Curiosities of Auray, part I !!!

Posted in Bretagne, France

Again, in my road warrior trips to my nearby town of Auray in my beautiful Morbihan, I have many posts on Auray in my blog, and this one was just visiting again today, and new pictures that should be in my blog. Therefore, here is my take on the curiosities of Auray, Part I !!! , Hope you enjoy it as I.

The Skatepark has been delayed and now expected completion is for late june 2024, It will be free access, next to the St-Gildas cemetery,and in front of the Salle Péron, The slide surface of 1,150 m² which must satisfy skateboarders as much as rollerblading, BMX and scooter followers. There will be a bowl on 125 m2, and the long Streetpark part with an area of 1,025 m2, on the front of boulevard Kennedy.,

Auray skateboard park may24

We wondered around in city center to past the tourist office of the former chapelle  de la Congregation, and continue to the hotel de ville in the Place de la République up the space jeu de paume a very narrow street that takes you to a nice garden and the old prison. 

I always felled in love with this tower living quarter in a vast park by Venelle du Foresto street in the upper town overlooking Saint Goustan It belongs to a private house,and I see each time very picturesque me think.

The Rue Philippe-Vannier, known in the history of Auray as rue du Pavé, has long been a privileged axis to connect Saint-Goustan. Today, having become calmer, it was by mistake that rue du Pavé took the name of Philippe Vannier in 1924. The city council at the time thought he was born in Auray !! Volunteered in the Royal Navy at 16, he left for Cochinchina (southern Vietnam) and spent 36 years there, alongside King Gia Long, founder of the imperial Nguyen dynasty which reigned until 1945 , It was Gia Long who appointed him captain, then first class mandarin in reward for his services which helped to establish his power. Louis XVIII awarded him the title of Knight of the Legion of Honor in 1819. François Vannier returned to France in 1825 and died on June 6, 1842 in Lorient, at the age of 80. He is buried in the Carmel cemetery.

You take here a narrow street call the rue du Belvédére to go down to the river basin of Auray, at the end of this street you arrive at the top of the Castle ruins overlooking the river and the district of Saint Goustan for marvelous views.

There is a nice small stadium here , the Loch. Stade du Loch, name after the river passing below in Saint Goustan.  It has Track and Field stadium in stabilized/ashen with 4 cloakrooms with showers and a 400-seating grandstand has a track of 400 meters. It includes 4 jump areas including 1 high jump, 1 long jump, 1 long jump and triple jump and 1 pole vault. Athletes will be able to find 3 pitches including 1 discus throw, 1 javelin throw and 1 hammer throw.   Football field in natural turf with lighting, 4 changing rooms with showers and a tribune of 400 seats.  Stabilized/ashen petanque/ball field with lighting. This sports equipment consists of 10 corridors (or runways, stations). And an asphalt basketball court.

We still shop quite a bit in the business park or Zone Artisanale Porte Océane of Auray; right off the N165 expressway road that connects you with the D768 to me north, and my new home or to the beaches south. Here is like an open air mall with many businesses. These include Ti Hanok Cinema, and the Centre Aquatique Alre’O, We come to the cinema once in a while and to the pool when my boys were younger.

Another great site we go especially the boys is the Centre Aquatique Alre’O, this is an indoor pool and swimming balneo center with all the trimming of comfort and modernity. It has a pool of 25 meters by 10 meters with lanes and a depth of 1,30 to 2,50 meters. Also, pool with banquets and floaters with depths of 0,80 meters to 1,10 meters, a pool of waves, toboggan of 70 meters, and a  learning pool of 80 cm to 1,10 meter deep. (For those not using the metric system, one meter is about 3,3 feet). The balnéo space has a sauna, hamman, spa, and massaging showers. Many activities are done here from aqua gym courses to aquabike, children garden, beginners swim, as well as bike rentals,etc. A whole nice universe for the whole family.

The official Centre Aquatique Alre’O : https://www.alreo.fr/alre-o-569.html

The Ti Hanok Cinéma, a great modern movie theater with 5 movie showing houses. All is very modern and with a Breton motif, rather nice. Also, theater and concerts pre recorded are shown. Easy to reach with the Auray bus service call Auraybus line rouge or red from the train station stops right in front of the cinema. The name Ti Hanok reflects the owners Breton and Korean, with Ti ,Breton for house ,and Hanok , Korean for the traditional Korean houses name. And it is in a cozy, warm and carefully decorated decor that the public is welcomed 7 days a week. Exhibitions regularly appear in the reception hall and the restaurant.

The official Ti Hanok Cinéma : https://www.cinematihanok.bzh/contact

The city of Auray on its heritage: https://www.auray.fr/Ma-ville/Patrimoine/Les-monuments-historiques

The local Bay of Quiberon tourist office on Auray: https://www.baiedequiberon.co.uk/auray

There you go folks, a dandy spot often overlook in the off the beaten paths of my beautiful Morbihan and historical Auray.  Again , hope you enjoy this post on the curiosities of Auray ,part I !!! as I

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

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Published by pedmar10

I am a lover of travels to Europe , Americas , Africa and Asia as well ,who like to share my experiences of the last 53 years with the world, visiting so far 81 countries; living in 6, working in 5, and Citizen of 4, speaking fluently 4 languages. I can deal with sports especially football/soccer and love music, arts, wine collector/drinker, and go out to restaurants, and just visit the world. My background comes all the way from Candelaria and Pajara in Tenerife, Spain where my grandparents came from ;not knowing each other then, to Punta Brava, west of Havana, Cuba. There , my parents born in Cuba met and later on I was born there too. 100% guanche (annexed Tenerife to Spain on April 10 ,1496). I left Cuba as many have to Madrid, Spain where I lived for 4 years. Then, move to Perth Amboy ,New Jersey USA (living there 13 yrs) ; where I completed high school, became a US Citizen, learned to drive a car, and learned English. Afterward, went to the university in Florida, ERAU, and upon graduation decided to moved there to Ormond by the Sea, near Daytona Beach, finally moving North Miami, then Hialeah, then another moved to Silver Lakes division in Miramar, Broward county, Florida; in Florida I lived a total of 18 years. Finally , moved to France in 2003 ,Versailles call me for its royalty, and working in Paris was great. It was time to seek frontiers again and moved to Brech near Auray, Morbihan in Brittany , and later move to not too far Pluvigner. Total so far in France has been 20 years, and counting. Moving average a home every 5.5 years hopefully this will be my last. Cheers All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the written permission of the copyright holder, me. No part of this work may be modified, without the written permission of the holder, me.No part of this work may be exposed to public view in any form or by any means, without identifying the holder as the author, and with the before mentioned permission.

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