Brittany coast

kayak class in Port-Manech

Brittany has a long coastline and we can't possible explore it all in just a couple of days (though we do try), so today we had to skip some pieces.  From Concarneau we went east to two coastal towns--Port-Manech and Pont-Aven.  At the first--very low-key--we watched youngsters maneuvering their kayaks during a class and then took a walk past the old fort.  At Pont-Aven we joined the crowds who visit here due to its connection with impressionist artists who discovered this charming spot and painted it.  Some also may have come for the outdoor market.  We only checked out the market and small harbor and left the town to the other tourists.

Pointe de Pen-Hir

From Pont-Aven we traveled north through the interior to Chateauneuf for a late (but we did arrive before 2PM) lunch of the classic buckwheat crepes and cider.  Post lunch we headed west again past Crozon to Pointe de Pen-Hir, the rocky headland of this peninsula. A monument to the Bretons of Free France was dedicated here in 1960 by de Gaulle.

It was time to put more miles on the bike so we headed east, avoiding Brest, and then north, avoiding the threatening clouds (though we did get a brief soaking and watched the lightning and heard the thunder for 20 minutes), ending the day in Roscoff, a lovely town of stone buildings and the church of Our Lady of Croaz Batz outside our window.  It is also the ferry terminal for the English who want to vacation in Brittany.