Saturday 9th June 2012, 58 miles, rain & some wind.
Actually, when we woke it wasn’t raining and the wind was not quite as strong as the day before. We soon realised we had been very lucky with our trip into town that day, as we stopped in nearby Pont Aven. As soon as we stepped out of Horatio the heavens opened. We toured the very pretty small town of Pont Aven, but were none the wiser as to why Brittany Ferries have named their largest vessel after the place. Its famous (aka locally well known) for being the town of 15 water mills and 14 houses! Several mills are still there, and signs with reproductions of some early works by Gauguin, which he painted there. Given some sun we would probably have stayed for lunch, but it just wasn’t working for us so we moved on.
B with his big brolly
A very pretty Pont Aven, the bridge was just a bit further down and we coveted a stone house on the hill, but not the steps to get up to it!
Next stop was Carnac. Interestingly, as in Karnak in Egypt, this is a site of ancient relics – here ancient Bretons seemed to like assembling large stones in various arrangements about 4000 years ago.
We found a large aire at the edge of the town and decided to stay there as we had got a spot – it was nearly full – and see the stones the next day. Instead we people watched from a table at a nearby bar – there were 2 weddings going on so there were plenty of sights to see.
Back to the aire, which, incidentally, was located next to a building site with – you’ve guessed it – a large crane overhead – literally for our pitch. At least that meant you could only see it through the skylights. We focussed on the adjacent pizza emporium and got a takeaway “Carnivore” (with potatoes on it?!) to share.
Horatio (second from right) and all his new friends!
Sunday 10th June, 95 miles, rain, sun and clouds, wind and more rain.
Each morning I wake thinking that I must get into my early morning power walk routine. Each morning it’s raining so I don’t. Is someone trying to tell me something? We waited for it to stop, but it didn’t. So we packed up and went to see the stone alignments of which there are several. After the first – which you are not allowed to visit properly due to “conservation of the vegetation” – even joking about Obelix and his menhirs was not enough to keep our interest. Especially when it turned out that B has never read the books. Fortunately I have a full set waiting at home that I said he could catch up on when we return….. 😉
His expression says it all....
Then we went to look at an aire near Vannes on the Gulf of Morbihan. Nice spot – or would be if the sun was shining. The Gulf is basically an inland sea, with a small mouth joining it to the Atlantic. It looks like a big lake, with lots of trees round it and inlets and is obviously a great place for watersports in good weather. However, for now rather boring weather based reasons we decided to move on. It only really works for us if we can get Kymi out and explore an area, otherwise you go from place to place desperately trying to find somewhere to park which is in walking distance of your target.
We headed south again, to the area near Nantes which is part of the Pays de Loire. B decided it was time for me to do some more driving. Each time he does this we are on a dual carriageway, but suddenly have to leave it and do lots of winding narrow roads or roundabouts. This time we did a bit of that, got back on the main road and rounded a corner to see the most amazing huge bridge that we were about to drive over! So I did – a bit white knuckled at the top as the wind was pretty gusty. The views were amazing. We had crossed the mouth of the River Loire.
I drove Horatio over that!!
The sun had come out when we stopped for lunch at a Courtepaille (2 large burgers with chips, salad and bread and 2 large coffees for a tenner!). It stayed out over the bridge and until just before we stopped at our aire for the evening – right on a small headland with views back to the bridge, which quickly disappeared into the returning murk.
B just asked me – is that the reassuring sound of it xxxxing it down again? Mais oui.