France - Normandy and Brittany - 24 Jun to Jul 18 week 2

Sun 1 Jul - It rained in the morning as we set out across Brittany.  We went into Dinan but, being Sunday, it was very busy with both traffic and pedestrians and we couldn't find the aire. We had a couple of shots at it but when the GPS took us up a very steep hill to a narrow gate into the old town we pulled the eject handle, reversed and hightailed it out of town, eventually arriving at the very peaceful and restful site at Le Chatelet near St Cast le Guildo. Of course, being French, the reception was closed for lunch for about 8 hours so we had the usual wait, but eventually we booked in and found a lovely pitch overlooking the sea. We decided to rest up for a few days as we have been walking for miles each day and we were knackered.

Testing the new sun awning. Very effective

Mon 2 - It rained overnight. We walked into town to the splendid market, which was so much better than the overhyped one at Dinard. We stocked up on fresh fruit and veg, including some delicious cherries. In the afternoon we just relaxed.

On Tuesday it rained again in the morning. So much for a thorough test of the new sun awning! We walked to town around the port, stopping to buy some clobber at the very nice chandlery shop. We climbed back up the hill, around the headland and headed back towards the campsite around the coast, but the bugs were quite fearsome, so we aborted the coast route and went back via the road. In the evening we wandered down to the beach to watch the sun set, but unfortunately our flask of red wine leaked.

Attacked by bugs

Wed 4 - We moved on again as our lovely sea view pitch was booked. Drove to a lovely site near the sea named Camping Les Plages de Beg Leguer, Lannion. There was not much around the site town wise, but two or 3 glorious beaches, albeit there was no swimming due to some form of pollution.  The delightful site bar even had decent beer for a cheap (by French standards) 4 euros a pint! We wandered down the main beach and, in the late evening, sat on a fortuitously placed rock to watch the sunset. The rock wasn't such a favourite spot when a loud screech destroyed the peace and quiet as something scuttled over her foot!

Thurs 5 - we walked around the coast route and to the beach bar for some delicious local moules frites and crepes and a very nice chilled rose. In the evening the temperature dropped and it  got really cold. A spooky fog rolled in off the sea and the cold, dank aire sucked all the warmth out of the van. It was a chilly, uncomfortable night.

On Friday we lazed around waiting for the weather to improve. It didn't.

The sun finally decides to come out. Better late than never!

Sat 7 - Onwards towards Finistere and an aire in the village of Huelgoat high in the Parc d’Armorique. It is a very pretty village with a large lake built in the 18th century to help with the task of extracting silver lead from the valley. Behind the watermill at the end of the lake you descend into the Argent Valley and you suddenly find yourself amidst a mass of magical mossy boulders in the forested valley. This is a place of imagination and Arthurian legends that have stirred the Breton imagination in fabulous ways. One rung of steps leads to the so-called 'devil’s grotto' via an unnervingly narrow descent. In another spot lies the trembling rock, a massive boulder that is so finely balanced that you can move all 160 tonnes if you push in the right spot. Its a fascinating place.

Roche Tremblante (trembling Rock)

France - Normandy and Brittany - 24 Jun to Jul 18 week 1

Sat 23 June -  after a hectic 2 days visiting mothers in the awful capital city,  it was a leisurely run to the Chunnel, an easy crossing, and a quiet night in the very busy Cite Europe. Regrettably it's now cheaper for many items in the UK than France, so we had fuelled and  provisioned before the crossing. It was probably the least we had ever spent in Carrefour.

Sun 24 -  Cite Europe to Le Croytoy. Decided that we would travel non-toll. Big mistake! We were held up at a theme park with big queues waiting to get in and the roads, and the constantly varying speed limits and speed humps, are slow and laborious. The Aire at Le Croytoy was very busy, but we parked up and, as it was a nice sunny warm day, we walked along the beach at low tide and could just about make out the faint glimmer of the sea in the far distance. Does the tide ever come in here? It is a very pleasant little place though.

Le Crotoy

Busy Aire

The sea is out there somewhere

Mon 25 - Le Croytoy to Deauville. On to Normandy across the very impressive Pont de Normandie and stopping at a nice little ACSI campsite just outside Honfleur. We walked along to the supermarket to restock and then dossed around the pool.

Pont de Normandie

Tues 26 - We went on a Bus adventure into Deauville. We knew that there was a bus, but it was a guess as to where it stopped and what direction it was going in. It was 15 minutes late going out and even later coming back, but I suppose that we have been spoiled by our recent German excursions. Deauville is a bit overrated and we were disappointed as it certainly didn't live to the hype. It's not desperately bad, but I don't think we would rush back there.

Deauville

Deauville

Wed 27 - drove to another nice ACSI site, Camping La Route Blanche, near Granville on the bay of Mont St Michel. 15 euros for a great site - swimming pool, bar, restaurant, spotless showers. Stick that up your bum camping club!  We walked along the beach, had a swim, then cycled further along the beach to watch the sun go down. Two horse riders were galloping through the waves. The horse stopped, but the rider didn't. Splash - very funny.

Mont St Michel Bay

On Thurs 28 we walked to Granville following footpaths and the beach, past a golf course and racecourse, up hills, through cemeteries, round the garden of the Musee de Christian Dior, up to the old town and back along the beach, admiring the mussel beds on the way. 11 miles in all. When we got back we played on the water slides like a couple of kids and had a beer. Knackered. Granville is a delightful town - well worth another visit.

Granville

Granville

Fri  29 - drove around St Michel's Bay to Brittany and another ACSI site,  Camping Touesse, near Dinard, which is the town across the estuary from St Malo. We walked along the delightful  coast path around numerous bays, saw  a lovely sailing ship, wandered around town, walked home, swum in the  pool and relaxed. The sites are certainly getting busier now.

On Saturday we walked to market in Dinard, then took the ferry to St Malo, walked around town, ferry back, walked home, then took ourselves off to watch the sunset on the beach, which was still very busy at 10pm.

Some sort of fancy dress race around St Malo

St Malo

St Malo

St Malo