backtracking

 

Batz sur Mer to Roscoff is a straightforward affair, enjoyable enough as this progress has been, almost from end to end. A front room has been our shelter this time, the one we had when first we patronised Hôtel des Marais Salants. They still need to sort the door locks though: they have a mind of their own.

la turballe bar interior

We leave the comfort of our overnighter with drizzle in attendance. My, it is cold: it doesn't creep much above 10° all day, cold winds, and slipping as low as 6° briefly. We edge along the coast to La Turballe in a vain hope of getting a better snap of the lighthouse out there than heretofore (Le Four du Croisic) but compensate for my failure by a successful croissant breakfast. Diverse routes and pathways lead, through some heavy squalls and dark skies at times, to Carantec on the north coast, too late for lunch but not for hot chocolate, and brighter sunlit skies.

ty pierre 

Booked into the Roscoff Ibis at about 1500; our room on floor two has the sea view, as ordered. A mooch round Roscoff is wisely modified to sup cidre in the Ty Pierre café (coffee for M) and suck up some rugby union showing on their giant TV. Out of the wind. 

I invest in a new IGN map of Roscoff et al. Needless to say, one needs two sheets to get the whole cartographic low down on the Roscoff locality.

Despite there being an 'r' in the month we consume a superb pair of moule dishes at La Moule au Pot for supper: delicious. I attempt to record the sea breaking under our window in the early hours on my iPod Touch (yes, I have one) but fail, so you'll have to take my word for it; it was most pleasant but a bit loud at high water…

behold! our destiny is foreseen . . .  but still a day and a half to play with . . . 

cordouan et cathédrale

If you are a fan of my Pharesighted blog you will have come across this post already, pretty much. I include it here for the uninitiated. You've been missing out though: Pharesighted is top flight! Although I says so myself. 

IT IS APRIL 2026 and Mme Melling and self are relaxing in Royan at the southernmost point of our second spring jolly. No, not Ciboure, as projected elsewhere, we thought better of it in the light of rocketing fuel prices and possibly worse to come, but thought it wasn't too extreme to travel this far, albeit with five litres spare distillate in case fuel stations start running out.

To soften the blow of not going to the Spanish border, Mme Melling suggested booking a ferry out to Cordouan, it might be running. Sure enough, the weather is so good it looks like summer here in Royan and yes, the boat is going and indeed, we secure seats on the 1230 sailing on Thursday 9 April (or at least Mme does, on our behalf). 

So, after the fascination of Notre Dame, the boat indeed leaves at 1230, not quite full I think, and we ride on the top of it in glorious sunshine. We do the swop, after 40 minutes, to the shallow draught shuttle, a boat with wheels on the front to assist unloading, and which we've towed all the way from Royan. We are early enough tidewise to get taken right up to the steps of the edifice to disgorge, so no stroll across the exposed sands for us and no wet feet. The boat we left Royan on stands off in deeper water while the operative that works the shuttle takes a long kip (after the second load of punters have been fetched over) out of reach until such time as he is required to reverse the procedure, at the conclusion of our visit to the mighty Cordouan. 

Please find displayed, therefore, the results of this quest. Mme Melling is prompt upon arrival, as the other visitors assemble to receive the official intro and history in the ground floor chamber, she intimates that we'd best get climbing. She is right and furthermore no one else follows us as we rapidly proceed to the lantern, pausing (well I do) to marvel and record the interior spaces, and snatch some breath back, until all 301 steps have been achieved and we stand at last on the lantern balcony. Wow. Here is most of what we saw, and note the seeming absence of other visitors. That's how I like my phares……

So there you are, a brief guide to the principle spaces of France's oldest operational lighthouse.

The ground floor hall doesn't feature in this set as it was full of visitors, and the watch room, a panelled space under the lantern from which those final steps ascend into said lantern, well I failed to snap that as well, sorry. In fact those steps were recorded by Mme Melling (I reproduce her photograph with her kind permission) who also failed to capture a likeness of the watch room on level six. 

Just to give an idea of the view from up there on the tenth highest phare of France:

We leave, as we came, dryshod. The subsequent arrival, another flat bottomed shuttleboat from the Verdon-sur-Mer arrival, discharges its passengers a short distance from the crown entrance: they have to paddle. 

Cordouan: if you get the chance, don't delay, go right away. 

Notre Dame de Royan: worth the detour and reachable without recourse to hiring a boat ride. 

Thank you for your attention. Post number 63 in my sister blog 'Pharesighted' describes Cordouan's history in some detail; maybe (as I recommended therein) you should have read that post before perusing this post, that was the idea… oh well……

test your french, why don't you?

I acknowledge and thank Jean Benoit Héron for his rendition of Cordouan's interior layout

phare out!

Well my dears, the bed at the Family Golf proves very comfortable and it is quite soporific to have the breakers on the beach audible all night: we leave the sliding doors open behind the privacy blind. The new day is cloudless. No hotel breakfasts here for us: we strike out to the port for ours, few folk about at first, cool and very bright. No croissants, it's the baguette and jam again, but no complaints from me. Thankfully,  walking proves to be much improved today. You'll have been concerned. 

After p'tit dej then, and a potter round the marina end of things, we motor via St Palais and La Grande Côte (where we took a singular easter break in 2002) to La Fôret de la Coubre: to the lighthouse, as you’d expect (with full acquiescence from Mme Melling, of course).

I decide not to risk the ascent of the superb concrete phare, I’ve done it in my time, and want to keep my currently uncertain capacity for lighthouse ascending for Cordouan. Mme Melling is not so disposed either. Instead, we inspect the excellent little museum where the former (1905) 1st order Fresnel is available for close inspection (it was still in situ and functioning when I ascended the tower, back in the noughties). Plus lots of other stuff, a dashed good show, and gratis to boot. Bravo, friends of the light.

2002

We just have to relish again the fabulous beach, punctuated by the stump of the former Coubre light, built in error, too close to the sea. Back in the day (our easter visit in 2002) we erected a whole series of timber posts and poles (washed up, presumably off some ship or other) at intervals down this beach, coast art, line of sight sort of stuff. And some arty grouping of same, aussi. I wonder if the son-&-heir remembers doing all that? I’m welling up. 

My pharesighted blog has a post devoted to the Coubre phare and is a gem! Don’t miss out, here’s a link so there is no excuse…… 

Now we drive through La Fôret de la Coubre on delightful light flecked roads, to La Tremblade and the oyster shacks that line the road down to La Seudre (that's the waterway that drains the vast expanses of pans, lakes and saltings that punctuate this river estuary). It is our target: we enjoy the best seafood lunch in years (or so it seems, we are hungry) at one of the smaller shacks down there. 

We return the way we came pretty much, through La Palmyre, past the zoo, (60th anniversary this year, have patronised formerly) where it is teeming, stop off in St Palais-sur-Mer to walk round once more the Terre Nègre phare, (remember the cranes?) in very warm and brilliant light. This junior lighthouse of course has an entry, blah blah blah, I’ve added to it, visit it on that other blog, at your discretion, given your interest in phares may not be as deep as mine, despite my best endeavours. Shame. I take a snap of distant Cordouan emerging from a sea mist. It features in my Cordouan posting… in this blog.

Upon arrival back at the Family Golf we spend the rest of the afternoon people watching from our exclusive terrace and partake of a hotel pizza too: they don't offer meals but they do offer pizzas, if you see what I mean.  

Altogether a fitting, relaxing end to a jolly good day. Stonking! I could get used to this.

off to royan

 

Plymouth to Roscoff.    I was somewhat non-plussed when seeking to embark.  I am always quite prepared to be asked a few questions by UK and even French customs (on the return) about our intended or concluding journey, happy to open the boot even – to reveal the absence of stowaways, illicit pets, plants and foodstuffs, short-wave transmitters, and/or other articles deemed to be passé. When we were brought to a stop in order to go through this familiar palaver at Plymouth docks, outbound, as on previous occasions, that is all I expected, a few vague questions, although nine times out of ten we glide past without a request to pause for a chat at all…… never mind, it's our turn seemingly, here we are……

Whose car is this? Do you own it? Did you pack it yourself? Are you carrying anything for someone else? Are you carrying any motor fuel in addition to that contained in the vehicle's fuel tank? (Answer: mine/ours, yes, yes, no yes 5 litres in an authorised container), well, there we are, I thought that was it. 

But no! Next came a long list of offensive weapons we had to assure this chappie (our interrogator had a clipboard) we were not carrying, ranging from knives through to crossbows, shotguns and even APDs I think. I was able to assure the job’s worth that on this occasion at least we were not conveying so much as a toothpick. 

This was still not enough for Mr Security. He wanted to inspect the five litres of emergency distillate we’d declared: I thought to confirm that it was petrol and not over the ten litres limit stipulated by HMC&E. I pondered about unscrewing the cap to display the E10 sloshing about therein but feared the strong whiff of petroleum might be considered an indirect assault upon our stern but aged guardian of HMC. He seemed satisfied and didn’t press the matter when he had assured himself that it was but a five litre can. With some relief I closed the hatchback. The possible ignominy of what looked quite likely to develop into the full unloading of the boot and all our luggage being minutely inspected receded… what would he make of the wellington boots … seemed for a sickening moment that it might just be on the cards. 

This fellow-me-lad stood all of five feet six inches tall, wore the customary gilet jaune with hood and what I can only describe as a disciplined but nevertheless shortish white St Nicolas beard. He resembled Father Christmas, but in florescent yellow rather than the more familiar and customary rouge of that legendary figure. He was clearly several years older than me, and like me, very much past retirement age. More so in fact. His colleague, a woman in similar attire (but not bearded) and a few years younger than her male counterpart had, meanwhile, been looking under the motor to see if we had affixed explosives there, presumably so that we might end it all at some moment of our choosing. We’d not done that. Never mind… they announced that they were now going to carry out a pat search on each of us. Der?

I had the presence of mind to quickly remove from my pockets a spectacle case, wallet and sundry other chunky items, to aid this officer in his duty. He thanked me but took no interest in these items whatsoever. I explained the braces and belt combination lest he thought I was carrying bandoliers of ammo under my fleece. He examined my collar, for semtex I imagine (thank God I wasn’t packing any marzipan this time, round my neck, as you do). Mme Melling was undergoing a similar humiliation. 

What the F did they expect to find – a Magnum*, a Smith & Weston, a crossbow? They drew a blank. Sadly I could not offer them a compensatory Wurther’s Original to soften their disappointment… we were fresh out (*I do like Magnums though, I have to own: double choc with nuts — or caramel salé, if you are buying… but we don't ship out with them, obvs, they'd melt). 

Bloody hell, yes, we were FRISKED FGS. No explanation why was forthcoming (I thought it best not to seek it). Had someone tipped them off? They were polite, these two, chatty even – mentioned that they were going home in a few minutes time (were they a married couple even?) let us back into the motor, a cheery wave even, and allowed us to proceed upon our way, or at least to the back of the row already waiting to be called forward to the car deck on our sea-going vessel. Great heavens. Some sort of retirement activity? Uniforms? Pop along to the docks and play security? April Fools??

It was the French who had the crossbows and us English who relied on Long Bows, at Agincourt at least. That ended well. I wasn’t asked if I had any bows and arrows!

Not British, this sort of thing. I fumed for some hours thereafter I can tell you. I have only been frisked hitherto when visiting at HMP Exeter, where I could grasp the rationale (the sniffer dog too) but for the night boat to Roscoff, huh, what?? I conclude it was just a case of: we can, because we can, you know……

Anyway, that is how we came to sail overnight Plymouth to Roscoff and to breakfast in the Ty Pierre café the following morning before motoring south… let's get on with this shall we? 

Roscoff to Batz sur Mer.   Into Roscoff for breakfast, as I have already indicated. It’s a cloudless day but at Morlaix access to the tedious but useful N12 is coned off so we do not follow our planned route at all, or for that matter the alternative route suggested by the diversion signs. I am not sure where Mary takes us as we motor generally southwards but it is pretty at times, very fresh green, if a touch tortuous and mostly traffic free as it is Easter Monday – until approaching Vannes, where it is busier, as it is Easter Monday. After getting off the N165 rat run east, a pine marten ambles across the road but Mary misses it as she has her head buried in the Michelin. I feel bad about this.

port tréhiguier

We’ve brought our own victuals for this first day on the road, so potter on to a quayside lunch at the fishing port of Tréhiguier, overlooking the tidal pontoon: we secure a park style bench. Satiated, we move on, eventually to the Pointe du Bile for coffee and the parking granted to us as customers thereat, it is quite busy just here. We take a mooch above the extensive oyster or are they mussel parks.

oysters or may be mussels farming

We also try a bit of the coastal path to get the views. Back in the car we proceed and drive across the saltings on the familar snaking road to bring us to the railway station and our Batz-sur-Mer hotel. 

pointe du bile or close by

The temperature has been at least up to 23°C today and we have felt, at times, somewhat overdressed. We eat our supper in Le Croisic, at a crêperie, accompanied by an excellent bottle of cidre bouché. 

croisic

Still pressing on? 

I admire your fortitude. 

Not to worry, we get to Royan next. 

Batz-sur-Mer to Royan:   Off, as soon as the family member with desk duties turned up at the hotel reception, and to the delights of an early morning La Baule. Not my scene. How brash it all is. But at least it calms down a touch at Pornichet where we espy in the town square, a rather jolly yet refined bar where we consume crusty baguettes packed with Normandy butter and (for me) redcurrant jelly. Admirable woman running the show, I sat up straight… felt restored after all the lip curling I had had to do while negotiating La Baule.

Back to the quest: Pont St Nazaire! I never tire of crossing it, when the traffic is fluid, which today it is. And it is getting warmer still. Very familiar roads lead us past numerous storks, herons and similar, it is a joy. We just had to deviate through Port du Bec where it is very quiet but we score a pair of marsh harriers and take a potter round the canal sluices, relishing the highish tide which conveniently obscures the extensive mud flats hereabouts. The Passage du Gois is not far away round the corner so of course we parked up there and walked out just as far as the tide allowed. Waders (the birds). Of course, here there were tourists, some with tots, but no chance of using the passage for hours to come. It gets hot: today tops 28°C.

We eat the second instalment of food brought with us, at an unprepossessing oyster estuary south of Talmont St Hilaire, near an unobtainable Pointe du Payre. But soft! – there is the song of the nightingale, (two at least) here be circulating herons, storks overflying and what's that duck if not a shell? We do not, after all, envy those packing the oyster shacks just up the road. 

Thereafter, we press on to Royan, avoiding a large shiny snake on the roadside… shambling down the awful N137 road (us, not the snake) past La Rochelle and Rochefort arriving at the mysteriously named  Family Golf Hotel after finding the central promenade or esplanade closed for major roadworks. Consternation at this situation turns to satisfaction as we find our chosen hotel is located on the main beach away from said esplanade but still in easy reach of the centre: our spacious room is on the ground floor, benefitting from a designated terrace and immediate sea views across the road to St Georges, subject to the sound of surf. We sink into the place and sup kirs as one does, after a day in the motor.

Later, I limp back (awful) into the centre of town, trailing Mme Melling as best I can, for an indifferent (poor) meal. No. Bloody awful meal. A bad choice but who knew? This experience is the only one of its kind on this excursion – the scars are healing. I totter back and find recuperation in the sea’s calming presence and after most of the beach users have trooped off. I wind back the canopy-awning that in the day can afford us shade, lower the privacy screen down and repair to the extensive bed. M books the Cordouan trip. I watch Point-de-Grave phare flashing away across the Gironde. Not at all bad. I've indicated the position of our suite on the title illustration, as seen from sea – sans awning of course – I've retracted it for our day out — we are off to the lighthouses. 

february finistère 2026 part one

Look here. I undertook to construct a post concerning our first excursion back to La France after the Sablet saga completed, but my heart is not really in it. True, I am a man of my word and so I'm doing something to quell the outrage of non-compliance surely soon to be echoing about the digital portals, but I have to tell you now what follows is almost in note form, sorry, essentially just scribbled aide memoire made day by day. 

I've deliberately reversed the order that these four posts were scribed, so you don't have to: can't have my readership trying to cope with the eccentric blogger idea that one's public want to read one's most recent missive first, when a chronologically penned sequence is being presented, can I?

phare trézien

It was a very rainy trip (as if we are strangers to such a thing) – excessively so. If you bother with scanning the episodes here described it is safe to assume that it was raining, about to rain or had just stopped raining. You might be advised to wear a waterproof or two to get into the spirit of the following tripe. Did the inclemency screw things up for us? No it did not. Where is the itinerary? Forget it. Mme Melling made it up as we went along. No sweat. Itineraries are for long distance. This venture only amounted to 704 miles over there, and some of those were unnecessary. Essentially, we crossed over to Roscoff, lodged in Brest for a while, transferred to Paimpol briefly and returned from St Malo. 

It was not all about lighthouses, by the way, this jolly. But I have updated my other blog which concerns French lights… To save testing your patience beyond the limits, I've included some of the imagery made for that blog in this post. Two birds with one stone y'see. 

As my descriptions are liable to leave you more puzzled than normal at times, I am trusting at least that a flavour of what we did will manifest itself through some of the images I include herewith. Don't forget, we are not unfamiliar with this neck of the woods so at times you might get lost in the brevity of my description. I'll take questions, but may not be able to provide answers, as is often the case, you'll no doubt confirm. Do your best with it, such as it is, or go and think about making the supper, it might be a better use of your time (my mind is set on crêpes this evening, I've made the batter and I am hot mustard when it comes to crêpes – even though I says it what shouldn't).  Here goes: 

On Saturday  Depart at 1730 for Plymouth after a dryish sunny day, clouding over then rain arriving on quayside. Heavy rain. Armorique lightly loaded, leaves early. Bumpy crossing if not exactly rough. I take the top bunk despite infirmity. 

On the Sunday   Still raining on arrival at Roscoff. Dashed into the town and snatched the last croissants and coffee at the excellent Te Beg café after sitting in the motor waiting for a slight easing of the downpour (see above) before the sprint to said café. Thus refreshed we were away, along the coast west to fetch up unerringly at the thrice visited Kerfissien beach, wellies on for that – and waterproofs… on for the rest of the day. We walked out. Tide out. Impeccable sands…grand granites… no tick tack development. Clean: next to no shoreline pollution, plastic etc.… 

Pointe de Curnic next but it proved too wet and windy to go on foot as far as the point. We tried to get a crêpe at Lilia but the target crêperie was fully subscribed (Sunday lunch and Valentine’s Day). Vierge Phare espied again and the mainland embarkation point called upon (no boats today note: we've been out to it by boat and up its 400 steps on a previous sunny visit), then Portsall, parking by the Amoco Cadiz anchor. Nothing doing for lunch there either unfortunately. Not too fussed.

Thence to Brest – managed to park o/s hotel after going to wrong Mercure first! Our hotel, almost dead centre. Not the port hotel that is. Comfortable room but not quite as large as projected – top floor, very quiet, view towards and beyond the Rade de Brest. Ate in Oceania hotel nearby as our hotel has no restaurant fgs. Rather pricey supper but good quality fine dining. I suppose. If you like that sort of thing. Hmm. I am not so sure these days that I do. 

On the Monday   Grey overcast and a cold wind blowing but this soon changed to squally heavy showers interspersed with brillant sunshine. Made heavy weather of getting out of Brest and drove along the narrow one way road that is fenced off above the naval base, direction Portzic phare. Found good coffee and cake for breakfast at La Plage de Ste Anne, then after a lot of faffing (missing out Portzic but taking in a UoB technology campus… several times…) finally fetched up at Pointe St Mathieu. Wonderful, a favourite place. 

Pointe St Mathieu is popular and it is plain to see why: maritime memorial, monastic ruin, museum, coastguard tower and a wonderful phare to ascend (previously achieved). Great cliff top views aussi. Ships pass. Walked to the former ww2 german gun emplacement overlooking Les Rospects (got wet doing it) and shuffled back in golden light, drying as we went.  

Drove on to Le Conquet and had a spiffing seafood lunch: much more my scene. Thereafter the short walk to the harbour was punctuated by an oncoming squall, forcing us back into the refuge of the wheels. Le Conquet shows little change for the worse and remains an attractive place to take the air. Vowed to return. 

Up to Trézien (phare, see top, with the van) inc. an unforced short diversion to Porsmoguer beach where we had our last pre Sablet stay on this coast, Kerhornou, Easter 2009.  Thereafter we toured north along the coast edge roads towards Porscav; tremendous seas – returning to Trézien and Point de Corsen. Finally we wove our way down to Pointe de Petit Minou where we found the lighthouse under wraps & repair. 

We noted here that the recent winter storms have devastated the mature pinewood windbreaks all over Brittany, changing the former familiar shape of the landscape for years to come…… And thus back to Brest, back in the hotel by about 1800. Great day!

the second post in this four parter can be accessed by clicking on the older post option below: