A short trip to Brittany – part two

La Ville Close as the fortress is called 

Our journey in Brittany continues as we explore the coastal towns of the southern coast. Concarneau is an old port town with a medieval island fortress linked to the mainland by a drawbridge. People still live and work within the fortress and there are many restaurants and shops for the tourists.

flowers at the entrance by the drawbridge

entrance gate

 

a particularly picturesque cafe

I can just imagine  sailing ships and fishing vessels sheltering in the small harbour behind the fortress, safe from storms.

in the harbour with the modern town behind

walking around the walls

the tide is going out

fortifications on the walls

Nowadays, yachts moor in the basin and the port is home to a large fishing fleet.

Love the little white painted cottages with black slate roofs everywhere in this area

Pont-Aven is on the Aven river close to the sea and is well known for the group of artists referred to as the  Pont-Aven School which included Paul Gauguin, Paul Sérusier and Emile Bernard.

no wonder artists loved the town

River Aven at low tide

With the railway opening between Paris and Quimper in 1862, access to the coast of Brittany became easier and artists from around the world came to Pont-Aven for the summer to work together.

cute local restaurant - though the thatched roof wasn't typical

the french really know how to use flowers

Now the town is filled with art galleries and many artists live here all year round. Naturally, that means many tourists too. We had intended to go to the Musée des Beaux Arts de Pont-Aven as they  reportedly have a wonderful collection on display – but it’s closed for major renovations. Perhaps next year.

typical local house

a beautifully finished boat moored in the river ready to sail off to who knows where

Finally, we visited the Musée du Faouët nearby. It's in a 17^th century former Ursuline convent.They have a large exhibition of a local artist, Jean-Bertrand Pégot-Ogier (1877-1915).He was a painter, photographer and champion cyclist before being killed during WW1.

We bought this as a poster. Love the colours

Onwards to the Loire Valley…..

Bonne semaine mes amis

A short trip to Brittany - day one

Looking out to the Quiberon Bay and the Atlantic beyond

We had never been to Brittany so decided to take a drive north and see what everyone is talking about.

Quaiside at La Trinité-sur-mer

We booked into a lovely B&B at La Trinité-sur-mer on the Quiberon Bay. This is a beautiful region of little bays and surf beaches. It’s protected from the Atlantic storms by the Quiberon peninsula so makes a perfect spot for sailing. That’s why there are marinas full of yachts in every sheltered spot along the coast. In May they held the 6 metre sailing World Cup at La Trinité and a few of the yachts stayed for a little rest and recreation.

The bridge was built in 1956 after the original was destroyed by german bombing.
 Now they come here on holiday.

Lots of tourists of different nationalities were enjoying the mild summer weather – temperatures 10 degrees cooler than in our region further south. Everyone appears to be in a good mood as they enjoy the walk along the quai, or sit outside a bar watching the world stroll by. Seafood is naturally very popular and there are oyster farms in the bay and fresh fish available at every restaurant.

On the beaches of the Quiberon peninsula, there is traditional surfing, kite surfing and  sandyachting.

During the second world war, Fort de Penthièvre was occupied by the Germans. It housed various blockhouses but was mainly used by the infantry. In July 1944, 59 resistance fighters were tortured and buried alive there. It’s now a museum.

Fort de Penthièvre

Behind the village of La Trinité-sur-mer and the neighbouring town of Carnac are Les Alignements (standing stones). There are over 3,000 of them  arranged thousands of years ago , some say as far back as 4500 BC, and no-one really knows why. 

 as big as the car 

How did they move these giants ?

someone is watching you, Graham 

straight lines despite the fields having been worked for thousands of years

They stretch for kilometres in straight lines through the fields. Some have been worn down by weather but many are still giants. It must have been a gargantuan feat at the time. There is a local myth that they are a roman legion turned to stone by Merlin ( the legend of King Arthur is strong in this area ).

End of the day at the end of the bay

Bonne semaine mes amis