Thursday, 20 May 2010

Tourist traps and cold streets


We stayed six nights in Carteret and we really enjoyed it. We loved our long walk on the beach and were getting too used to sitting in the Bar du Port each evening with the computer. Chris is relaxed and was drinking Baileys and ice again. A bit like old times.

The drive south down the Cherbourg Peninsula was lovely. Normandy is like the English countryside used to be. There were beautiful wild flowers everywhere; in the hedgerows and fields. There were lovely little orchards with the fruit trees in bloom and, of course, lots of cows grazing in fields behind big old fashioned hedgerows.

The drive to Le Mont St Michel didn't take long and we were there just after lunch. The campsite left us with just a 2km walk along the causeway to the abbey. It was very interesting but extremely touristy. It was good to see it though; one of the iconic images of France. Later in the evening we went back to try and get some photographs oh the Mont in the sunset. I carried the tripod for Chris and we stayed for ages taking hundreds of shots. Most were a little disappointing but Chris got some good ones. My favourite is above of Chris at her tripod hard at work as the sun has almost gone. (As usual, I tried hard but Tony got the best shot!)

We set off the next morning for St. Malo. The municipal campsite there was handy for walking into the old city; the citadelle. It is on a separate island and is contained within its ancient walls. Although it gives the impression of being old, it was almost all carefully reconstructed at the end of the war. Eighty per cent of the old city was destroyed by the good old RAF in August 1944. Oh well, anyone can make a mistake! The streets were very narrow and dark, and it was really quite cold. But then we found Charly's Bar, and we returned to it a few times to drink coffee in a nice sunny spot. We also had the best ice cream ever while we were there. It was enormous, and full of caramel and nuts. Yummy!

We enjoyed two days there and then today we have travelled to Finistere; right up in the north west tip of Brittany. We are staying in a lovely site by the beach just outside the village of Landeda. Although we are quite isolated here, we have wi-fi on each pitch. I can look at the Guardian and get Lancashire's cricket score and Chris can exchange her photographs on Flicker. The weather is good; we have only had a small rain shower in nearly two weeks. I think we may be here for a few days.

We will update the blog in a day or so, while we are still here in Landeda.

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