A taste of Brittany

As we set off from Bayeux in the direction of neighbouring Brittany, apart from a plan to visit the ancient megalithic site of Carnac in the Golfe du Morbihan (where we had read of structures older than the pyramids, and one that was even pyramid-like), we were happy to let the road dictate the pace and any stops before the gulf.

And what a serendipitous find Mrs B spotted as we realised that we were unlikely to make Carnac before midnight – a fabulous little ACSI site at Le Roc-Saint-André just off the N166 road to Vannes. Situated alongside the Nantes-Brest canal and home to a collection of vintage caravans, Camping Domaine du Roc turned out to be a real gem. The caravans range from the 1930s to the 1960s and are available to rent!

With only 28 touring pitches we were pleased to be able to park up alongside the canal, where the cycle path on the ‘chemin de halage’ ran north and south to neighbouring villages and towns, with a ‘voie verte’ also tracing the path of a disused tramway starting just outside the campsite.

Mr B was beside himself with so many opportunities to get the bikes out the next day, and as darkness fell, a calm of rural tranquillity settled over the happy campers…

Until, that is, the clanking of the galvanizing factory across the river, which was (we discovered) working nights because of extra orders, and could be heard because the wind was (unusually) from the north… woke us from our Calvados inspired dreams! Luckily, we got used to it after a while and woke only marginally less rested than we might have expected. In fact, we decided that this little site is definitely a keeper for a return visit sometime. There’s so much to see in the area and it’s beautifully tranquil.

Spoilt for choice with a panoply of cycle routes, we mounted up and headed south to the picturesque village of Malestroit five miles or so away and with the promise of lunch to gird our loins…

The canal is interesting in that it makes use of a river for parts of its route, and so we meandered and straightened until we reached Malestroit where we spotted an enormous (and free) Aire that must have had a good 50+ campervans on it!

Feeling peckish, but not hungry enough for a full-on feast, we chanced upon an Artisan Boulangerie that was, strangely for a village bakery, open at lunch time. And we soon discovered why, as a seemingly never ending stream of vehicles pulled up nearby and disgorged people into the shop, returning laden with what was clearly some high-demand take-away tucker along with their daily bread.

And so it was that we sampled Fougasse for the first time; a doughy delicacy, originating in Provence but made in Brittany with great aplomb, stuffed full of melting cheese and lardons, and it was delicious! We happily munched our way through one in a nearby park and, not wanting to tackle the return ride too quickly, set off to explore the sleepy village.

With a range of half timbered buildings typical of the region, and set alongside the canal and river, there were plenty of picturesque vistas that called out for our best photo-clichés, before it was time to head back to camp.

As we headed back we paused at one of the locks to marvel at the tight fit of some of the pleasure boats; the French approach to lock gates (fully automated and hydraulically operated by the lock keeper); and the well-oiled state of some of the crews!

Arriving back at the van, and noting a light shift in wind direction, we kept our fingers crossed for a quieter night, at least industrially, as Mrs B heard the plaintive cry of a Scop’s owl not far away, and our experience on other trips is that a night-long serenading is not unusual…

Luckily, the night turned out to be both lovely and dark (thanks to the site’s very good use of low-level lighting), and quiet, as the wind had indeed shifted, the owl slept (or found a friend), and so we woke refreshed, and ready to continue our journey to Carnac and those imposing megaliths…

S&J