Morgat, on the Crozon Peninsula. Bretagne (Brittany), France
It was about three hours drive to get to Morgat.
We started out on the N12 moving fast through green hills. When we were within fifty kilometers of Brest, we switched off to narrow, country roads with few cars. We crossed a spectacular bridge that spanned the Aulne River, and zoomed through small towns.
We didn't even see any signs pointing to Crozon, let alone Morgat, until we were within 30 KM.
That is a small town.
It is cloudy and cool here. Not cold, just overcast, which is a shame because we are on a beautiful beach, curving round the bay. In fact, these beaches on the Crozon Peninsula are supposed to be some of the best beaches in Northern France.
We are staying at Le Grand Hotel de la Mer, a tall hotel at the end of the beach where it turns rocky. We have an ocean-side room with two windows opened wide to the sound of the waves, a patio, and time to spare. The hotel is a classic, built in 1912.
After we dropped our bags and car, we walked into the town to find something to eat.
We are still in the Brittany Region, and crepes are one of the big food items around here. So we found our way to Crêperie la Bolée, where Gail had a cheese crepe, and I had a scallop crepe. Mine tasted good, because of the creme sauce, but Gail did not like hers. I thought the cheese was OK, but a little bland for me.
We had a glass of dry, light Rosé, and it tasted so good we bought a bottle at the local market, for the room.
The sun started to work its way out, and by 16:30 it was warm and sunny, but still pretty breezy.
Somebody made a cool sand-drawing, somehow etching a giant mandala in the beach.
We read, and Gail took a nap, before we set out for dinner.
We stumbled into a very popular place and snagged the last table. The menu was entirely in French (the lunch menu was in French, German and English) but it was not a problem to read and order. Gail got a warm, goat cheese salad. She usually likes them, but this one put her off, so she ended up zero for three in the meal department today.
I had Moules Provençale (mussels in a cream sauce, with tomatoes, onions, garlic and herbs: Provencal style). I thought they were pretty good, but I am ready for a hunk of meat or perhaps a night of pasta I think.
We are hoping for some sun tomorrow. At least it is not so cold any more, and the rains have stopped.
We came home as it was getting dark, and watched the full moon over the harbor, from our balcony.
We got up and I did the laundry for the week, here at the hotel. By the time that was done, I really needed some caffeine and breakfast.
Especially some caffeine.
There is a little patisserie just out of town, so we got a baguette and raspberry tart.
We drove the rest of the way to the next little town over.
Camaret sur Mer is a cute town of colorful, rickity buildings fronting a round harbor. There are some old fishing relics here and there, and out on the sand spit that forms the harbor is an old tower, the Tour Vauban, and a church called Notre-Dame de Rocamadour.
We found the bar-tabac, called La Chaloupe. I ordered, and we sat outside and had a "dessert" cappuccino. Whipped cream instead of frothed milk. I still needed more caffeine, so I went in and sat at the tacky neon blue bar from the 1960s had a café (espresso). There was a weird music competition on TV, like something out of the 1960s.
It was market day today, and the main street by the harbor was closed off. We walked stall to stall, admiring the fresh salon, bread, wooden crafts and jewelry. Gail found a necklace for a friend, I looked out to the harbor.
We eventually got around to the edge of the town.
I wanted to go hiking.
The GR34 trail goes all the way along the coast of Brittany, over 1600 Kilometers. I thought we could follow it out of the harbor, and out to two points of land. The trail is marked by red and white blazes, and is easy to follow.
First, up to the Point of the Grand Gouin, where there is an old guard house from 1859.
Then I wanted to continue out to walk along toward the Point of de Pen-Hir, Tas de Pois. There are some WWII bunkers there, and the point has high cliffs that plunge into the sea. Three islands lead out to the horizon.
And I have had them at least four of those ways in the past week.
Ugh.
If it isn’t moules, it is crepes.
I just wanted some good old pork or chicken or something.
We found one place with chicken.
The Restaurant Côté Mer is the one and only place we found with something other than seafood and crepes on the menu. We went in and ordered two Escalope de volaille gratinée au jambon de pays, which turned out to be chicken wrapped in ham, with a cheese sauce and mushrooms on it. We both loved it.
And, it was not moules again.
We stopped in Crozon to look around, but it is yet another very small town, so that didn't take long.
So now we are in the room.
The beach day is a bust. It is raining a little, and is grey and overcast. It isn’t cold, but it is windy. I am alternately sitting out on the deck and in the room, working on this blog post, reading, and drinking a 2012 Château Saint-Léon Bordeaux Supérieur that we picked up at the corner market, on sale for €6. It goes well with the rest of our baguette from breakfast.
The day hasn’t gone exactly as planned, but C'est la vie.
We might stay in and watch soccer tonight. France vs. Switzerland.