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:

february finistère 2026 part two

On the Tuesday   Watery sun, flat calm. Crossed over to the south bank via the dreaded N165, got off it, and drove to La Faou village for breakfast (good) then through Crozon to Camaret. 

Lovely to be back, although the weather heavily overcast and a bit of a drive. The scaffolding gone from the Vauban Fort, choughs rooting round, the derelict lobster boats still extant but further deteriorated… but let's get to the coast proper shall we?

So: moved south to the Pointe de Pen Hir and pottered round, even unto the brutalist ww2 monument (see above). Fine coastal view point but as per: sea haze restricting the range towards Pointe de Raz from La Salle Vert. So much to see but no encouragement from the meteorology.

Nevertheless, these are arguably the best cliffs in the Crozon environment. You really should take a look at a large scale map of this area you know: it is complex. We had a good holiday here back in the day. Except for the sea haze, that is. 

After a spell we moved on a little to beach trek round part of the Anse de Dinan bay, the sea a bit rougher here… there it was that the rain came. And stayed on, often in full spate for the duration of the daylight hours.

We drove all the way up to the Pointe des Espagnols and explored the battery right opposite Portzic & Brest in full waterproof attire. Almost a well propelled stone's throw across the Goulet de Brest.  Thereafter we drove (a misjudgement) all the way down to Douarnenez only to find it lacking any facility we could use or be wanting of. However spotted the previously missed lighthouse (see below) from a distant last visit here. result! Hmm. OK. The drive back was very wet with heavy spray on the diabolical N165 dual main road into Brest but filtered off with faultless navigation back to hotel. We ate in the cheap and cheerful resto (Chez George) under the hotel. So did not get wet.

On the Wednesday   Torrential rain at dawn and cloud down to rooftops. Abandoned hope, fed meter, ate petit déj in the hotel and M washed her hair. However just before midday we got going to Argentan to try and see Le Four (the phare, where my passion for lighthouses might have had its origins). Sat it out in the deserted harbour car park (total downpour) then quite suddenly the rain abated. 

le four

Lovely views, sky opening bit by bit. Result! Drove to Le Conquet after filling up the motor with distillate, but instead went on the other side of the river and walked to Kermorvan. 

kermorvan on pointe de kermorvan

Dramatic skies, but stayed dry (had some sun too) until back in Brest where we ate early at Chez George after a brief walk up to look at La Place de Liberté. Better than yesterday. 

Rain resumed and got heavier and heavier after nightfall. 

Teeming down in gusting squalls. But we were snug enough.

The lantern of Kermorvan, Île d'Ouessant beyond

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

february finistère 2026 part three

A note regarding Brest:  If you want to know what Brest is like, here is not the place to find out. You'll no doubt be aware that the city got trashed during the unpleasantness of ww2 and the allies were disappointed to discover that after bombing the place at length and driving out the uninvited guests, who contributed to the destruction, Brest was a complete shambles and not remotely able to provide port facilities for the ongoing retake of Europe in 1944/5. The invaders left the U-boat pens of course and the French Navy finds a use for them to this day, not sure what exactly, best not to ask, but otherwise it was a complete rebuild, the port, the town, the lot. The Fr got on with it tout de suite: they had to.

Which is why Brest is a modern city, benefitting from straight streets and semi-brutalist concrete architecture. One or two old historic bits (like the château) either survived or have been restored, so it has some character. Good bridges, interesting port and naval dockyard. There's a distinctive hard edge cathedral (visited some years back) and now a rather swish looking tram network which we failed to sample. A new extension to this network was opened without too much fuss while we were making this stay. 

But if you want the full Brest story well, go on line, buy a guidebook, you'll not get anything more from this source much. I quite liked the place in as far as I can get on with conurbationary constituencies at all.  Easy to drive through. And get in and out of. Worth a visit. Spend a few days there and drink it in. 

Visit the U-boat pens even (free, but no snaps to be taken and you must surrender your passport: you'll get it back if you behaved). No we didn't, but you could. We might someday. 

fort de bertheaume

On the Thursday   we were subjected to sharp light and torrential downpours. Trudged round the Brest château environs and port terrace to get you these pictures, I am a fool to myself. Dodged the downpour(s). Mid morning, we took off to Le Conquet stopping at a café above Fort de Bertheaume to take coffee. And take telephotos of the distant Crozon peninsulas (I managed two without rain swept lens complications). But we were set on a crêpe lunch in Le Conquet, so to avoid yet further disapointment regarding crêpes, we were almost first in the establishment. Thereafter a farewell to St Mathieu via Lochrist (for another look at the little concrete phare, it hasn't improved any) and a brief visit to said west facing beach (the Lochrist beach) but heavy rain precluded much activity, drove us off it in fact. We motored thereafter back to Brest and tried really hard to revisit Portzic from the naval dockyard side en route. We failed. We know it goes, but it didn't this time, for us, I think we are losing our grip. 

Drenching rain determined an early arrival back at Les Voyageurs and rather than be adventurous but soaked we decided to eat at Chez George for the third night running! It's the rain, it robs you of resolve.

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

february finistère 2026 part four

Still here then? I warned you concerning this ramble (well I think I did – I suppose I should be sure about that).  Not exactly life-affirming is it? Are you sure you haven't anything more time critical to be doing? Like sorting out your smalls drawer or refelting the garden shed roof?  A bike ride perhaps?

No? Oh well, on we go then, on we go…

On the Friday   Left Les Voyageurs hotel and headed in general direction of Le Conquet. Breakfasted at Ploumoguer in friendly hand-shake café (got the last two croissants from the shop opposite). We motored more or less the way we came. Sea views etc. And I just had to have another crack at snapping Le Four from a bit further east. (see above). I am somewhat fixated on Le Four I have to own. A bit gloomy though, what? It is what it was.

lanvaon

Merde! Again failed to get a table at Lilia crêperie. Prior to that disappointment we'd hunted in vain on the wrong headland (Poullic or was it Pouilic?) in our quest to try to mop up the missing light: Île Wrac’h - (Plouguerneau feu antérieur, see above) – but when within distant sight it had started raining too hard to walk out to it. No crêpes at Lilia so we consoled ourselves with a return to the farmyard that has Lanvaon (Plouguerneau feu postérieur) in it. Another intriguing aspect of navigational aids hereabouts. Find out all about Lanvaon in my sister blog dedicated to Phares de France… some other time maybe. You know you want to…

Thereafter we struck inland to Morlaix, where we passed imperceptibly into Côtes d'Armor, returning to the coast in very grey often wet inclemency but skipping altogether the rose granite section of coast (a honey pot) which was a pity. Proscribed by the weather, without doubt this time: drizzly grey formless skies. we flagged somewhat. 

We pulled in at St Michel en Grève, the cheery holiday rental (welsh owned) that charmed us way back in April 2010, still showing bright and inviting… we refreshed in the friendly and familiar bar, but too too late for lunch. We strayed onto the beach (we beached) for a few minutes, for old times sake… since our holiday here the river has been confined to a riprap bordered channel across the upper beach-sand, so is no longer free to meander hither and yon as it seeks to discharge into the sea…

We were last in Paimpol in a warmer May 2018 when we had taken our lunch in a busy fish café. The digs for the night on this occasion is an old fashioned hotel. Our booking is a big room with balcony overlooking the well stocked harbour. The hotel boasts two restaurants (but closed Fridays –what a surprise). Friendly, intriguing. We liked it, very comfy bed, we parked on the quay … we ate next door. We should have looked around and found better I think, this was expensive, not to my personal taste really (but Mary liked it, so there you go). One sacrifices one's aspirations, you know how it is…

On the Saturday   Breakfasted very satisfactorily  in Paimpol at a bar close by the hotel thereafter mooching round the port a bit  to review fishing boats and one or two vintage vessels, before weighing anchor as it was bright and not raining even. Quick! The colour is back but is not set to last! So, north first to Pointe de l’Arcouet and Loguivy. La Croix phare. That red topped tower, out there. Love it!

Loguivy

I sought once more a distant view of elusive Héaux-de-Bréhat, way to the north (see above), accessible only by a boat trip. Previous images I have contrived to make of this legendary tower were from considerably closer, on the Sillon de Talbert shingle spit but without benefit of telephoto. These are better likenesses but the sun obstinately refused to illuminate the phare, thus underscoring its mystery and magic. (yeah, right). Still otherwise sunny, so we stopped off to obtain a view of Bodic across Le Trieux. What's not to like about Bodic? Oh my! 

As previously asserted, this post series is NOT all about lighthouses. Just mostly.

We floundered about to try and reach another coastline, eventually arriving on the Pointe de Plouézec (or Bilfot, see above). The light still good but on the wane. I'm not sure now when the rain started (fuel top up at Plouezer) but it did, as sure as eggs-was-eggs. 

fréhel

Took rather devious routes, got lost a bit, briefly pausing at Cap Fréhel (honey pot busy), thereafter motoring through the suburbs of St Malo (bag-in-box shop) and on to Cancale, very pay-to-park active but grey overhead. Ate an indifferent but freshly made crêpe when I/we should have been tucking into the local huîtres, then pottered back to St Malo and our assignation with the ferry. This last was late in arriving and fully subscribed (we had a booking, obvs). Armorique again; we sailed at 2130 when it should have left at 2000. Apparently there were problems……

And on the second Sunday   Armorique rendered unto us a smooth crossing back to the motherland and true to form we were almost (but not quite) the last off, after 40 minutes of admiring the car deck detail. The ferry had docked at 09.00 (when it should have arrived at 0745 but these variables are sent to try us, which they fail to do). So we were not on the road until 10.00 fgs. Torrential rain as usual greeted us upon our insertion onto the M275 and its forever roadworks. 

It took just over three and a half hours without refreshment to get back to Cheldon. As usual, busy roads were the order of our blightey return despite it being Sunday. Somewhere in West Dorset and/or Devon the sun came out and the last hour or so of our transit was bright and cheerily lit. We found it even warm upon arrival at our remaining property. This was our first sally back to the République, after selling up there, we deem it a reasonable success.  

That's it then. You still here? If you have been, thank you for your time and interest. I trust you appreciate just how much time and effort I put into disseminating via this means. It takes a toll you know. I am thinking of curtailing the activity in the time I have left . . . but thank you again for sticking it out, even if you are at base, none the wiser.

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