Quimper

 Not up for a long blog today. More tomorrow.  Will just post these two pictures of Saint Corentin Cathedral from our window upon arrival and at bedtime. Good night.

Rochefort-en-terre

 Weather forecasts for today were dismal. But we shall likely never pass this way again. So we grabbed our umbrellas and bravely ventured out stopping for a coffee and pastry at a little place with the biggest croissants we had ever seen before. Apparently their pastries are well known as two of these little guys were also grabbing a snack and even had called in a third friend to join them by the time we left.

Really too bad that we didn’t think to take them with us on our trip into the surrounds because once we got to Rochefort-en-terre this is what we found. I think they might have been happy there.

We were never rained upon after all. Sunny mixed with clouds. And lots of adorable little signs.  If you saw our previous Brittany blog from out last trip here, we love these signs.

And if you have followed the blog in the past, you also know we like to throw in a quiz from time to time. So…see the sign that says La Tour Du Lion? Well coming up the street we saw the statue on the top of the building from the side.  Using our well-honed powers of deductive reasoning, we assumed that the statue was a Lion….it looked like it could be from the side. But even assuming he lost his head at some point….who can fill in any missing bits and make this into a Lion?

Because all I can see is Pixar’s Wall-E.

Market day

 Other than our travel day, today was the first day that was overcast and raining. Can’t complain.

Our Airbnb was chosen to be directly on Place des Lices for its central location in the old town, and that’s where the market is set up.

Today was our day to explore Vannes. The market. The cathedral. The ramparts and the gardens.

Just a nice easy day with a croissant and coffee, some lunch with rose wine, and some dinner with some Chardonnay.

Auray

 Yesterday, the 19th, we drove over to Auray.  Had a lovely stroll. Had a lovely lunch of charcuterie and rose wine and fresh oysters (from 15 minutes away). Had a lovely stroll. And headed back here. 

Then a lovely dinner here in Vannes at Bistro de Jeanne (thank you, Nathalie Lesenechal for the recommendation). On one hand, I have to admit that I have yet to experience a beurre blanc sauce that compares to Tropicana’s in Marigot SXM. On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the offering of a complimentary shot of rum after dinner appears to be French, too! 

A Sloat By Any Other Name

 Here in Brittany walking around Vannes and Auray I noticed bronze disks on the ground. Apparently two different versions of an ermine wearing a cape made of other ermines (ew?) adorned with fleur de lis. Also apparently I spend more time now looking at where I am stepping than I did when I was younger,

Travel While You Are Young!

Bonjour

Today is Wednesday but I am catching up. Strange how 14 years ago I was better at documenting our travels when I was working off a BlackBerry with awful and unreliable internet. While now I can hardly find the time or energy to post anything. That's not the fault of the technology but rather of my age. This is why one should travel as much as possible while still young.

On Monday we left our friends in Hampshire England, headed to Gatwick, took a delayed easyjet flight to Nantes, rented a car, declined that car, rented a different car, drive 90 minutes to Vannes, found the Airbnb in the (not according to plan) darkness, found the parking lot, found a restaurant still open at 10p, and fell into bed around midnight. Getting from Hampshire to Brittany was somehow more exhausting than getting from Estero, FL to Hampshire. Again I say, travel while you are young.

Ready, Set, Go

It’s been 16 months since we last left the country. Unheard of in modern times, but monkey wrenches have been tossed at us left, right and center recently.

 

If the creek don’t rise, though, we will soon be off to visit dear friends in the English countryside followed by a hop down to France for a bit.

 

I am partially posting this to retest the blogger system and partly because packing has become so much harder in our advancing years. As seasoned travelers (nearly a full four decades together now), we have always been determined to travel with just carry on bags. That was easier, however, when we only traveled to beachy island destinations where bulky items were not necessary.

 

The other thing that has changed (little by little in that imperceptible way that life evolves until one day you suddenly realize you are living a completely different life) is the list of what is deemed essential items.

 

First, there is the list of electronics. That used to be one camera. Now it includes two phones, two tablets and all their associated charging cords. Why do we still take a camera when our phones and tablets take perfectly lovely photographs? I have no idea, but I have never been the photographer in this relationship so I defer. In the last several years, we have also added in a vast array of medications and supplements. And a CPAP machine!

 

To balance things out, I just pack less clothes. We always subscribed to the theory that we go to see not to be seen. And staying in an occasional Airbnb with laundry facilities helps. So, a roll aboard and a small backpack it (still) is.

 

Bon voyage.