27. Successful invasion, four hundred years later

Camaret-sur-Mer - Coast Atlantic - Oct 11, 2017

View of Camaret from the Giantavan

Sidewalk cycling

Dismantled half the living area of the Giantavan trying to work out why the hot/cold pumps were not working. Not as easy to trace as a car as there is no ground in a caravan so it takes a bit of thinking to work out what is missing. Long story short, J’s umbrella in the back of the wardrobe had knocked a terminal off a retro fitted fuse box that I didn’t know about. That left us with a midday start. Weather looked favourable so we biked the four kilometres into Camaret-sur-Mer village. The climb was reasonably consistent with a steepish decent into town which was nerve wracking for the shepherds. Audrey set the record by biking in front of cars while looking the other way, three times 😱

The town is a sailing mecca with lots of hire boats, big and small, mostly Hobie 16s but still fitted with twin trapeze which is pleasing. Most things shut for the offseason. Itching to get our dinghy out. Loved biking through the deserted little streets. Going by the number of artisan shops, even in the back alleys the place must be absolutely heaving in the summer. Lunch a a great little patisserie we were the only customers and the proprietor was happy to run a slate so she had a steady flow of business.

Loved biking out on the break-water with the now abandoned fishing boats from when the lobster fishery collapsed in the 1960s. They were never stripped as it was expected that the fishery would recover. One thing Europe has sorted is the rape of the fisheries. I shudder to thing what will happen in the North Sea in two years time.

Camaret-sur-Mer was one of the busiest fishing ports in France and the chapel, built to seat two hundred, is delightful. The alters and fittings had clearly been built shipshape by sea folk.

On our way home we got sucked into a nautical shop and I got a waterproof duffel bag which I am very pleased with and a classic french marine shirt (boat GAS*).

Optis with Bermuda rigs on standard masts

Took the walking track home avoiding the bulk of the road climb which gave us a gentle off road experience.

Pauls Planet Explorer App tells us that we are on Camaret Bay, the beach that the British failed to take four hundred years ago. Had a run around on the beautiful beach. Phone was flat so no snaps. Roman stood in a rock pool learning the hard way that still waters run deep. Only got his shoes wet but that was not popular as they are his leather shoes.

Wore my raincoat for the first time this trip, mostly to keep the wind out.

*Gear Acquisition Syndrome

eh