Boog's Blog

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Best coastal walks ever!

Weaving in and out of coves, inlets, beaches, we traverse three to four times the distance of a more direct route. Well worth it.

Ile de Renôte, really an isthmus, a particularly charming stroll.

Until the end. Need for toilette arose. Turns out the wooden shack we noticed on the way in, when I jokingly said to Jeff, "that's probably the restroom," was the restroom! Aaauugggh! I further joked "if I scream, just ignore me." Opened door. Screamed. The 'ol hole in the ground. A modern version; every bit as disgusting, but with an improved flushing knob. Yuck.

Dolman de Kerguntuil, largest in Breton.

http://www.lieux-insolites.fr/cotedarmor/kerguntuil/kerguntuil.htm

Then Gallery grave of Kerguntuil. Carvings of breasts. Both venues stuck in the middle of a field

http://www.stonepages.com/france/kerguntuil.html

Definitely two balls of string!

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A spectacular walk, one of the best.

A wonderful and, for a nice change, easy walk around the coast to the next somewhat larger town. Easy rolling terrain when not on the waterside.

Stopped and got our first official Breton Cidre. House version, not too sweet, served cold. We will repeat to test further, testing is necessary.

The walk follows the coast along a path made of the same pink granite, which, when highly polished, would make a lovely counter. On the water side large formations of interesting boulders. Will require a separate post for some of these unique views.

The town of Ploumanac'h is not much to speak of, unlike the lovely and upscale Perros-Guirec. It is a port town for boats out to the Sept Illes and its bird sanctuary as well as fishing expeditions.

Regional specialties. In Spain we found Quesadas and here Far Breton.

The former is made with cuajada, goat milk or fresh cheese, butter , eggs, sugar, floor, milk, cinnamon, fruit optional; the latter with yoghurt, flour, powdered sugar, vanilla sugar, milk and eggs and butter of course. Prunes or apples.

The two dishes taste similar with the Far sweeter.

Spain also had Sobaos de Pasiego a slightly sticky sponge cake. Good but not memorable.

Beer: cervois bretonne. Non filtered non pasteurized with a malty taste. 3.8 boogs, just not Doombar. KB rated it higher.

Bordeaux superior, 4 Boogs.

The kitchen here is better than the fine one of yesterday. The hotel is OK but doesn't compare.

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The coastal walking adventure starts tomorrow, along the pink granite coast as it is called.

On the Cornish coast we uniformly found high to very high service levels. Here it is not as uniform. Even walked out of one shop when they were exceptionally pushy and obnoxious. Of course speaking excessively politely and pointing out Ecuadorian roots helps.

Saint Guirec wandered here from Wales. The road signs certainly gives one a Welsh feeling. The shops show Celtic items. The Celts seen to be almost everywhere.

This is a nesting ground for the Atlantic puffin, not to be confused with the pacific tufted or horned (the great auk is extinct). The city is replete with signs and posters of their local mascot.

Perros-Guirec is certainly a charming tourist and vacation center, wonderful scenery, good and plentiful food, reasonable hills to walk, houses made of the pink granite just adds to the charm. Lovely patisserie/salon de the. Some confusion over how to order 2 pots of tea. As usual except for restaurants, everything closed at noon til two-ish. Fruit viewed in supermarket pretty unappealing.

Public toilettes are appalling. Easier to use a bush. Ugh.

Wine at dinner a St. Esteph 2010; very dry; quite tasty; 4.3 Boogs.

10 very fresh and perfect oysters.
Some fine Fromages including one tres puissant and smelly entitled Boulette d'Avesnes. Possibly from Normandy; appears in the form of a fat flame. A little is a good experience.

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Awoke to a lovely view of the bay. Could not see it in the dark last evening. Quiet here as mostly business groups are in residence.

Drove through the usual deserted looking French villages and some well appointed ones in Bretagne. Some of the closed villages were designated "Village Fleuri, but it was difficult to understand why.

Now at Le Manoir du Sphinx for two nights. Good three star French hotel. Spectacular view of the English Channel, fine kitchen; a rather formal old fashioned one. Qb finally got to try Suze with mixed feelings about the tastes. Tandori cured salmon, very lightly cured to start.

Overall a very satisfying two hour plus meal. Burp. Etoufee.

I take it back. French toilettes more closely resemble Chinese toilets than previously thought. Many of them have no paper because they've run out so it's best to have some in pocket at all times. Ugh.

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Long travel day. Bus to Bilbao, bus to Biarritz, bus to airport, car rental driving north towards Nantes.

Horrible dinner at a truck stop south of Bordeaux and first reintro to French toilettes (femme side) The former filthy hole- in-the-ground is now a slightly cleaner raised hole, i.e., a bowl without seat or lid. Somewhat reminiscent of China, only with paper. Bienvenue, etc.

Stopped at a hotel around 11pm. On a beach not far from La Rochelle a place last visited almost 40 years ago when together on bikes. Found a place by using our bike gps as I could not get a sim or hotspot connection from my gadgets. The bike gps navigated the last few km perfectly on backroads to a decent hotel, although we did not really know where we were.

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