Sunday, July 19, 2009
17 TO 19 JULY SOUTH COAST LOCTUDY AND BENODET
Our first port of call on the S coast was a lovely little fishing port called Loctudy. Fish shops are on the quay and the fish is the freshest you'll ever find. Wonderful lobster and crevettes.
Last step in this weeks journey was the shortest - only 5 miles to Benodet - again in the rain! But Benodet (actually we're in Sainte Marine directly across the river Odet from benodet) is a lovely place. Must be a favourite for Sweden Yachts as we met another 3 SY owners here. Proposed we should have a SY regatta here next year! We'll leave ALMA here for 10 days as we go to Les Carroz in the French Alps to see the Tour which is going through the neighbouring village on Wednesday (I should explain that we're keen followers of the Tour and each days sailing is planned to get us into port by about 4pm so we can rush into the nearest bar with a tv and watch the end of that day's stage of the tour!).
So next update won't be for a couple of weeks. Hope your enjoying the summer.
Best wishes
Helen and Iain
Our first port of call on the S coast was a lovely little fishing port called Loctudy. Fish shops are on the quay and the fish is the freshest you'll ever find. Wonderful lobster and crevettes.
Last step in this weeks journey was the shortest - only 5 miles to Benodet - again in the rain! But Benodet (actually we're in Sainte Marine directly across the river Odet from benodet) is a lovely place. Must be a favourite for Sweden Yachts as we met another 3 SY owners here. Proposed we should have a SY regatta here next year! We'll leave ALMA here for 10 days as we go to Les Carroz in the French Alps to see the Tour which is going through the neighbouring village on Wednesday (I should explain that we're keen followers of the Tour and each days sailing is planned to get us into port by about 4pm so we can rush into the nearest bar with a tv and watch the end of that day's stage of the tour!).
So next update won't be for a couple of weeks. Hope your enjoying the summer.
Best wishes
Helen and Iain
15 AND 16 JULY DUARNENEZ AND OFF TO THE SOUTH COAST
On Wed the weather settled down enough for us to move on to Duarnenez (about 30 miles) although the first part of the sail as we headed out of the Camaret bay was quite rough as there was still a significant swell after the storm. Surprising how long it takes for the sea to settle after strong winds. Duarnenez was interesting - it used to be the world's leading city in sardine exports in the 19th century and still claims to be the place where the best canned sardines are to be found. Duarnenez sardines are fried, dried, and then put in a can ("préparées a l'ancienne"), whereas most other countries processing consists of steam cooking once the fish is canned. Sadly the fishing of sardines in the bay has died out as the sardines just stopped coming - not surprising really when you consider the vast quantities that were caught each year.
We'd decided to visit Duarnenez to see two friends who work in one of the restuarants in Flaine in the Alps where we ski. They were shocked, but I think delighted, that we'd made the effort to visit them in Duarnenez. I don't think they see many UK visitors in Duarnenez!
Thursday the weather forecast was just good enough for a major part of the journey - from Duarnenez through an infamous channel called the Raz de Sein and round the SW corner of Brittany onto the south coast. It was a long day, 64M, and as the wind was from the SE, almost dead ahead, it took us nearly 12 hours. But finally we were in south Brittany. The weather is supposed to be significantly better on the south coast. Well it wasn't this week. its been wet, very windy and quite cool. Grim in fact. We'll keep heading south until it gets better.
On Wed the weather settled down enough for us to move on to Duarnenez (about 30 miles) although the first part of the sail as we headed out of the Camaret bay was quite rough as there was still a significant swell after the storm. Surprising how long it takes for the sea to settle after strong winds. Duarnenez was interesting - it used to be the world's leading city in sardine exports in the 19th century and still claims to be the place where the best canned sardines are to be found. Duarnenez sardines are fried, dried, and then put in a can ("préparées a l'ancienne"), whereas most other countries processing consists of steam cooking once the fish is canned. Sadly the fishing of sardines in the bay has died out as the sardines just stopped coming - not surprising really when you consider the vast quantities that were caught each year.
We'd decided to visit Duarnenez to see two friends who work in one of the restuarants in Flaine in the Alps where we ski. They were shocked, but I think delighted, that we'd made the effort to visit them in Duarnenez. I don't think they see many UK visitors in Duarnenez!
Thursday the weather forecast was just good enough for a major part of the journey - from Duarnenez through an infamous channel called the Raz de Sein and round the SW corner of Brittany onto the south coast. It was a long day, 64M, and as the wind was from the SE, almost dead ahead, it took us nearly 12 hours. But finally we were in south Brittany. The weather is supposed to be significantly better on the south coast. Well it wasn't this week. its been wet, very windy and quite cool. Grim in fact. We'll keep heading south until it gets better.
12 to 14 JULY BREST AND CAMARET
A mostly wet and windy week. At times very windy and we had to stay put Tuesday and Thursday as gales went through. However gave us a chance to catch up with emails/admin and have a relaxing couple of days.
On Monday we'd left Brest for the short trip out of the Rade de Brest and round the headland to Camaret. Another former fishing port but now converted to tourism. But having a tough time this year - headline in the local paper was Ou sont les Anglais?! The poor Euro:Sterling exchange rate and the gloomy economic situation are obviously having an effect on the area as more English (the biggest group of foreign visitors to the region) choose to holiday at home.
We had several interesting surprises in Camaret. Firstly, a famous old (1898) classic wooden yacht called Pen Duick moored alongside us.Quite a contrast between the boats and I'd have loved to go out for a sail on Pen Duick but for cruising I prefer the comforts of ALMA. Pen Duick belonged previously to one of the most famous sailors of all times, a Breton Eric Tabarly. He was lost overboard tragically in 1998 in the Irish Sea.
Second surprise was the arrival of the British navy - well 4 patrol boats. They were on their way back to UK from Spain but came into Camaret to shelter from the storm. I was surprised we still had even 4 boats.
Third surprise was a dolphin arriving just outside the port - literally across the pontoon from where we were berthed. Seems everyone was keen to shelter from the storm.
A mostly wet and windy week. At times very windy and we had to stay put Tuesday and Thursday as gales went through. However gave us a chance to catch up with emails/admin and have a relaxing couple of days.
On Monday we'd left Brest for the short trip out of the Rade de Brest and round the headland to Camaret. Another former fishing port but now converted to tourism. But having a tough time this year - headline in the local paper was Ou sont les Anglais?! The poor Euro:Sterling exchange rate and the gloomy economic situation are obviously having an effect on the area as more English (the biggest group of foreign visitors to the region) choose to holiday at home.
We had several interesting surprises in Camaret. Firstly, a famous old (1898) classic wooden yacht called Pen Duick moored alongside us.Quite a contrast between the boats and I'd have loved to go out for a sail on Pen Duick but for cruising I prefer the comforts of ALMA. Pen Duick belonged previously to one of the most famous sailors of all times, a Breton Eric Tabarly. He was lost overboard tragically in 1998 in the Irish Sea.
Second surprise was the arrival of the British navy - well 4 patrol boats. They were on their way back to UK from Spain but came into Camaret to shelter from the storm. I was surprised we still had even 4 boats.
Third surprise was a dolphin arriving just outside the port - literally across the pontoon from where we were berthed. Seems everyone was keen to shelter from the storm.
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