Sunday on the Crozon Peninsula

Sunday, 18 August

We were happy to see an improvement in the weather this morning.  The summer in France has been spectacular and we have become accustomed to clear, sunny days and warm temperatures.  Although there were still some clouds scurrying about there was also plenty of sunshine and in the afternoon it was quite warm - mid twenties, I guess.  After speaking with our hosts, Chris and Rowena, we had a good idea of some of the best places to visit in this part of Brittany and one of these was the Crozon Peninsula which we explored today.  I love the French word for peninsula - presqu'ile which means "almost island" - a very good description!  I thought it would be interesting to check out the local beaches on the way and chose one called Ste-Anne-la-Palud which seemed to be rated highly by previous guests at Le Merdy (there is a guest book).  We drove through the pretty village of Le Juch which is in a valley and is surrounded by beautiful farms - corn, cows and hayfields.  The contrast between the pale gold of the hayfields and the lush green of the paddocks where the cows graze is so pretty.  The rolling hills extend down to the sea - the Baie de Douarnenez - a sailing paradise so Chris tells us.  Today the sea was aquamarine and very calm.
Ste-Anne-la-Palud is a very long, wide, sandy beach  with just a few houses and a hotel.  It is popular with wind surfers (not today though) and is safe for swimming.  Today there were only a few people on the beach and even fewer swimming.  We parked on the sand dunes and walked on the beach but didn't venture to the water's edge - it is a long walk!

The very extensive beach at Ste-Anne-la-Palud

Forty minutes further on and well out onto the peninsula, we came to the very attractive seaside town of Morgat which has a beautiful white sand beach, a small port and lots of pretty white Breton holiday cottages.  

Morgat beach

 Morgat was a busy place today - some kind of festival happening.  We saw a poster advertising traditional Breton music and dancing to commence at 2 pm - sadly they were still erecting the stage and sound system when we left at 3 pm!  I guess the show did eventually get under way - who knows?  Time for lunch and we scored a front-line table on the terrace of a restaurant overlooking the bay.  It was such a picturesque spot we could have sat and admired the view all day. 


Jessica's lunch at Morgat - escargots, mozzarella and tomato salad with a coupe de cidre

 Just nearby was a display of ancient crafts - a blacksmith, linen weavers, wood turners, knitters, all dressed in traditional clothing and demonstrating "metiers anciens" (old skills).  It was fascinating to wander amongst the displays and to see how these old ways are being kept alive by dedicated locals.


Linen weaver at Morgat

 As we wanted to make it to the end of the peninsula, we continued on, taking the main road from Crozon town to Camaret-sur-Mer, once an important fishing port but now relying more on tourism to support its 2500 inhabitants.  The road took us from the southern side of the peninsula to the northern side where Camaret is situated on a large and sheltered bay.  The road passes by a very  inviting little beach called Kerloch (this sounds distinctly Celtic) where there were many people enjoying the afternoon sunshine.



Kerloch Beach

Camaret was also busy with a market stretching all the way along the sea front.  Across the bay we could see a large sea wall with a church and a tower overlooking the calm waters of the harbour.

Camaret-sur-Mer - across the harbour to La Tour Vauban and Rocamadour Chapel

  In the distance we could see some rusting hulks of what had once been quite large vessels - this warranted further inspection.  We strolled the length of the town's harbourside road, checking out the wares on sale at the dozens of market stalls, stopped for an ice-cream and then followed the road along the top of the sea wall. 

Summer fun for boys and dogs, Camaret-sur-Mer

 There is a small beach at one end of the town and a grassy headland which protects the bay.  Resting on their hulls beside the sea wall are several former sardine boats, now rusting away - rather a sad sight really, although by now some of them are almost sculptural in appearance. 

Rusting hulks, an ancient church and a guardian tower - Camaret-sur-Mer

 A little further on is the very plain, square stone Chapel de Notre Dame de Rocamadour which dates from 1683, although there have been other chapels on this site since 1183.  In this instance Rocamadour comes from the old celtic words for rock and water (no relation to St Amadour of the famous Rocamadour in the Lot).  Inside the chapel is exquisite - quite simple but with a ceiling of pale aqua tongue and groove timber and beautiful model fishing boats suspended underneath.  The sense of history and the connection  with the sea in this place is very strong and emotive. Today the chapel is of special significance to the fishing families of the area, 

Interior of the Chapel de Notre Dame de Rocamadour

 Close to the chapel stands the golden tower (Tour Doree) a fine example of the  architecture of Vauban who built fortifications all over France during the 1600's.  The Vauban Tour was built to protect Camaret and the harbour at Brest from British invaders.  Camaret-sur-Mer turned out to be not only a scenic location but a town with much to offer anyone with an interest in history.

Harbourside, Camaret-sur-Mer

 Our final stop of the day was close to  home and one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France - Locronan. In fact in 2013 it was rated as France's best village in poll that is held annually. In a landscape that is dominated by white-washed houses, Locronan stands out with its sombre grey granite stone buildings which surround a large cobble stone square dominated by a vast church.

Village square, Locronan

  While this may not sound too pretty, the architecture of the houses is actually very charming and the abundance of mostly dark pink hydrangeas all blooming profusely around the village brighten up the dark stone.  The hydrangea bushes are enormous and the flowers are symbols of the area - the French called them hortensias (from the latin botanical name)  Although it was late in the day there were still plenty of visitors wandering the narrow lanes and admiring the views over the surrounding countryside (yes, another hilltop village).  We were all quite taken with Locronan and had to agree that it probably deserves its high ranking amongst lovers of French villages.


Hydrangea heaven, Locronan

 The Crozon Peninsula is lovely in a quiet sort of way - a gentle landscape, and a coastline that meanders in and out with little bays, grassy headlands, beaches made for summer holidays and quaint villages.  A really enjoyable Sunday!