I decided as crazy as I can be to eliminate all the my travels in the Morbihan posts from my blog. After coming up and looking at them , I realise they are simple small dots of places already visited and full post and pictures in the blog. So rather than have a double sites have deleted all 94 (XCIV) of them !!! I like to thank all those who have given likes or comments over the years in my blog on these posts. However , all is not lost.
Rather than lose all these memorable moments since 2012, I will condense all of them into several posts (this is my last) for my memories of always , the story of me and my blog. Hope you enjoy these memories as I. The word Morbihan means Mor for sea and bihan for small in the breton language so therefore small sea (coming from the famous gulf of Morbihan) the local costumes is that in the South areas around Vannes, Breton is spoken by the elders ,taught in schools ,and all signs on the roads, etc are bilingual. On the extreme north by Loudéac par example ,Gallo, a gallo roman language is also spoken, and the road signs are shown in both gallo and French.
This is 2021 !!! This was again my Parisian friend coming over to his boat at Port du Crouesty so I got invited again! Life on a boat in a gorgeous marina can’t be beaten in my beautiful Morbihan. The port du Crouesty is a gorgeous marina indeed and also written a lot on it in my blog Port du Crouesty belongs to the city of Arzon in the Presqu’Ïle de Rhuys peninsula. See here, the Chapelle Notre Dame de Crouesty ; it was here that on May 11 of the year 565 , we found the intact body of Saint Gildas in a small boat anchored in the rocks ! . The famous megalith stone the cairn de petit mont is worth the detour. At Le Hézo the La Maison du Cidre or Cider house ,also, a museum you can see how it is done with reservation. We always buy and did bottles of cider with the special royal Guillevic and jellies of pears and chocolate oh so good yummy delicious.
I started them by Saint Philibert a nice town not far from me on the coast and beautiful beach. I went all the way to Pointe de Men et Bellec a tip just land’s end. Here we have a nice beach Plage Kernevest with nice harbor and sailing boat as well. I, then, took over the Kerisper bridge to La Trinité sur Mer , a sailings boaters paradise and gorgeous beaches. Here I went by plage Kerbihan and later plage Kervillen both beautiful. I did passed by the main town and saw my favorite marina and restaurant l’etage or the floor with views over the marina, bay and into the ocean. Then, staying in La Trinité sur Mer passed by gorgeous beach of Plage du Men Du bordering the Bay of Quiberon! I continue into Carnac thru the area of the stones or megaliths that are Unesco World Heritage Site. Specifically, the alignment of Menéc and the Maison de Megaliths boutique and museum as well as the entry point to the alignments. I then took around by the plage St Colomban into the road Avenue des Emigrés to link up with the road D781 direction Auray and the expressway N165 direction Lorient back to my town of Pluvigner.
The Aquarium of Vannes (sadly it has closed see new post on the future) had three sections to see, Temperate seas Waters, Warm and tropical seas, and, Warm fresh waters. There is even a mini-golf course part of the Aquarium! (see post closed too) . Nearby the aquarium, you have the Le Jardin aux Papillons (see post) or Butterfly Garden, where you will discover an ecosystem with hundreds of tropical flowers and plants ; and right next to the butterfly garden you have the relaxing wonderful , Balneo on the parc du Golfe where you will be welcome for facials, body treatments and massages in 6 treatment rooms . The Mercure Vannes Le Port Hotel took many friends/collegues here and on site, guests can enjoy traditional French cuisine and a selection of fresh seafood at La Brasserie Edgar, which features patios, authentic decor, turn-of-the-century brasserie, specializing in traditional French cuisine; here we have eaten and delicious. The Rabine promenade along the quays will take you to the pier of the Gare Maritime of Vannes (cruise terminal) in the Parc du Golfe for a crossing to Belle-Ïle en Mer or for a cruise on the Gulf of Morbihan .The port of Vannes is a floating basin, maintained at a minimum depth of 2.10 meters by a lock gate, whose opening times follow the tide times. In the Parc du Golfe, this is the Kasino of Vannes with electronic table games, English roulette, ultimate poker, black jack, and slot machines. Yes we have a casino too!! The Kasino’s panoramic restaurant offers you a warm welcome in a modern baroque-style setting . The Piano Barge is already an institution here and did visit couple times one with business collegues and the other with the family. I The Awen Brew Pub has 21 pressure spouts and a fine selection of alcoholic drinks . You will see concerts, events, live sport games. And of course, a sentimental favorite the Chorus exposition hall where we have attended several events on wines and gastronomy as well as habitat ,housing ideas etc etc right in the Parc du Golfe.
La Huche à Pain is one of our favorite bakeries pastry shop or boulangerie/Pâtisserie in Vannes. It offers you daily artisanal products with a unique taste. All the breads are kneaded, shaped and baked in the bakeries throughout the day. The Dominique Blanchard Cordonnerie is an institution at 15 Place des Lices since 1960 father and now son; shoe making and repairs. The place des lices is perhaps the main square of Vannes, vast and greatly pedestrian with plenty of shops we love such as la Trinitaine, Belle Iloise, and the above bakery. The place Henri IV is smaller but older and very picturesque including some wooden houses going back to the 14C. The place Saint Pierre is even smaller ,but it is here you find the magnificent Cathédrale Saint Pierre of Vannes , and La Cohue, the fine arts museum. The place Valence ,a wonderful square with nice restaurants we like and a famous landmark The place Valence bears the name of Valencia (valence), the birthplace in Spain of Saint Vincent Ferrier, who came to preach in Vannes in 1418-19. The preacher would have lived in a house in the square , and buried in the Cathedral. Right in this Place Valence, you have an emblematic bust of Vannes. Vannes et sa femme is a polychrome stone sign representing the busts of a couple and probably dating from the 16C. Integrated into the facade of a half-timbered house in the inner city of Vannes, it is a famous emblem of the city. The rue Emile Burgault is another favorite of ours and my boys shopped a lot there. It is a very narrow old street space for just one car!
The architecture the history and the Saint Vincent Ferrier are just awesome, and goes together with the Saint Peter’s Cathedral ! Its construction spanned five centuries, from the 15C to the 19C, and if we include the lifespan of the Romanesque bell tower preserved from the old building, we arrive at a construction duration of seven centuries ! The La Cohue musée des Beaux-Arts or Fine Arts museum La Cohue is right on Place Saint Pierre across from the above Cathedral and it also has an entry on the rue des Halles behind it. The street behind the above is rue des Halles, very narrow, cobblestone street very quant we love it. You can see wooden houses here at No 7 and No 27 especially from the 17C and 18C. The Château Gaillard is wonderful architecture, history and a beautiful museum of history and archeology. It is located in the former Hôtel du Parlement de Bretagne (parliament of Brittany), or Château-Gaillard, a former private mansion. We have a wonderful Halle aux Poissons or fish market doing wonders every Saturday morning and we love it. The fish market is located on the Place de la Poissonnerie in the inner city of Vannes, near the bastion of Gréguennic and the Porte Saint-Vincent. The covered market or Halle des Lices, also has plenty in my blog. This one is the least visited by us, but a nice monument in a beautiful area. We prefer the open air markets and here at the Place des Lices is the best and name the No 9 best in France! The Rue de la Monnaie to the ramparts and our wonderful tour du Connétable or Constable’s tower. Built in the first half of the 15C is fully integrated into the ramparts. This was Arthur III of Brittany known as “the Constable of Richemont”, Constable of France and Duke of Brittany. Arthur fought alongside Joan of Arc during her victory at the Battle of Patay on 18 June 1429!
Let me tell you a bit more on Guidel and Guidel Plages. There is Guidel bourg or town and a Guidel plage or beach. In Guidel bourg or town, you have a nice Church Saint Pierre and Saint Paul in place Polignac , surrounded by shops ,restos, and parking ! We took advantage right in front of the church to shop for our traditions baguettes at Lucas boulangerie/pâtisserie and grab a couple! We remember one of our fondest memories with my dear late wife Martine where we pick at random a picturesque Italian villa call La Villa Toscane resto grill pizzeria at 15 place Jafffré. It was sublime and we look forward to come back when possible. We continue to Guidel Plages or beachside at about 3 km away. two big section of games and restos ,one by Le Bas Pouldu and the other by plage de la Falaise or cliffs beach. The Port or Pleasure marina area has excellent gallery of painters and plenty of restos and bars with the bay behind them; there is a walking trail of the Laîta river just alongside the bay , and the Le Bas Pouldu plage/beach. We have tried here Ty Beach a resto pizzeria right at place Bas Pouldu with a plethora of restaurants next to the port and the beach Le Bas Pouldu plage. We have tried the Brasserie Le Roof which invites you to a relaxing and refreshing break. Right at the end of le Falaise Plage or cliff’s beach, you have another wonderful section for water sports and kids playground, the dune du Pouldu, the tip with views of Fort Bloqué and the vast beautiful beach. We have tried for lunch La Moule qui Saoûle, friendly service even late. There are great views of the ocean, wonderful walks alongside it, and just beach bum style par excellence.
Coming back ,by the parc du Golfe take the underground tunnel of Kerino into the town of Séné. One in town follow the signs for the Reserve Naturelle. Easy And you come into the Reserve Naturelle des Marais de Séné, a wonderful nature park. The Marais de Séné Nature Reserve is located in the estuary of the Noyalo river, the easternmost part of the Gulf of Morbihan The salt marshes of Séné were developed between 1723 and 1742. As in the rest of western France, the decline in salt production is noted in Séné from 1850. We continue into Vannes, my boys wanted to take me to Columbus Café a wonderful place we have come to love and come often. I was able to park on the ramparts next to the garden of the Préfecture du Morbihan which have written before as in all. Of course, the food was take out to eat on the lawn in the Garenne garden next to the old ramparts overlooking the old towers! The boys had the wonderful lunch in the lawn at the Garenne garden alongside the ramparts while I stay with my Dad as he could not sit down there; the garden with the Tour Connétable in back is awesome always!! And of course while there why not marvel of the Tour Connétable (constable’s tower) itself, an icon of the city of Vannes on its ramparts! And the nice tower to the right of the above, Tour Poudrière or powder tower closer to the end of the ramparts.
I have told you about the town of Baud, very near me, just making the 10 km mark, and we went there again ! I took a shot from the hill for a nice shot of the town of Baud and the belltower of its Church St Peter’s (St Pierre) from the 14C renovated in the 20C. I dare take some from outside today is the Château de la Villeneuve or new town. The Château de la Villeneuve (17C), restored in the 20C. I have told you in my Some news from France series, the permission in the Nantes city/town hall to fly the Breton flag, black and white with the hermine symbol of Anne de Bretagne. The flag is raised. And this is former Brittany in what is now since 1961 Loire-Atlantique dept 44 in Pays de la Loire region. The decision to show the flag is known as the Loi Morlac for the congressman of the Morbihan!!! Eventually it will be back where it was originally, Bretagne !
I have mentioned the town of Camors on a previous post. The fact that my father’s nurse is from there , we decided to ride into the forest!!! It is largely covered by two forest areas, the national forest of Camors and the forest of Floranges. The national forest of Camors, the site of the Petit Bois pond, and the megaliths. The Etang des Petit Bois is a pond where it is possible to fish, picnic areas, a sports course and a tree climbing park. You can see the Menhir Braz, or great Menhir over 3 meters high, also called the “Star Menhir”. This stele, erected in the Neolithic, is more than 5,000 years old. Also, the Menhir Bihan about 200 meters on the right meaning the small menhir in Breton. The megaliths of the forest are the alignments of Cornevec, Bras menhir, Bihan menhir, Crénan line tumulus, Armoirie menhir, as well as the star menhir. The parish Church of Saint-Sané (see post), dating from the 17C, but has undergone many alterations . Also, the Saint-Goal Chapel from the 14C, the Saint-Gobrien Chapel from the 14C. There is a Lambel – Camors train station located in the village of Lambel on the territory of the town of Camors, now is inactive. However, the main terminal building was bought in 1999 by the town of Camors. The association ATA Lambel (Artistes et Trains Associés – Lambel) which aims to animate the station, its head office is located in the station. The Parb’er association (Espace Rail des Pays d’Auray Rohan Blavet) occasionally runs a tourist train with several outward or return journeys between Auray station and Pontivy station according to a program available on the site of the association There is a wonderful outdoor Utopia park which we have walked by but not done activity yet. It was the first tree climbing park to emerge in Brittany!
Today I went back to nice Brandivy and the relaxing Etang de la Forêt with a pretty lake. You need a car to get here the Etang de la Fôret, Brandivy , road D779 just before arriving Bieuzy Lanvaux; a village of Pluvigner. You will walk into the domaniale forest of Lanvaux, passing by the Chapel Saint Mériadec, the Notre Dame de Fatima aux Granges Retreat, and the tomb of the seven holes as well as the lake or étang de la forêt (as above).
This is 2022 !!! Today I went back to usual hangouts in Vannes. We went for the restaurant my oldest son chose as a beef eater par excellence the chosen one was the chain Hippopotamus. The chain was created in 1968 (what a year!) I passed by one of my old stays while arriving late on business trips or housing collegues visiting us from other countries, this is the Escale Oceania Hotel at Avenue Jean Monnet just by the roundpoint of Palais des Arts. Right around here you have the Théâtre Anne de Bretagne (see post aka Palais des Arts) this is where we held our management convention meetings with 500 attendees, many memorable moments here including the one we arrived at the parking and forgot there is a code to open the gate, We went around until found someone that call inside to have the gate open for us ; I was not driving lol !!! The Hôtel de Ville or city hall of Vannes ;we have two really, the historical one already written on it and the administrative part. The historical you have the tourist office, and weddings rooms , cultural dept etc. The admin building is for the regular folks like us do their civil needs; this is officially at 7 Rue Joseph le Brix. The Collége Jules Simon (middle school) that had recently renovated its Chapelle St Yves (you can visit-see post), A bit of that which I like tell us that the school was founded in 1574 it was entrusted to the Jesuits in 1629. The Collége Jules-Simon is the oldest college of the 7 colleges in Vannes: 448 years old !!
Well we went out to do some groceries in the local Super U grocery store and then breads in our bakery Grossard in Pluvigner. From here we went to Auray to our normal parking in Keriolet and walk to the pharmacy Audouin at 48 place de la République for my twin boys 3rd vaccine shot of the covid19 virus. While in Auray we encounter ,of course, the market which here is bigger by the place de la République and back of city hall into rue de Barre; lively day, We got to see the old covered market or halle which was under renovation , still. We came back home and hungry, late lunch we had it at our favorite le Scampi pizzeria restaurant. No reservations just walk in this is the French countryside or rather Breton, The long term planning is going back to Disneyland Paris as this year is their 30th anniversary in France with many activities ,and my boys Florida natives are hook on this park, I obliged along and take Dad and Rex ,our dog as well. Right now we are looking at the Disney properties to see the deal we hook up (we did Ranch Davy Crockett or Fort Wilderness in Orlando property). This is for late September 2022 as will coincide with my dear late wife Martine birthday, which the boys chose it to remember their mother as she loved Disney.
There you go folks, many years of wonderful time and happier moments to remember forever. Thanks to all for following my blog all these years since November 26 2010, and yes some of you go that far back. My pleasure to partake the wonderful world of travel with you all. And this is the end. Hope my posts brings ideas and memorable moments to you too. Thanks
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 