough time left to spare a day to go tram hopping here.

We found a lovely spot for lunch in the seaside resort of Plougonvelin, a picnic table overlooking a superb beach with the Point du Raz in the distance.  A long line of school children marched past in front of us, led by their teacher and several helpers, we think they looked like Ethan’s age.

Onward to the Point Saint Mathieu where a stunning lighthouse marked this westerly point.  There was also a huge WWII Atlantic Wall Museum, which Geoff would have loved to visit but we didn’t really have time today.  The road hugged the coast to the village of Le Conquet, where we then turned inland and drove through a succession of large villages, all beginning with the letters Plou, we must ask Francoise what this means.

We arrived at our campsite for the next three nights, Camping du Vougot.  This was recommended by Anne and Terry as having a nice pool and we cannot disagree!  After setting up on an enormous pitch, the biggest by far, and our usual cuppa, we went for a swim.  The pool had been empty when we arrived and as we walked towards it, another English couple were walking the same walk with towels in hand!  We will have to be earlier tomorrow!  This pool was much better than the last two, being rectangular and easier to swim lengths, I managed 36!

PS:  We took a hit from a stone on the road today, which has left a 10mm chip in the middle of the windscreen.  Geoff rang Red Pennant who advised that we leave it till we get home as there is a bank holiday here on Monday, and we couldn’t get any attention earlier.

Day 34:  Saturday 27^th May 2023

A very noisy pigeon tramped about on our roof this morning making a right old racket!  Geoff popped his head outside and frightened him off so we could enjoy our morning tea in peace.  It was such a lovely morning we had breakfast outside for only the second time this holiday.  We pottered around the remainder of the morning not knowing how close to paradise we actually were.

We finally set off after coffee and cake at midday to explore the local area on our bikes.  Our first glimpse of the coastline, with a turquoise sea and brilliant white fine sand, fringed with grey granite boulders took our breath away, it was so like the Scillies.  The view to the Phare de l’Ile Viierge was very hazy so I cheated and included a copy of someone else’s photo!

Quite honestly we think this is the most scenic area we have seen, and that is saying something after the Granit Rose coast, Erquy, Port Navalo, Brelle Isle and Cap Coz!  Every direction we looked there was more of the same brilliant sea and gentle sandy beaches.  The downside was that it was extremely windy, but we even found a solution for that, a western facing shoreline with trees protecting us from the easterly winds.

We decided to lock up our bikes and walk the GR34 around a promontory which took us closer to the coast opposite le Curnic.  We saw a heron and 4 egrits on the shoreline and 5 curlews in a nearby bird sanctuary.   I managed a painting and found a cowrie shell on a bare foot wander along a beautiful beach.

We cycled into the village of Guisseny, not a particularly tourist village, but it had a café for a cold drink and a Carrefour Express for another bottle of milk.  We checked out a nearby restaurant for a possible Sunday lunch, but ended up deciding to have a picnic lunch to take advantage of the weather and scenery while we could.

Home to the van and our plans for another swim were scuppered as the pool was full of families escaping the wind.  We sat outside, behind the van for shelter from the wind, and even managed to eat our supper of home made quiche out there too.

Here’s hoping for another glorious day in this unknown to us, but fast becoming a favourite, part of Brittany.

Day 35:  Sunday 28^th May 2023

As you can see from the photo above, we walked to the beach last night to watch the sun sink into the sea, we are planning to do the same tonight, but for some reason, with all this fresh air, my eyes start to close and ……

Another bright sunny day, but again very windy today.  We had planned to go for a walk along the GR34 with a picnic lunch, but a look at the map had us thinking we wanted to see more further afield.  We packed some basics in the rucksack and headed back to the village of Guisseny on our bikes to the boulangerie to buy bread and cakes.

We also had a coffee in the same bar before continuing into new territory.  We cycled around the Anse de Tresseny to the north of the village and again it looked like a sea of sand, we didn’t see it at high tide, but it must be a very high tide to cover the whole inlet.  We were now on a shore which faced west and therefore was mostly sheltered from this cold north easterly wind.  Again, we were blown away by view after view as we cycled along, stopping frequently to take even more photographs of a turquoise sea and the grey granite rounded rocks.

We stopped first to eat our, by now squashed, cakes!  I had put them in a carrier bag tied to my handle bar and the wind buffeted them as I cycled, so we opened the box with trepidation, but they were still delicious!

We cycled to the point, Neiz Vran, and locked up our bikes and walked round the promontory, with its grassy knoll so similar to the Scillies.  We found a lovely picnic spot out of the wind to eat our fresh baguette with, you guessed it – jambon!  Another beach, with talcum powder like white sand, another paddle, and an opportunity to just lie in the sunshine, out of the wind for a while.

By the time we arrived home we had cycled another 20km on top of the 15km we did yesterday. Admittedly we had assistance but we were still tired and ready for that cuppa.  No swim again because as this site is now quite busy with the bank holiday visitors, the pool is constantly busy.

Geoff listened to the last match of the season for Newcastle before collecting our fish and chips from the campsite bar, a emporter, to eat in our van, no cooking tonight!

PS:  Geoff says: “Champions League, here we come!”.

WEEK 6

Day 36:  Monday 29^th May 2023

Moving day today to our last campsite of this holiday.  The best bit about today though was visiting Francoise and Tony, along with Francoise’s Mum for lunch.  We drove to Plouvien, stopping for a quick visit to a supermarket for some flowers.  Tony had recommended a place for us to park Colin and it was on our line of route, so we had no problems.

Francoise welcomed us and took us straight into the garden for aperitifs, Kir royale with Mure.  This brought back memories of the first time we visited here, which must be nearly 30 years ago with our children. At that time, Francoise’s father introduced us to the concept of Kir in the same garden and we have never forgotten it.

The wind chased us inside for a three course lunch, which was excellent, followed by a tour of Tony’s art.  Well, this was wonderful, Tony is an amazing artist, and according to Francoise and her Mum, has improved greatly over the years, particularly since Covid as he has been able to spend more time doing it.  His favourite subjects in this area were, coincidentally very close to where we had been staying and so the paintings had even more significance for us.  We were spoilt for choice but ended up settling on the one shown at the top left of this collage.  We are absolutely delighted with it.

Time to leave and we said goodbye knowing that we would see them again on Wednesday as we are all travelling back to the UK on the Pont Aven with Brittany Ferries.

Our route to Camping Ar Roch took us across country through some delightful villages and past fields of artichokes.  These were always a familiar sight to us when arriving in Roscoff.

Our pitch has got to be the best of the holiday, with the most amazing views across the Anse du Guillec near Mogueriec, only a 15 minute drive from Roscoff.  It is incredibly windy, 26mph, but we reckon its worth putting up with the rocking van for the sake of this glorious view out of virtually every window.

We went for a walk around the quay, just below the van and back round into the site.  On the way back we tested the outdoor pool and it was like a bath, so warm, so we decided to risk it.  No one else was in there and the waves created by the wind were probably the reason for that, but we fall into the category of mad English people so we braved it.  It was brilliant!  Loved every minute, and even getting out wasn’t as bad as we feared, whilst it was a short pool, I managed 20 lengths.

Not sure how we’ll sleep with this wind rocking the van and making an almighty racket, just like being back in Menagissey Cottage on a windy winter night!

Day 37:  Tuesday 30^th May 2023

Last full day of our holiday and we had survived an extremely windy night, noisy and rocky!  The view was still stunning this morning but a good deal greyer.  The bread wasn’t available till 9am so we used that as an excuse to have a lie in!

When we were having breakfast we decided to see if we could move to a flatter and more sheltered pitch for the last 24 hours.  The site owners agreed to so we moved and were very glad that we did as the wind was definitely stronger today, and didn’t relent the whole day.  The forecast for the ferry trip tomorrow is no better!

Because of the wind, we chose to walk today rather than cycle.  It was a good decision as the coast path revealed more stunning views, the sea akin to the colours in Tony’s painting, views we would not have seen on the bikes.

We headed for a restaurant for lunch only to discover it was closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, as was a hotel across the port, so we retreated to the van for a bread and cheese lunch.

We read our books before walking the coast path in the other direction, along the edge of the estuary, again the colours of the water were magical.  We walked home hoping for a swim, but the pool remained covered and we thought it may do so for the remainder of the day, but no, we were in luck it opened up around 6.30pm.  We enjoyed the pool to ourselves for another 20 lengths, absolute joy, especially at 32 degrees and outside!

Supper was salmon salad for me and steak and chips for Geoff, cooked al fresco, but eaten inside! We will be on the ferry tomorrow, which will be quite boring, so I will end this diary tonight.

The end of this holiday, where to begin to sum it all up …. It has been an absolute delight.  After a shaky start with Geoff falling off the bike and then not being very well for several days with a lingering cough, we both immersed ourselves in this van life and went from being quite nervous to fairly confident motor homers.  So much so that we have booked a ferry to Ireland at the end of June to continue our adventures before our lives change again with the arrival of a new grandchild in August.

Key statistics of this holiday

• 1100 miles driven
• 15 campsites or Aires stayed on
• 8 swimming pools and 17 swims
• 192 kilometres cycled
• Approx 125 miles walked

Key memories of this holiday

• Profusion of wild flowers, especially poppies
• Roads in good repair
• Good infrastructure in towns and villages
• Polite people – everyone says bonjour!

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