We left La Rochelle to head to Vannes but decided to have a couple of stops on the way. First stop for coffee was Les Sables d’Olonne, a lively seaside resort on the French Atlantic Coast. We walked to the Port to see the Chateau St Clair which was the “favourite residence” of Richard the Lionheart.

Next stop was the pretty little harbour town of Le Crosic, just south of the Brittany border and listed as a “small town of character “and we could see why. It is an active fishing village and had some gorgeous 16th century granite houses and it was a pretty spot to wander.

We then arrived in Vannes for an 8 night stay, long enough to unpack the suitcases! Vannes is on the southern coast of Brittany and a very beautiful historic town. It has many half timbered houses, which are called “Maisons a Colombage” and found mainly in Brittany and Normandy and we absolutely loved them. WARNING….Heaps of photos to follow!

On our first day we decided to head to the tourist bureau and get a self guided map to do our “own thing”. First stop was the Town gate St Vincente Ferrier with the city Coat of Arms. It was a very impressive Gate to the Old Town. The Lices Square was created during the 14th century and was once the site of medieval tournaments. Today it is an ideal place for coffee and relaxing which of course we did!

Next port of call was the House of Vannes et sa Femme ( the house of Vannes and his wife). Nobody really knows who they are but they have been here since the 16th century, apparently most say they were the original owners of the shop, who knows but they are an icon of Vannes.

Next stop was the 15th Century Chateau Gaillard built by a bishop and is tucked away with only the 4-story stair tower to be seen. Moving on we saw the Impressive Town Hall which sits just outside the Old Town and built between 1881 and 1886, it is said to be smaller copy of the Paris Town Hall and we agree!

We wandered through the gorgeous, cobbled streets until we came to Place Henri 1V, a beautiful square lined with the gorgeous colombages and it was a perfect spot for a drink and to admire the vista.

We were then close to the Cathedral St Pierre. Building started in the 13th century continuing through to the 16th Century. We decided then it was time for lunch and we NEEDED some fish and the filet du Merlu was lovely as was the bottle of rose we shared. We didn’t really need dessert but decided to have it anyway!

The next day we thought we should take Barney for a drive. We packed a picnic lunch and the first stop was Camaret-sur-Mer, a traditional fishing village (crayfish mainly). It was very quiet and peaceful! In the port area stands the 17th century Chapel of Notre Dame of Rocamadour and next to it stands the Vauban Tower, an octagonal 17th century defensive tower surrounded by a moat. It was a gorgeous little village as well as a good coffee stop, very important!

We decided to take the long way home and stopped off at Pointe du Raz, a “Grand Site of France”, probably why we had to pay 8euros to park Barney! However, the view was great, if not a tad windy with the rocky jagged cliffs and the 2 light houses.

Driving home through the small coastal village of Plogoff, with the gorgeous Bretagne houses was lovely. Brittany is also known for its windmills, and we have seen quite a few.

It was a great day, a lot of driving for both Barney and Greg but worth it. The following day was Sunday, and we always stay home as everyone else is normally on the roads going out for lunch etc. Lucky for us we can watch the Tour de France live on tele to pass the time away!

Also you have probably noticed that the weather has not been kind to us in Brittany, quite cool, a bit of rain and certainly not the “summer” we were hoping for. Fingers crossed it’s around the corner.

And now its rest time for us with Part 2 of Vannes to follow in the next few days.

A Bientot

Lots of love

Greg and Rhonda

xxxx