Paris1972-Versailles2003

And on my road warrior mode in my beautiful Morbihan came to an old town of Plouhinec and found me new monuments!! As it is a never ending source of things to see, which will last me a lifetime. You can see my other posts on Plouhinec but let me show this one on a chapel and a natural sand dune! Hope you enjoy it as I.

The Saint-Cornély Chapel was built in 1766 according to the date on the west door, The chapel is a little isolated to the north of the village of Kerprat,part of Plouhinec and was renovated in 1768 in a rectangular shape with a steeple dominating the facade. A small covered porch was built to the south, facing the cross where the horned animals were blessed during a pardon. Saint Cornély traditionally protected horned animals, but until the beginning of the 20C, a pardon for the blessing of horses took place there, It is ,also, used for sailors as evidence by ex voto boats in the sanctuary,

Three windows light up the nave , the last of which has a pointed arch, contrasting with the other two and with those lighting the south side of the nave, in a semicircular arch. The very narrow freestone and rubble stone porch opens with a semicircular arch. In the territory of the ria d’Etel, it is one of the rare religious buildings erected during this period. Fragile, but less expensive to make than in stone, the wooden dentil cornice, common in 18C, You can admire exhibitions in summer inside the Saint Cornély Chapel.

The town of Plouhinec on its heritage : https://www.plouhinec.com/decouvrir/visites-activites/patrimoine.html

The Mat Fenoux Dunes of Plouhinec are protected dunes. These dunes are a subset of the Gâvres-Quiberon dune massif which extends between the Gâvres peninsula and the Penthièvre fort. The Dunes du Mat Fenoux are part of a set of dunes certainly unique in Brittany which extends over 25 km, or 2000 hectares of natural environment, between the peninsula of Gavres and the spur rock of the Fort de Penthièvre. The dune massif covers an area of 150 hectares, bordered to the east by the Etel river and to the north by the agricultural network and back-dune ponds. It is occasionally crossed by streams from ponds in the hinterland. They are now protected area under the Conservatoire du Littoral.

The coastal conservatory on the dunes du mat fenoux : https://www.conservatoire-du-littoral.fr/siteLittoral/157/28-dunes-du-mat-fenoux-56_morbihan.htm

There you go folks, another dandy road warrior run and more beauties in my beautiful Morbihan dept 56 of my lovely Bretagne/Brittany/Breizh! Hope you enjoy the introduction to the chapel and sand dunes of Plouhinec as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

In my road warrior mode let me bring you again to Etel in in my beautiful Morbihan of my lovely Bretagne and my belle France.   Etel! located 18 km from Auray, 30 km from Lorient and 30 km from Vannes, and it is 22 km from my house. I like to bring on the two great monuments to visit in Etel ; the Church Notre Dame des Flots and the Musée des Thoniers, Hope you enjoy it as I.

The Church Notre Dame des Flots occupies the square in the center of the village, formerly the hamlet of Kerévin. In the church, we find two statues dedicated to the marine environment. The first represents a Madonna and Child Jesus holding a boat in her hand. The small sailing vessel bears the inscription “ND des Flots”. The second statue is dedicated to Sainte Anne; the Breton saint is holding a crown buoy.

The former chapel became parish church on September 2, 1849, In 1888 order is given by the City to build a large gallery at the bottom of the church. After WWII, the town again ordered to renovate the church and finally erect a bell tower there. The work was completed in 1958 with the creation on the bedside wall of a monumental fresque to the glory of the Virgin, protector of the maritime world, recognizing.

The Musée des Thoniers is picturesque and authentic, this museum tells with emotion the great epic of the fishermen. Held by former volunteer sailors, this museum hoists the flag of the region’s vast maritime heritage. Crouching between the models, naval objects and period reconstructions, one discovers the shimmering life of the port, its ballet of trawlers, the rescues at sea but also the wind and tidal mills or the small coastal train… This museum of character, as picturesque as the Ria d’Etel, is also a place of inspiration for the many artists who exhibit there.

The themes are shown as the maritime economy and the daily lives of seafarers; the natural phenomenon of the Barre d’Etel and its atypical semaphore; the Bombard affair and rescue at sea; the vast local historical and natural heritage; the surrender of the Pocket of Lorient to Etel… Marine objects, numerous naval and railway models and dioramas, works of art. Nice!

The official musée des Thoniers: https://museedesthoniers.fr/

The city of Etel on location : http://www.mairie-etel.fr/fr/plan-de-ville

The local Bay of Quiberon tourist board on Etel: https://www.baiedequiberon.co.uk/etel

There you go folks, another dandy spot in my beautiful Morbihan. Etel is worth the detour and the ambiance on shops and restos by the port and views of the Ria are awesome! Hope you enjoy the museum and church an architectural and historical addition to a fine small town.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

I came back to wonderful coastal Etel and it was fun as usual. However, this time dwell into some picturesque sights of it that are just wonderful me think. Therefore, let me tell you about Etel and its port area ; oh yes in my beautiful Morbihan ,and my lovely Bretagne ,and my belle France.  Do see my other posts on Etel, and hope you enjoy this post as I.

The river of Étel or Ria Étel (in Breton Stêr an Intel) is a small coastal river which flows in an Aber (or ria), meaning that its deep valley is invaded by the sea at rising tide. It is a small bay dotted with islets, the mouth of which lies in the Atlantic Ocean at the level of the town of Étel and that of Plouhinec. At the mouth of the Ria is the bar of Étel, a shoal of underwater sand formed by the crossing of the currents and whose position is variable. This bar makes navigation difficult. A semaphore is built in 1960, on the Plouhinec side, in order to safely guide sailors towards the entrance to the ria.

The Étel marina has a capacity of 460 boats on pontoons. The port of Étel has a visitor area for your stopovers with 46 berths available. Attention, the maximum draft is 3 meters (about 10 feet).

There is a quant nice water taxi boat between the harbor of Etel and that of Le Magouer across the ria.  Its sort of the little train on water ! And there is fun for sea lovers in me, for the pleasure boat lover or owner, the harbor marina (Le Port) is heavens and so picturesque ! Talking about the the Harbor well here you can get cruisinto the river up stream and into the islands outside on the Atlantic. Below going to Le Magouer!

At the entrance to the most beautiful Ria in southern Brittany, the port of Étel is located in the middle of a large dune site, between Quiberon and Lorient, a charming stopover in the heart of the city, offering quality services and activities. for everyone (swimming, sailing, hiking, etc.). During the Tuna Festival, at the beginning of August, it is eaten, grilled in all the sauces in the restaurants of the port. At the port of Étel, bicycles are offered to boaters stopping over for a ride to Plouhinec and the island of Saint Cado via its small stone bridge and a pretty view of the ria.

Located on the left bank of the Etel River, the port consists of a main basin, to the north, with its mole to the west. To the south, the quays of the auction and the cooler extend to the rescue station. On the embankments behind the quays, one finds successively from north to south: the fish market (1957), the old fish market (1888), the maritime cooperative, the disused municipal cooler (1946) with , on either side , fishmongers’ huts (1948, unmarked), and the lifeboat shelter (1962). Only the parts of the quays to the south of the basin (around 1850-1860), along the hall and the old fish market (1867), and their extension towards the rescue station (1939-1942), are in freestone. . The others, including the old mole, are all or part built or rebuilt in reinforced concrete. The rest of the banks of the port is laid out with riprap.

The SNSM is a voluntary organisation in France to lifeguard the sea aficionados and boat owners getting them safe out of the water in case of mishaps; they do other functions such as taking my mother Gladys and wife Martine out to sea burial at Honfleur (Normandie) . I am very attach and supporter of the org and a donor since 2007. The station at Etel was done in 1866! SNSM Etel: https://station-etel.snsm.org/

The local Bay of Quiberon tourist board on the port and ria of Etel: https://www.baiedequiberon.co.uk/etel-and-its-port

The Morbihan dept 56 tourist board on the Ria of Etel: https://www.morbihan.com/accueil/decouvrir/le-morbihan/les-incontournables/la-ria-d-etel

There you go folks, another dandy road warrior ride into beautiful seacoast territory we love, and so glad Etel is very close to us ,only 22 km or about 14 miles, Hope you enjoy this post on the port and ria of Etel in my beautiful Morbihan.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!