Tuesday 12 September.

We have made quite a few delightful discoveries during our Brittany days. Discovery of places which are quite simply ‘practically perfect’ and ‘happenings’ are ‘kindnesses’ that make a day special.

When Ellen and Lesley were with us, we went to market in Morlaix. The ‘clothes and clutter’ market stretches along the bottom of the gorge from which the town rises – very steeply may I add. I would not want to have to walk up too far. The food and veg market is in the handsome Allende Square which was built by the merchants of the 16^th century. Jerry and I went exploring there early in our Brittany Days. The four of us wandered around both markets, had a coffee in a café. The plan had been to walk Poppins in the woods on the way home and have a pizza lunch in the nice café in the pretty village of Loquenole but it was a hot day, and we decided to skip the walk in favour of lunch. It was the mention of Pizza that ruined Poppin’s walk in the wood. Unfortunately, the café was closed but the owner to whom Jerry and I had been chatting earlier in the week, came out, explained he had to shut today but offered to serve us drinks before he left. We explained we had come for lunch so he let us into the closed épicerie, let us buy the wherewithal for a picnic, and because he had no bread, gave us bread from his kitchen and let us eat and drink at his tables outside, asking us to stack the dishes and leave them outside the door. Such a kindness.

Also, in the village of Loquenole is a beautiful Oak Tree of which the village is very proud. They call it the Liberty Tree. It was planted at the time of the French Revolution to mark the event, along with a hundred others throughout the country, and it is the only one left alive. The village takes very good care of it. Of course, we had to pose in revolutionary stances…

This week, Jerry and I were exploring the adjoining peninsula with the main town of Plougasnou at its centre. We drove to the Pointe de Primel Tregastel and climbed the rock there. It was absolutely beautiful. Our discovery was that the peninsula is different to the Carantec one. It is greener, steeper and more mountainous. There are less sandy coves, more rocky ones and it feels less populated. The tiny villages are probably more touristy, but there are fewer of them. Again, a fabulous camp site. A walking holiday around these peninsulas would be wonderful.

We also went further South to the next ‘pointe’, Maison de la Pointe. This side is very flat, lots of agriculture, with miles of hot beach separated from a forest/green area by wonderful sand dunes (impossible to walk in, even with a brand new titanium hip). But, of course, the French have developed various walking paths through the green areas and woods where lovely houses sprout out of the trees. It reminded me of Jurmala, Latvia, except the paths were better and so well maintained.

By the way, Lesley showed me a brand new app called ‘outdooractive’ which identifies and/or tracks the paths you can take in whatever region/area you are in. It’s brilliant.

So this app and the coastal walks, peninsula paths, and the forest chemins are a wonderful discovery in Brittany and it is these I think that will bring me back (aside from the wine and cheese). They are all along each peninsula, little dotted lines that curve around the cliff tops, through the pine trees, along the beaches. Yesterday, I left Jerry to read in the shade of the pines while I went with Poppins for a walk. Across the bay, I could see the long beach that Ellen, myself and Lesley had walked along last Friday at the start of our coastal walk on the Carantec peninsula.

We also visited the Cairn de Barnenez…a gigantic megalithic tomb on a number of levels. It’s pitched at the top of hill and when it was built it was on top a plain…not the sea. I think, once you seen one megalithic tomb, you’ve seen them all…but this one was rather splendid.

Another discovery are the steeples on the churches hereabout. They are distinctive in that they are structures as opposed to solid points. We were wondering about that. Jerry thought that they were Moorish looking…and he was right. We discovered yesterday that the Moors invaded this coast line sometime between 15^th and 17^th century…I can’t remember when exactly. Anyway, these steeples are much more interesting that the squat Norman ones or pointy Catholic ones. 

Two other discoveries…the starry nights when the sky is clear are fantastic. The other night the night sky blossomed with stars. It was as if they were falling out of the darkness. The plough was so close, I felt I could reach out and touch it. I haven’t seen a sky like that since we lived in Drumbriste in rural Cavan. There was also a party going on in the port. At 1.30am they were playing loud music and dancing under the starry night. I really felt like I was missing out.

And finally, so far, the military jets! The noise they make as the roar around the bay. They look like black angry mosquitos…flat, sharp and full of angles. They do their military manoeuvres in the late afternoon, often while I’m on the beach. It’s odd to be floating on the waves or snoozing on the sand when suddenly a slow rumble starts and grows and two, always two, black aircraft zoom across, round and round…as if little God boys were playing in the sky.

I’ll let you know when we make new discoveries…until then, I think I’m happy indulging in the old ones: it’s lunch in Kelenn today after a walk, reading my book which I haven’t done much of and then an early evening swim followed by a lovely aperitif. Salut!

Still having pic issues…