The superb BBC programme ‘Coast’ visits Brittany on Wednesday 4th August. And is repeated on Tuesday 10th August at 19.00.
A taste of Coast’s journey across the Channel to explore our strong bonds with Celtic cousins in Brittany, or ‘Little Britain’ as the French think of it. Neil Oliver visits Ile de Sein a tiny ‘Island of Heroes’ honoured with a prestigious military award by President De Gaulle after virtually every man on the island took to their boats at the start of the Second World War to join De Gaulle in England to fight with the ‘Free French’ forces. The last survivors re-live the moving incident that motivated an entire island to go to war.
Nick Crane joins the ‘Onion Johnnies’, who gave us our stereotypical image of a Frenchman, complete with stripy tee shirt, beret and bicycle laden with onions. For nearly 200 years the Onion Johnnies have pedalled their produce around the homes of Britain, Nick finds out what’s so special about their onions and meets one of the Johnnies who picked up a Geordie accent and married a Geordie girl.
Alice Roberts reveals the life saving chemical element that’s locked away inside seaweed as she recreates the remarkable accidental discovery of Iodine. At Carnac Mark Horton is in amongst the mysterious lines of standing stones erected thousands of years before Stonehenge to investigate their age old connection to Britain. Miranda Krestovnikoff is diving for a seafood delicacy; she’s in search of a rare mollusc with a beautiful shell that fine diners will pay a fortune to eat.
Overnight Godfrey’s ankle got no better, and after 10 kms his other ankle came out in sympathy. As it was drizzling, there was little point in continuing to aggravate the situation. So we stopped for coffee, yet another pain au raisin and a chat with the locals. We found that the bus to Brest stopped outside the bar at 1330, and so decided to end this year’s trip in more relaxed conditions than we had anticipated. It gave us the chance to catch up on the blog and chat with an American sailor/traveller who was on his way to Cannes.
We were told that the next 6 kms to Lanildut were spectacular. Not much good if you can’t make it. To be continued next time. So we are now off to Brest and will report again tomorrow.
After discussions with Marie-Jo we found out that we would be unable to find lunch anywhere en-route today, at which point she offered to provide some. What a lunch it was! Gourmet (homemade pate, eggs, bread, couscous, salad and cutlery).
Today was mostly going to be walking up an Aber (estuary) for 2 hours and back for 2 hours. On the way we met, for the first time this week, a group of walkers doing the GR34. Coincidentally, they were staying at the Chambre d’hote we had used last night. We then passed another couple and then at our lunch stop, yet again we met the lone female walker we had met the previous night. Wow, it was now getting crowded. Stopped for lunch at the head of the Aber.
By mid-afternoon we had turned along the coast and walked 5 kms on the most awesome, deserted beach in glorious sunshine. Eventually arrived at our overnight stop by 1730 after a long (40kms) and tiring walk.
We discovered that our hosts are avid gardeners and have created an English garden based on the style Vita Sackville-West’s garden at Sissinghurst and were lovers of Midsomer Murders (anglophiles). The owners very kindly offered to drive us to the local town so we could have an evening meal. However, everywhere was closed, and we had to recall our hosts to take us to Portsall, where we eventually had a lovely meal in the only open Creperie.
As we had a self-catered breakfast we managed to get out at 0730. It was a beautiful day and the walking was fairly flat with dunes and fabulous fine white sandy beaches, it just seems a pity there are not many people to enjoy them. During the morning we came across an 18th century restored village, right on the coast where the locals were noted for stealing the wooden roof tiles from the guard post to fuel their fires.
The coastal route for today was 55Kms so we had to shorten to a more reasonable 40 kms by walking to Korejou and then heading inland to Plougurneau. Here we stopped for coffee as there had been nowhere else to stop this morning. On departing, we passed the local cemetery and came across a small number of Commonwealth War Graves including 2 graves from South African soldiers from the First World War. We are intrigued as to why First World War bodies are here.
Today we did our first deep cut Abers (estuary) for which this region is famous. This involves a long walk up the estuary and then the same back again as there are no ferries across them.
We dropped down to the coast through woods lining the sides of the L’Aber Wrach which were covered in a profusion of woodland flowers. Eventually we arrived around 1630 to a welcome beer from the landlady. We walked down to the port area for a customary beer to discover that there are no shops just bars and restaurants to service the large marina. Back again at the B&B for an excellent meal with the landlady and great stories about the area, as she used to run one of the local restaurants.
We set off at 0840, late for us, after an interesting conversation with the proprietress at breakfast, who used to work for Brittany Ferries and is friends with Madame Berrou who we visited yesterday, it’s a small world in France! It was easy walking along the coast although it was overcast and windy compared to other days. A slight detour to Plouescat was necessary to get lunch provisions and our daily pain au raisin, as we could not find anywhere else en-route. This turned out to be very good decision as the old centre of the town was full of character with a very old large 17th century wooden covered market surrounded by the church, boulangeries and various restaurants.
Out of Plouescat and were in sand dune country overlooking a vast estuary. At Greve de Goulven Jeremy had his dare-devil moment, and suggested we shorten our walking by crossing as it was low tide and the sea must have been at least a mile away. How deep was the water flowing out of the small rivers? We knew it was low tide and a couple of elderly local walkers enquired whether we were going to cross the estuary. Before we committed we did a check with local fishermen, who confirmed that we were not stupid, the direction to take and that the tide would not turn for at least another hour. So we set off heading for the church spire at Plouneour -Trez. All was ok until we got half way; the river was still at least 12” deep and 20 foot across. Nothing else for it than off with the boots and socks, roll up the trousers and wade across, although it did turn out to knee deep! We dried off whilst we ate lunch.
There was now only an hour of walking left and we arrived in Brignogan Plage without further exploits in light rain. We are obviously very conspicuous as were seen walking into the town by the owner of the Gite Etape who was also out walking. He rushed to open up before we arrived. In fact, we have the whole Gite to ourselves, so we have been busy and are self-catering and catching up on washing. Our indulgence of a superb fish meal will now have to be found in Brest!
It was a brilliant blue sky this morning and just a mere 28 kilometres to walk. We left the hotel at 0820, back to hotel at 0825 - Jeremy had left his hearing aids! Around the corner we then bumped into a group of 6 UK cyclists who had come overnight on Plymouth-Roscoff ferry for the day to Morlaix, which we had walked yesterday. We advised them that this was probably not the most exciting cycling around here.
We then threaded our way through the labyrinth of streets in Roscoff and were quickly eating up the kms along empty sandy beaches at Santec. As it is a bank holiday weekend in France we at last started to see some walkers, although we have not yet passed anyone doing more than a day’s walk. Where are all the other GR34er’s! On the way we checked on the progress of a prospective villa conversion at Kerbrat. Then it was a stop in Mogueriec to see Madame Berrou and her villas and take some new photos for the web site. We also stopped an hour later for lunch in the garden of another of her luxurious villas, Villa des Dunes – I can really imagine staying here.
The afternoon walk was short, with more beaches and dunes and just before our overnight stop we walked along a spectacular sandy beach, which appears not to have a name! We arrived at our overnight stop at 4pm expecting to walk a further 6 kms into Plouescat and back for our evening meal , but thankfully we passed the only local restaurant (only open on Saturdays at this time of year) 1 km before the Chambre d’hote, so we can save some extra miles for our weary legs. Tomorrow is our shortest day to Brignogan Plage, which is considered very pretty and has reputedly one of the best fish restaurants in Brittany. We will report tomorrow
I am up early writing this blog to save some time this evening. A wander, this evening, around the old city of Roscoff and our first beer are a must. We have the luxury of having washed all our kit and recharged our temperamental technology – will the SATMAP survive today? However, unfortunately the weather forecast is for rain at mid-day, not so promising after such lovely weather to date.We shall see.
This was never going to be the most exciting day as it is walking up the estuary to Carantec and St Pol de Leon. So when the rain came, we decided to cut short some of the recommended inland GR34 route and beat a retreat to Carantec for a coffee and pain au raisin – one of Jeremy’s favourite pastries.
Lunch time saw us arriving in St Pol de Leon in a steady drizzle. We thought that a dry lunch in the porch of the cathedral was a good idea. However, this was cut short as it seemed to be collective favourite meeting point of the local youths and their motor bikes.
The rain cleared up in the afternoon and we were able to follow the GR34 around the renowned Exotic Gardens outside Roscoff and onwards to our hotel overlooking the harbour. We thought we had cheated the day’s distance of 40 km but on recalculation we still covered over 38 kilometres.
We rewarded ourselves with our first Roscoff beer and a brilliant meal at Les Arcades where Godfrey discovered that the starter of half crab mayonnaise was in fact half an enormous crab (untouched) with a pot of mayonnaise. Jeremy provided able instruction as to which inner bits were edible and how to tackle some of the internals in return for some of the goodies.
Tomorrow looks a more interesting walk, however, we have the extra challenge of self-catering at least 3 kilometres from a functioning town, and we may have to walk yet more to get some provisions.
Not the early start, we planned but we still got away at 8.30. We were warned by the owner of the hostel that the first part of the route was tough, and so it was, but the views were spectacular and it was another beautiful cloudless sky. The next 2 hours was breathtakingly beautiful and we arrived at Plougasnou within a reasonable time. Then at all went wrong. We followed a rerouted part of the GR34 along the coast and then ended up almost back at the same village an hour later. We then had to make a few short cuts to get us back on track which we did as we got to Le Diben for lunch. The only problem now was that everywhere was closed, even the cafe, so we resorted to emergency rations.
The afternoon was a much more enjoyable experience. A very pleasant cafe creme with carafe of chilled water at Terenez followed by an easy walk along the river accompanied to a musical chorus of courting frogs in the local ponds. A detour onto a local circular walk to cut out the Cairn de Barnenez resulted in Jeremy ending up on his back having slipped going downhill on a narrow path which in fact was more of a stream, however, no damage as yet.
Onwards we met many locals out walking – Ascension day in France. A beer was called for, but the route we had now taken proved beerless, but ended very pleasantly walking through the grounds of the local chateau ending just before the port area of Morlaix and the ultra modern Youth Hostel where we had a pleasant evening swapping stories with a large French group from Nantes walking the GR34 path.
Stayed in Appartment City Affaires as per last year.
We started where we left off last year with a great meal in the Tire Bouchon restaurant. Its menu only uses local ingredients and has the motto No Chips and no Ketchup!
Left bright and early to tackle the 43 kilometres, would we make it? Last year’s average was 32km!
It was a lovely bright morning along the river bank in the trees. The river was like a mirror. Then we were reminded that this was not flat Hertfordshire and we were soon going up and down the heights. However, the wild plants, particularly the bluebells, were in full bloom.
Eventually saw the sea at Yaudet and we were hunting for our first stop and a coffee fix, alas everywhere was closed.So onwards to St Michel-en-Greve along familiar rollercoaster cliff walks for another 2 hours. Coffee in sight! This was followed by a brilliant beach walk across the bay, arriving just in time to beat the turning tide sweeping over the bay.
We now realised that last year’s day finishes at 5 pm were not going to be the norm. We just had to bear it and get on – no shortcuts. The afternoon highlight was walking around the bay to Locquirec stopping for the best Fanta possible overlooking the port and beach. Still 2 more hours to reach the Gites Etape at Prajou.
The coast line was now more rugged (ups and downs for serious walkers). No wonder the Allies used a place 700 metres from Prajou to pick up important Frenchmen (Francois Mitterand among them!), and allied airmen returning to the UK A Plaque commemorates the feats of the local resistance and their allied compatriots.
We finally arrived, exhausted (Godfrey at least) in the middle of nowhere at the Gite to a very pleasant Breton meal.
Completed the East Herts Christian Aid marathon distance charity walk on Saturday as final warm up for our 3rd leg of the GR 34 coastal walk around Brittany. Weather looks OK, not too sunny. Follow us every day as we progress from Lannion via Morlaix, Roscoff and Plouescat almost all the way to Brest. The coastline looks a bit flatter than last year so we are planning to do around 25 miles a day, stopping in small hotels, Youth Hostels and B&B’s, sampling the local restaurants and bars as we go along. So all in all are rather enjoyable experience, but we will let you know daily with some photos of the beaches and towns to whet your appetite for a Brittany holiday.
