Three and a half weeks in France from Cote D’ Azure in the South to Britany in the North. I have no idea how many kilometres. Our route was planned through research for a new tour, visiting dear friends, staying in places we visited 28 years ago and exploring new regions with the intent of crossing the English Channel by ferry to Portsmouth in early September
Driving has its own stresses and yet the convenience of self-guiding yourself is absolutely worth it. Sometimes. to places you never expected to be in – like very narrow streets in the heart of many medieval cities, taking the wrong roundabout exit at a motorway to find yourself almost having dinner in Marseille – when you were meant to be going in the opposite direction to Saint Remy and coping with the thousands of humps and roundabouts when you choose not to go on a toll road. However, we did drive through magnificent countrysides planted in Maize, Sunflowers, Olives, Walnuts, Chestnuts and Vineyards.
We chose to do one big driving day from each region and Dordogne to La Rochelle shouldn’t have been too bad if we hadn’t chosen to go into Bordeaux – it was in and out but it took over an hour and rated as a truly tick the box experience.
As we approached Brittany the architecture changed to white painted plaster houses with very steep roof lines. The coastal towns along Brittany have long been popular resort towns. but the crowds in La Rochelle on a Saturday afternoon were something else. The hundreds of restaurants all seemed to be doing a huge business and especially the ice cream shops which had endless queues.
The following day was perfect for a quiet catchup day for me and a rest day for Philip the driver. Although we walked and walked through La Rochelle, we enjoyed the Sunday vibe which is no shops open all day.
We chose to spend our last day here on the island of Ille de Re. It was much bigger than we expected and we had a superb day popping in an out of the cutest villages, each with rows of more cute white terrace housing. The harbours were high and dry and boats sat stranded in the sand waiting for the next high tide. The tide line here is huge and it was a long way for a swim. Lunch was again deliciously simple and classic, based on the local seafood. We sat overlooking the harbour of St Martin and I think most people must have biked here given the lines of parked bikes. In fact, there were thousands of people all over the island biking on the cycle trails and it is obviously a very popular holiday activity. Since arriving in Britany, we love how so many people bike everywhere in preference to driving . Many bikes have large buckets on the front or back for 1 or 2 children to sit and almost all have a basket to put your bag or baguette. All ages choose to bike and you certainly had to watch out – if not the bell was furiously ringing behind you. Another fascinating observation is the French and their dogs. They go everywhere and cover all breeds. But what we are unused to in NZ is all the dog pushchairs for huge dogs – to small!! Bikes also have a variety carrier for their favourite pet.
Stopping in Rennes on the way to Saint Malo couldn’t have been more different than our experience in Bordeaux. We could definitely have spent two days here and not two hours. The inner city was beautiful and I did make a purchase as the shopping was the best I had seen in France.
I did bring a tour group to Saint Malo in 2018 and I was always drawn to this remarkable walled town by the book ‘All the Light I Cannot See’. Philip had never visited here and our Airbnb was again in the old town. (This time up a narrow staircase) Pulling suitcases on the cobbled streets was tough and I’m surprised we have any wheels left. We spent hours walking the narrow streets, wandering the towns high defensive walls and along the beach. There were many many restaurants to choose from. Creperies are everywhere in Britanny and always crowded. On our day visit to the exquisite Dinan – which boast many streets lined with timber frames houses – we decided to choose a crepe – well that was harder than we thought. – Two pages on the menu were dedicated to crepes or galette’s as they are often called. I ended up going with the traditional artisan option. Actually, although the buckwheat crepe was delicious – it was filled with a lonely sausage and served with chips and a salad. So disappointed with my choice.
We have had so many fabulous meals over the last 3 1/2 weeks and each region is influenced by its traditions and food choices. The weather has been outstanding with most days ranging from 30 – 40 deg We only had a brief ½ day of rain and a thunderstorm during the night.
We have loved driving through the expanses of Oak trees and forests and stopping at small villages for a coffee and croissant in the mornings. Sorry France, but your coffee hasn’t improved. Hardly right when your bread is so amazing and addictive.
We at least have ideas and plans for a new tour – hopefully 2024 .
Judith
