France 2024

We opted for a shorter trip this year. Both of us and the car are getting older, and it is around 4 years since we have done stuff like this, so a short trip around Brittany seemed to be a good idea.

Overnight to Roscoff from Plymouth was not as much fun as in former years, principally because the boat docked and spit us out at around 6am French time, which was 5am English time. So we were a bit bleary eyed as we trundled along the cobbles of St-Pol-de-Léon looking for a decent breakfast, and a hotel within easy reach of Roscoff for the night before our return.

Then it was down beautifully tarmacked, empty roads to the Hotel du Lac in Huelgoat. It was a very encouraging drive, a good bikers road, a bit like the Exe valley road to Exmoor. We stayed by the lake in Huelgoat for three days before moving on to Guernendalen, and a comfy gite there.

We spent half a day in Quimper on our way to Pionevez-Porzay in the warm sunshine admiring the totally massive cathedral, and here we are up to date.

Our next move is to a hotel in Corzon, followed by a few nights at a gite on the way back to Huelgoat.

The map will give you a rough idea of the entire trip, which so far has been enormous fun.

You can click on a picture to get a bigger one with < and > at the sides. Click on the cheverons to move through the collection.

The remaining pictures are taken in Quimper.

We visited Doauranez on a blistering hot sunny day and just hung around the harbour which is in asort of fijord. The last two pictures are of a big sandy beach with sand dunes just around the headland.

The Guide Books tell us of a very pretty, typically French village called Locronan, about 5 miles away. So we rolled up there, and went for a ramble around the ancient buildings. Very quiet and still. Nowhere to sit, lots of gift shops. Traffic free. Pictures below. Pix taken June 8th. Saturday

We aren’t actually staying in Crozon, but at a hotel on the waterfront in la fret, on the north side of the peninsular. We arrived here Saturday June 8th. We are here ‘till Tuesday 11th.

Monday 10th June.

We went for a short ride up the peninsular to see Brest from le point des espaniols. The fortifications are undergoing renovation, but we did see a really big gun that they had there, and a lovely sailing boat.

We are now in deep country at a place called Saint-Cadou, south east of Sizun. Internet is difficult. Here are some pictures of the amazing Terenez bridge we drove across on the way here. Tomorrow we shall be at Huelgoat again.

We said goodbye to the bridge and continued on our happy way to Kergudon. Here are three pictures of where the weekly wash was done back in the day. There is a shot of the church, and another of the Spider outside the Bed and Breakfast we stayed in called the ‘Stable’. Ben fetched our breakfast on two big trays. I accidentally broke the UK panel off the numberplate whilst unloading the luggage, so I created “use number 101 for Gaffa-tape” and mended it!

We liked Huelgoat, so we returned to see a couple of things we missed during the first visit. Firstly we set out in quest of Le Champignon, the Mushroom, which is a huge rock that somehow ended up on top of two smaller rocks. Then we went off to explore a disused silver and lead mine. We followed that up by finding the mine museum, which was closed.

So we finally arrive back at Roscoff. We made a detour to have lunch at Cafe du Port the same little cafe we visited 17 years ago, in Le Dourduff en Mer. We tasted oysters for the first time. We didn’t like them. Good job that was only the starter! A most enjoyable evening was spent in Roscoff at l’Ecume des jours.

So we went home…