Brittany to Britain

Wednesday 22 May 2013 and Thursday 23 May 2013

The Purpose of going to the camp site was two fold, firstly to use the internet which we did with abandonment. We have so much to do in the short time we have back in the UK so it was on we went to sort it all out. Secondly, it was to prepare ourselves for the return journey and clean the van and do the washing. 

We broke the back of the long list of things we on the first day which was as well, as Thursday the weather closed in and it rained in the afternoon and evening. 

Friday 24 May 2013

The heavy rain woke us up at 5am and we didn't really get back to sleep again. We held out till 07.00 and put the kettle on. By the time we had showered and had breakfast and Petra had her last look on the internet it was 11.00 before we set off on the 290km drive to Dinan south of St Marlo. Most of the drive was on Motorway and the 3 hour journey flew by. We had our lunch sitting outside a garage restaurant watching the rain come and go.

We arrived at Dinan at about 14.30. The Aire is situated at the bottom of the town near the river and nestling under a huge viaduct. we had to pay for car park up to 19.00 (€2.40) then it was free to the morning. After settling Bertie in the Air and a cup of tea, we set off to explore.

Walking out of the car park we turned right and walked down to Dinan Port some 200m away. The views as walked along were really nice but were just a taster of things to come. As we walked along the riverside path past the Boat Trip kiosk we turned left and started the clime up the cobbled street which took us to the walls of the medieval town and into it’s heart.

The walk up the hill was amazing, the architecture so complete and picturesque. It was difficult to know where to point the camera. As we approached the top of the hill there was a turn to the right which led up steps (and more steps) until you eventually arrived at the top of towns wall. The views of the town were well worth the effort and very interesting. We walked along the walls for 100m or so and dropped back down to street level. Carrying on up the hill we eventually came into the town centre and the main shopping area. The fantastic wooden medieval houses didn’t stop in the centre, it just seemed to go on an on for ever. How this town survived the two wars and the centuries is a credit to the people of Dinan.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Dinan and we would say no trip to Brittany would be complete without visiting it. It was lovely to look around the artisan shops and the ambiance of the town simply made it a joy to be there. This was despite the threatening weather. 

Saturday 25 May 2013

It was a shame to have to leave Dinan it was such a lovely place, but onward and upward as it were. After a quick stomp down to the bread shop and an Artisan baguette in the larder for later we were off bright and early. 

First stop of the day was St Malo. Now St Malo is of course known as a ferry destination, but I bet not many people know that its origins can be traced to a Welsh monk called Maclou (hence the name), as we drove through the fairly extensive outskirts we were wondering if we had made the right choice. The Aire is situated right in the harbour area and next to a main road. Things didn’t look up as we walked down the road to the old town. We were surrounded on all sides by piles and piles of wood it was everywhere but the smell was lovely. Always loved the smell of knotted pine in the morning. 

Walking down to the marina we stopped at the lifting bridge and admired the views. What was in front of us was the huge walled fort, a fantastic stone construction complete with ramparts that completely encompass the old town 1754 meter long. It was constructed between the middle ages and the 18th century. Its heyday was in the 17-18th century thanks to seafarers and merchant shipping which of course still goes on to today. It is an impressive sight to see.

Walking to the old gate entrance we saw a Carousel which had been glassed in all around. Don’t think we’ve ever seen one like that before. Mind you with the weather like it has been lately it’s probably a good idea. As soon as you walk inside the walls the atmosphere changes and you get the feeling of narrow streets which is exacerbated by the hight of the buildings. Around the walls were shops and cafes and trees it gave a very nice feel. Walking up the high street it soon became clear that the shops were geared up for the tourist trade and we were enticed into any number of souvenir and boutique type shops. You could easily spend a hefty wedge here.

We really enjoyed the shops and eventually came out through another gate on the west side of the fort to the sea. We sat on a bench for a while and enjoyed the stunning views across the entrance to the harbour. Back through the gate there is a set of stone steps that lead to the top of the ramparts, the walk along them was simply magical. With the sun out and the wind dropped and the smell of the sea in the air, it was a lovely day. The sea was a beautiful turquoise blue with Old Gaffs sailing by. We must have walked a good km on the walls stopping all the time as there was so much to see. 

Saturday is kite flying day and we saw a man flying his large scale multi-coloured  Mantray. Wow, it was huge and looked so majestic in flight. There was also a collection of guy’s flying their stunt kites. It was all brilliant.

In the end we had walked all round the walls and ended up back at the Carousel coming from the other side. Back at Bertie we had our lunch and decided we really didn’t want to stay on the Aire overnight so we would move on.

Looking through the Aire’s book we found a likely contender, a small town called Dol de Bretagne (hope you are all following this on the map) and only 30km away. We arrived there at 13.30.

Now, one thing we keep forgetting is that in France everything shuts for lunch. Even on a Saturday and for two hours from 12 - 2pm. We of course walked into the town at 13.30 and it was all shut. But it was the strangest thing, the place was completely deserted. At Dol de Bretagne they have a lunch break and they all have one. They also have a public address system and every shop down the high street has a small speaker at the first level of the building. It plays non-stop music. So there we were walking down the empty high street listening to ‘Wake me up before you go go (Wham)’, ‘Total eclipse of the heart’ (Bonny Tyler) and Queen echoing around the place. It was a but apocalyptic and surreal and felt like we had stepped on to a movie set where the participants had somehow vanished.

In the end we took a turn off the high street and found the Cathedral. A mammoth construction for such a small town with the most peculiar tower. Most un-Bretton like and a bit on the ugly side. The inside was lovely and the stained glass windows a treat. Whilst pondering over the one in the naive a small elderly French gentleman approached us and started talking to us. We told him we were numpty English and we didn’t speak French, but it didn’t deter him one jot, no, he just carried on at full speed. We did manage to understand that he was a pilot during the war. We would have loved to have been able to have heard his story.

By now we had been on our feet most of the day and we made our way back to Bertie for a rest. Not before stopping however, at the local Patisserie and bagged a couple of slices of Flan. We enjoyed them with a freshly ground mug of steaming hot coffee. A perfect end to a perfect day.

Nice right hook!

Brittany

So it is with a bit of sadness that tomorrow we leave Brittany. We have really loved our month away and the stay in Brittany has been wonderful. Yes it could have been warmer but it hasn’t stopped us doing anything, the people have been friendly, kind and inviting. The scenery spectacular and the towns enchanting and full of history, art and culture. There is no graffiti, or rubbish on the ground, the houses are well kept and the gardens (both civic and civil) are beautifully kept. Some of the best being road traffic islands.  If you were to ask would we come again the answer is absolutely, If you were to ask would we live here we would also say absolutely. The only problem is where? with so much going for it Brittany is a very hard act to follow.

Sunday 26 May

We travelled 213km today and ended up just outside Le Havre in a small village called La Viviere St Sauvier. It nestles in the shadow of the huge bridge that spans the Seine and one that we would be crossing tomorrow. As a result there is a slight hum from the traffic. We had a walk around the town which was all closed as usual as it was a Sunday. Threading it’s way through the village is a small river and we stood talking to and old man about the fish, he had a lovely husky type dog.

Back at Bertie we gave him a bit of a spruce up and sat in the sun for the rest of the afternoon. 

Monday 27 May

Can you believe it, yet another Bank Holiday for the French. Mon dieu, they have more Bank Holidays than we have Rrrrroast Bufffff. We were up nice and early and on our way into Le Havre by 9.00am. It was only 20 or so km to the Aire at the port so we were settled in with a cup of freshly ground by 10am. After we went for a long walk around the city.

As it was a B s*****g H nothing of any interest (shop wise) was open so we made our way to the towering church that dominates the skyline. It reminds one of a miniature skyscraper  or concrete obelisk. In any case it deserved a look. On route we walked down the coast to the pebble beach. By now it was really getting hot and the day had turned out splendid indeed. We stood for quite some time watching the lads on their rollerblades, bikes, and scooters performing all their tricks on the largest skateboard park in France. It was quite exciting if not a bit nerve-racking to watch.

St Joseph church is not far from the skateboard park and we made our way down the road with it standing ahead of us. As you near it you begin to realise what a construction this. It is made entirely out of concrete from bottom to the very top. It is an amazing construction but not to everybody’s taste. Designed by Augustus Perret it towers 107m, used 700 tons of steel and 50,000 tons of concrete. The church windows are made of 12,768 pieces of coloured glass. The construction began in 1951 after the original was destroyed in the war, it was completed in 1964. It is now a listed building.

It had to be said that the inside of the church is very interesting as the huge tower is in fact hollow to the top and is visible from the ground. All the way up the tower are the coloured windows which on a sunny day like we had was a joy to see. (see Pics)

So that’s it now in France for possibly a month, we have to go back to the UK for some works to be done on Bertie, go to see Ben Waters at his garden music festival in Dorchester with special guest stars Mungo Jerry (ask your mom!) and of course visit a few friends & family. So when we are back on the road again we will post on Facebook.