Brittany Post # 4

17.05

Farewell to Mont St Michel and Team Derby!!  Into Brittany,  known for it’s dramatic coastline, medieval towns and thick forests. We’re in the Cotes d’Armor region, pretty beach resorts, fishing villages and headlands.  We followed the ‘Route De La Baie’ along the coast into ‘Les Huitres et des Moules’ region (oysters and mussels).  A beautiful rugged coastline with sandy bays and tidal inlets and a great place for walking and cycling.  Through the little village of St. Coulomb to ‘Camping des Chevrets’ half way between St Malo and Cancale.  (14 euros).

 

The camp is located on high dunes with access to a lovely beach and views over a tidal bay. We walked through the camp and down to the tidal bay with it’s sandy beach, ‘Plage des Mites’ and then crossed over the dunes to the sandy ocean beach on the other side, ‘Plage des Chevrets’.  Reminded us of the stunning New Zealand beaches with it’s dunes and golden sand.  We explored the rock pools and then hiked the coastline beach path, passed the ‘nudie’ beach to enjoy a specatacular panorama.

Back to camp and our ‘tres calme’ spot has become a ‘fun village’ with four families, their caravans, tents, kids and dogs!!  Whoopie!!

18.05

A great bike ride through St. Coulomb and farmer’s fields of cabbages and wheat, 12kms to the little fishing port of Cancale.  Cancale is famed for its offshore ‘parcs a huitres’ (oyster beds).  We walked along the charming waterfront with it's seafood eateries and patrons eating ‘fruits de mer’, tiered plates stacked with every type of seafood.  On to the ‘Marche aux Huitres’ (oyster markets) where we bought a dozen No. 2 size oysters from one of the oyster stands.  Opened in front of us and  presented on a plate garnished with lemon (7 euros).  We joined the other ‘oyster eaters’ slurping oysters on the terraces and throwing the shells back onto the beach, so fresh they melted in your mouth, awesome!
 

We biked back along the rugged coastline making a detour to the Ponte du Grouin nature reserve jutting out on a headland.  Mont St. Michel far away in the distance!  Back to camp where we moved sites for a little more peace and quiet!   

 

19.05
 

Wet and wild today, with a strong cold northerly wind!!  People have been telling us it’s colder than normal here and seems to be the same all over France!!  A late start to the summer!!  We postponed our bike ride and how awful having to spend the day reading and relaxing in the van!!  During a break in the weather, we did a circuit of the two beaches.  Three Paraponters are training on the beach.    

20.05

Still raining ‘cats and dogs’, the cold northerly prevails!!  We decided to ignore it and rode through small country roads, farmer’s fields and villages to the fortified town of St Malo.  St. Malo was a key port during the 17^th and 18^th centuries as a base for both merchant ships and pirates.  We strolled the length of the 1.8m high ramparts and could almost see the pirate ships surrounding the town!  With it’s  authentic walls, houses and cobblestoned streets lined with eateries, creperies and chocolateries  you would never guess that in 1944, in the battle to drive German forces out of St. Malo, 80% of the old city was destroyed, it’s been beautifully restored since then.  We had our banana baguette overlooking the old town and headed back before the next downpour taking the coastal route then the little country roads.  Back to camp after 24kms for much needed hot showers and a hot cuppa!! 

21.05  
 

The plan today was a simple 40kms trip to a municipal camp in Dinan, one of Brittany’s most beautiful Medieval Towns and stunning old Port. We planned to ride the rail trail back toward St Malo and a picturesque town called Dinard and also a canal ride from Dinan toward Combourg.

However the municipal camp was closed and the GPS kept trying to send us through a 3m high tunnel toward the old Port, Lefty is 3.2m high!  After several attempts and trying to go down a one way street the wrong way, we abandoned and headed out of town to reassess.
 

We drove another 20kms without finding a campsite so turned around and headed back to a small town called Pleudihen-sur-Rance which is halfway between Dinan and Dinard.

Established camp and headed for Dinan on our bikes only to find the bridge to the canal route was closed for repairs.  Had to take the long route following farmer’s fields and arrived at Dinan with only enough time for a quick look before returning home (31kms).

 

22.05
 

Decided to try and find an alternative bridge to Dinan to ride the canal path.

We found one after 16kms of back roads and were finally on the right side of the River Rance (Pont St Hubert).  Still no luck finding the canal so continued on back roads and farm tracks  to Dinan.  Finally the canal in sight and a picnic planned in the sunshine.

Pamo took this opportunity to spectacularly fall off her bike at great speed!!

The Pompiers (ambulance and fire) were called and we were whisked off to hospital with sirens blaring!!  Pamo suffered a concussion and a cut to her chin requiring three stitches.
 

Luckily both Pamo and her bike came out of the accident with little damage and the help from everyone was fantastic.  Col suffered a mild concussion of his own when presented with the medical bill!!

Pamo declared herself medically unfit to cook dinner so we had a fab meal out overlooking the canal.  Steak frites and salad with coffees (21 euro).

A careful return home and a total ride of 42kms.

 

23.05

To get some distance behind us we hit the Motorway!!  We travelled 240kms through Langeux and Morlaix  to Portsall, northwest of Brest on the Coast, into the Finistere region. This region of Brittany is known for it’s wind whipped coastline, lighthouses and lashing waves.  It was founded by Celts who sailed from parts of Britain to settle here.   Our destination has been influenced by Don and Val’s blog (Lefty’s previous owners.)  We found the same beautiful ‘Aires’ they utilised with beach views and Lefty is in almost the same spot as three years ago.  There are about 12 other vans here, it’s a great spot.  A walk along the white sandy beach and a quick look at the Port – we’ll explore further tomorrow!!

24.05    
  

The rain has cleared so we hiked for an hour and a half along the rugged, but very beautiful coast, dotted with white sandy bays, through little villages with their stone houses, built to resist the wild climate, passed playful foals in the fields up to the lighthouse. Wild and wonderful!!

Back to the little Port with it’s few restaurants, Creperies and colourful fishing boats.

25.05

The sun is shining and the wind has gone – yippeee!!  Onward 100kms to the Crozon Peninsula, one of the most scenic spots in Brittany.  Our campsite is at Caramet-sur-Mer on the Western extremity of the Peninsula.  A classic fishing village, it was once France’s biggest crayfish port. 

Spent a lovely day hiking the coastal pathways along the cliff tops and exploring the town with it’s abandoned fishing-boat carcasses and it’s 15^th Century ‘Tower Vauban’.  Back to camp for a well earned shower and laundry duties.     

 

 

 

Normandy Post # 3

09.05

 

Travelled 60kms South of Honfleur through typical Normandy countryside, with it’s half timbered houses, apple blossoms and pastures of cows (brown and white markings ) to the little village of Camenbert.  Camenbert is the most famous name in Normandy in the world of French ‘fromage’.     

We visited the Camenbert Museum, (6 euros including a tasting) a mixture of videos and scenes showing the history as well as the the making of Camenbert.  Camembert dates back to the 11^th Century with the present day varieties emerging in the 17^th Century, the invention of which is credited to a farmer, Marie Harel who was given the recipe by a monk escaping the revolution. 

We sampled the different varieties of both the cheese and the cider and were surprised by their unique flavours. Back 3kms to Vermoutier to an ‘Aires’ camp for the night.  (Aires are free camps for campervans only with limited facilities organised by the village).

10.05

100kms today through Caen back to the coast and to the D-Day Beaches.  Arrived at camp ‘Le Robinson’, (ACSI Camp book is a must have) situated on the coast near Colleville sur Mer, about 13kms from Bayeux and only 1.5kms from Omaha Beach.   Off we went to explore, starting at an old gun emplacement  with an amazing panorama of Omaha Beach.  It’s difficult now to imagine the horrors that took place, looking down on such a calm and beautiful scene. The D-Day landings were the largest military operation in history. On 6 June 1944 six divisions stormed ashore at five Beaches backed up by 6,000 sea craft and 13,000 aeroplanes.  Initially 45,000 troops from the USA, Canada, the U.K. and the Commonwealth landed on French soil, 15 more divisions were to follow.  Omaha Beach was the assault by the US 1^st and 29^th Infantry Division and was by far the bloodiest of the day (now known as “Bloody Omaha”) . On the first day over 1000 US soldiers were killed within the first hour of the landings.
 

We walked along the sandy beach for about 5kms to the American Cemetery and Museum.  A very emotional experience seeing the thousands of white grave markers planted in neat rows on the beautifully manicured lawns overlooking the beach. Inside the museum were videos and accounts of the landings with many individual stories of heroics performed by the men and women buried in the cemetery. It took many contractors until the 1950’s to remove the 150,000 tons of debris from the beach and sea.  We were still able to see some remains at low tide as we walked home along the beach

11.05

Windy and cold so decided on a walk to warm up.  Walked the bike path towards Port-en-Bressin and back along the cliff face.  Drinks with our English neighbours and a Boeuf Bourguignon in the remoska for dins.  Great comfort food!
 

12.05
 

Bike ride to Arromanches today following the coast.  First stop, the pretty little port town of Port-en-Bessin with it’s quaint shops, inner basin and fish market on the pier. Onward to Longues-Sur-Mer and the massive 150mm German guns overlooking the sea, designed to hit targets 20kms away including Omaha Beach to the west and Gold Beach to the east. 

Continued onto Arromanches and it’s “Mulberry Harbour”, prefabricated marinas  towed over from England  and set up by the Allies to form a semi circular breakwater.  Their purpose was to protect the huge quantities of cargo being unloaded which included 2.5 million men and 4 million tons of equipment. 
The remnants of this are still clearly visible.  Watched a 360 degree digital video of the invasion and the liberation of Paris.  Hard, cold bike ride home against the wind for a total day of 42kms.  Hot shower and a cuppa!

13.05

The rain calmed down and we hit the road!  100km stopping at the Decathlon store at St. Lo where some adjustments were made to the break discs on Pamo’s bike, and a puncture repair to Col’s bike.  A quick tour of the store and bike pants and gloves later we were back on the road.  Passed Avranches and our first glimpse of the iconic Mont St Michel, 20kms away in the distance – spectacular!  Checked into ‘Camp Pommier’ (14 euros) in Beauvoir, 4kms from Mont St. Michel.  Mike and Jan, two Aussies, were in the camper before us.  Had a beer and a catch up with them, they have just bought their camper in England, a 2000 Hymermobile and a goodie!  They’re doing a six months tour also!     

14.05

Packed a picnic and walked 4km along the canal to Mont St Michel.  The magnificent Romanesque and Gothic Abbey stands before us in the sea with it’s turrets and towers rising from ramparts and battlements, linked to the bay by a narrow causeway built in 1879.  The tidal variations here are the highest in Europe and can go from low to high tide in a matter of hours.  Mont St Michel dates back to 708 when the Bishop of Avranches had a sanctuary built on Mont-Tombe in honour of the Archangel Michel, head of the heavenly militia, and of great importance to Medieval religion.  It was an impregnable stronghold during the 100 Year War and a prison during the revolution in 1863.  Now a UNESCO Heritage site.

We entered the little Medieval village through the Bavole Gate and followed the single narrow cobblestone street up towards the Abbey.  Surprising to see the touristy eateries, art, craft and souvenir shops lining the street, a sign of modern times but doing their best to uphold the traditions of the shop keepers from the middle Ages!  We followed the masses of steps up and into the Abbey.  A spectacular tour and panorama!  (9 euros each including a one hour guided tour).  On the walk home saw a Kiwi flag in a camper so knocked on the door and met up with Beven and Helen from Tauranga who have hired a van for a three month tour.  Arrived home to find Lefty draped in Australian colours!!  We wonder who could be responsible??.  Regardless of the insult Mike and Jan came over for pre dinner drinks and we had a fun evening with them.  Low and behold another Kiwi in the camp from Titirangi who gave us the name of an alternative insurer for Lefty.  

15.05
 

Mike and Jan headed off this morning towards St Malo.  We decided to stay and bike the area and get some more photos of Mont St Michel in the sun.  Just as we set off it rained so we waited half an hour and finally the sun and the warmth returned.  We cycled through farmers fields of lettuce, wheat and rape finding different angles of Mont St Michel.  A lovely day on the quiet back roads and neat to be warm again.  Back to camp and a pleasant surprise to see Chris, Pam, John and Carol from Derby who we met in our last camp parked opposite.

 

 

 

Under way - Normany Post # 02

 

2013

29.04.13 - 01.05.13     

Well here we are again, back in Europe after our six months of summer back in NZ.

A bit surreal as it all seems to have happened so fast.
 

We were met off our flight by Paul and Mary (friends we met in Epernay last year) and taken to Hayling Island near Portsmouth.

We spent three days rushing here and there getting organised, and reintroducing ourselves to Lefty, who looks very smart with his new sky lights, blinds, fly screens, wheel trims and rust coloured curtains.

We also purchased two new mountain bikes (B Twin Rockrider 8.1) from a French Decathlon store in Southampton (we paid a little more than we planned but they are the “real deal”) with quick release wheels, disc brakes and adjustable shock absorbers, ( no mountain is safe!!).

We also got a hell deal on two slightly sun faded sun loungers, originally priced at 360 pounds and reduced to 150 pounds, we bargained them down to 100 pounds, (more relaxing to be done this year!)

 

Our favourite purchase though has been a “Remoska” Electric cooker which comes from the Czech Republic.  It’s basically a portable pot with a lid that has a heating element in the lid,  it cooks exactly like an oven but uses only a fraction of the power (essential when you only have 6 amps of power at most camps).  So we are now able to have roast dinners, casseroles, baked potatoes and even cakes (I can just see Pamo baking us a cake!). 

03.05.13

We caught an 11pm overnight ferry from Portsmouth to Le Havre on the “Normandy Voyager” arriving at 8am to another sunny day, a little sleep deprived but none the worse for wear.

Normandy is the land of the three C’s,  Camembert, Cows and Cider.

The largest region of France not to contain a single vineyard but makes up for it with it’s amazing range of seafood and cheese.
 Onto the right hand side of the road and a short 30 minute drive crossing the “Pont de Normandy,” an amazing futuristic bridge spanning the Seine (6 Euros toll).

Arrived at Camping “La Briquerie” a huge campsite, 3ks from Honfleur.  The camp has two pools (indoor and out), mini golf, tennis, gym, bowls and wifi (16 Euros).

.

We walked into Honfleur which is a busy, charming,  Normandy seaside town based around an Old Harbour filled with pleasure boats and surrounded by brightly coloured buildings. Honfleur’s seafaring tradition dates back over a millennium. A fantastic place to sit and have a drink or eat “ Moules Frites” (mussels and chips).

A grocery shop on the way home and roast beef for dinner with our favourite red wine.

04.05

 

Spent the morning working out how to work our new Garmin Cycle GPS....Still a long way to go but the basics have been worked out! Went for a long walk to the Bois du Breuil but got lost!!!  How is that possible? More work needed on the GPS front!!!!

It’s a great asset as it also gives you all the points of interest in the area and all the shops, banks etc and how to get there.

Went to the Gym while our Remoska cooked us a roast pork dinner with parsnip, carrots, potatoes and broccoli.  No roughing it here!!!

Starting to unwind and get into the swing of things... loving it!

05.05

 

Found the Bois du Breuil this morning!!  What started off as a 20 minute exercise before breakfast ended up as a two hour walk through the forest and we didn’t arrive home until lunchtime.  Spent the afternoon stretched out on our new loungers and read our Kindles.

06.05

Time to try out the new “trusty steeds” so cycled back to Honfleur to take some photos and continued along the coast road to Trouville.  Aligning the route, overlooking “La Manche” (English Channel) were large villas with their apple tree orchards all in blossom.
 

Trouville is a working fishing port, with a large tidal, sandy beach with a similar feel to a “Brighton” in the UK.  Here though the beachside homes and hotels are mostly grand 19^th Century Villas. We walked along the beach boardwalk which runs for 583m with everything from fresh water swimming pools to tennis courts and donkey rides!! 

 

Walked through the town and purchased some prawns from the “Poissonnerie” stalls that line the roadway.  No frozen seafood here!  All straight off the boat.

Back home and a first up ride of 30kms, bikes get a 10/10 rating!
 

07.05

A day spent working on the blog, groceries, reading in the sun and a good walk after lunch back into the Bois du Breuil.

08.05

Our first rain overnight and an overcast and showery day so an opportunity to do a wash in the camp laundry (8euros) for a wash and dry.

More work on the blog and lots of reading.  Great to be able to catch up on sleep and recover from the trip over.