Langoustines at Lunch

Let me tell you about our day, slept in this morning, it was past eight when we finally emerged and readied ourselves for another day on the road. We have been doing this now for two and a half months, not rising at eight, but spending the day on the road. How could this one be different? To be honest it couldn't and wouldn't, but it did epitomize what we have been up to. As previously mentioned we are spending our time in the Breton region and today we went out to the end of the peninsular, to the Finisterre area, a name familiar to yatchies the world over. First stop was a small town, Concarneau, with it's old town situated within walls out in the harbour, time for a wander around and a late morning coffee.

Looking Down From Town Walls

A Fleet of Children's Yachts Moored Outside The Town Walls

Just Trying To Be Artistic, Perhaps Not Entirely Successfully 

I noted over morning coffee a square named Dumont d'Urville after the early explorer of New Zealand however my research uncovers no direct relationship with the town, the nearest he seems to have got is at the naval college in Brest. However this is a fine town and worthy of any visitor's time.

On next to Quimper, not to far up the road, and another cracker once the code is cracked that allows one to find one's way into it's centre. We eventually found a car park being vacated by another motorist, I stopped, indicator on, bus and other traffic behind all stop as well. Car vacating park stops also and hazard lights come on, woman gets out and wanders over to us in no hurry and offers us her "two hours left to go" parking ticket. Lots of thanks from us, she wanders back and derives off, we back into park and the traffic clears. Not one toot from an angry Frenchman. We had two hours to fill in so wandered off around past the spectacular cathedral and a Saturday market when my attention is drawn to a Seafood Restaurant, seemed to offer quite a good lunch for around $25 so down we sat. Well, I would have to say, it would be one of the best lunches that I have ever enjoyed.

Oh My! And I Have Eaten Most Of The Molluscs  In The Bowl.

Sorry Chris, Moose, Nikki and I almost forgot that Seafood lover from way back, Murray, but there was Langoustines (my absolute favourites) Crab (OK they're up there with the Langoustines) King Prawns (Yeh them too), Oysters (OK them as well) and a bowl of unrecognized, but delicious molluscs. Thoughtfully the restaurant  provided an assortment of instruments, a dentist would have been proud of these little tools, with which to extract the inner goodness from these delicacies. YUM! Mrs Currin also had lunch there but who knows what, I was pretty absorbed in my own. 

Life seems pretty good.

The town had the usual quota of wonkey buildings, I just love these constructions which pre-dated the invention of the spirit level by a couple of centuries.

The Wiggly And The Woggly, How Do They Stay Up.

Temperatures have been much warmer since we have crossed the channel and are sitting in the mid to upper twenties. I understand the weather has also improved in Britain since we jumped ship. We shall notice a big difference on our return to NZ, the sun is not setting till around 10.00 in the evening and God alone knows what time it rises, he hasn't let me in on this little secret and I have no desire to find out the hard way.

After lunch we continued on our merry little way and on to Crozon we went.

I Guess Beauty Is In The Ear Of The Beholder.

In The Absence Of A 40 Million Dollar Win On Lotto I Wondered If A Doer Upper Would Fit The Bill.

Even The Church Is Very Nautical

Beautiful, Rugged Coastline.

A Memorial To The Merchant Seamen Lost In The Second World War.

So, here we were 150 km from home and it's late, about six actually but late for us, so off we go for home. Only something on toast for supper after the big lunch so all is well.

It has been a very nice day today.

Yesterday we spent in St. Malo (p. Sanmar-loow the man in the shop tells me and he's French so he should know) and this is one of my favourites, a great maritime city, but on the way here we stopped of in Dinan and Dinard, both well worth the effort.

Dinard

L'Hermione A Masterpiece Of Replica Ship Building

In St. Malo were a couple of beautifully presented replica square riggers, the L'Hermione and the other one whose name escapes me. The L'Hermione is a replica of a French ship built originally in 1779 and then again in 1997-2015. She was sent to aid the Americans in the American Revolutionary War with General La Fayette aboard and saw action most notably at the Naval Battle of Louisville. The replica is really quite impressive and illustrates the number of ropes, sheets and halyards that every sailor needed to be able to name and to know what it's use was.

On our way home we stopped for coffee in Moncontour and were once again impressed by the friendliness of the natives, they really have shattered that stereotypical image of the  French which many seem to have. We certainly have had no problems.

Well that's another couple of days over and done with, only a week more and we shall be home.

All the best and take care

David