We drove south and the east to Granville a fairly big city with a harbour.
Some sight seeing over the harbour and beaches
and an amazing but expensive lunch Oysters (huitres) which were huge and scollops sharing the dishes with wine and beer. $110 but a real treat.
We left Granville mid arvo and drove to a campsite 9 kms from St Mont Michel.Not a great camp, we had a tree stump at the entrance to our site which hit the step and damaged it.
John manager to fix enough for it to work but not thoroughly so hoping the camper hirer wont notice! Plus cold showers and no loo seats …..what is it with the French !
Mont Saint Michel.
We caught the bus out to the Island and climb up through the ramparts to the Abbey , paid to go in the wander up a million stair throughout the abbey , amazing!
History
In 708 , Aubert, Bishop of Avranches had this shine built on Mont Tombe in honour of the archangel and the mount became a pilgrimage destination.10C it became a community for monks, the village was established in the 14C. It has had a multitude of roles its ramparts withstanding attacks by the English. It was used as a prison in 1863. Now a UNESCO site.
We drove on to Saint Malo and rested for the afternoon.
Saint Malo
the old city has walled ramparts surrounding it, which we walked around. The beaches explored and views to the National fort seen.
The city was a 40 mins walk around the harbour from the van park.
The inner city very touristy with lots of tourist shops and creperies. We had a fish seafood stew!
We tried some local biscuits, samples in the shops , the area know as a biscuitiers and also a local pasty called Kougin Amann , a highly fattening pastry 40 perc flour 30per sugar and 30 butter, it was yum but couldn’t eat it all! The pastry and cakes shops were everywhere some cakes enormous.
Cancale
We detoured back along the coast from Saint Malo, as a u tube we watched showed this town to be the oyster city of Brittany.
We stopped and walked down to the harbour stopping for prawns, Oysters and little salmon buns standing outside the shop.
Along the harbour to the oyster markets and restaurants having a yummy crepe and coffee while it rained heavily for over an hour. We had hoped to see the oyster farms but the tide was to high.
We walked up hill into town and found the pastry shop we had seen on u tube called the Grain de Vanille indulging by buying a vannile mille like a french vanilla slice and tart.
The town square had the usual church and a lovely statue.
and a lovely Marie, town hall.
Back to the car and drove onto to
Cap Fréhel
where we stayed in a Aire.
Next day we walked to the Fort du Frehel which was closed till 10:30 and being only 9am we didnt wait and went on to the cape and walked out to the new and old lighthouses, also closed .
What is it with the French everything is always closed.
Perros- Guirec and the cote de granit rose.
A great campground right in town ( except the cold shower).
We wander along the beach front and enjoyed beer and ice cream. looking back towards the waterfront from the harbour.
Next day stopped at the rocks, pink granite as this area is called the cote de granit rose.
the over to Saint Guirec where we did the headland walk along the pink granite rocks from the beach / harbour in town and to the lighthouse Plare de Men Ruz
The afternoon was spent doing a boat trip to the Sept lles ( Seven islands ) which is bird santuary.
Dinner in town was lovely but having to wait till 7 for the restaurants upset John.
Plougastel- Daoulas.
A long drive across Brittany.We stopped here in this town to see the calavary. There are many of these across Brittany they are religious monuments built to thank god for the end of the plague epidemics in the late 16 th C. They all depict scenes from the Passion of christ.
and we choose this one to stop and see. Our french friend Anne has suggested this town. Why? It was a dump !
We saw the calavry built at the beginning of the seventeenth century and said to be one of the most beautiful calavaries. Had lunch and left for
Crozon.
The drive here went through Bois de Roz and a past the canal de Nantes d Brest. plus the scenery into this area.
When we got to Crozon aire it was a boom gate where you have to have a special card which the machine wont accept us so we left after a few pictures and moved along the Baie de Dourarneaux and beaches staying at a very quiet campground near Plomodiern. above.
We woke after me having a bad night and in the loo, to drizzle wind and cold and decided not to go to Pointe de Raz and walk the coast walk where we wouldnt see much for the fog, so off to
Pontrieux
We stopped at this small town and tried tofind somewhere for lunch., finally a bakery was open. we strolled the canal and saw the old washhouses by the river. a pleasant stop.
Concarneaux.
We stopped here on the outskirts for the Bricolarage (hardware) and on the way back for E Clerc shopping .The town looked lovely as we drove around the port beachs and centreville but alas no where to park. So off to a Aire in Vannes. The town spans the river Cher.
Vannes
A lovely city where we took bus7 into town, the bus stops at the Port. We walked through the gate of the old town
found the markets were on, a brief look and wander the cobblestone street where their were lots of very old wooden houses,some very crooked.
We found the Gardens near the ramparts most of which was built over but there was view point from them over the gardens
after walking through the permanent market hall it was lunch , a three course for 22 Euro, I had the mushroom entree John the rest.
Then it was the bus back to the Aire and off for a overnight stop near Nantes. We are now on our way to the the Loire valley, next blog. but on our way we stopped a small town near Oudon a tower close to the road.
The town had a music festival on so we continue to Ile croton for a overnight stop exploring the town which was up a steep hill finding somewhere for dinner.
Our camsite by a small area of the Loire River.
