House-warming in Larmor-Baden (1)

After a week of improving weather in Brittany we were blessed with a superb weekend at Cécile & Arnaud's for their house-warming. What a wonderful house with an idyllic location and 180º views over the Gulf of Morbihan

Lunch was over when we arrived, with just Alexis, Cécile & Arnaud watching over the world from the balcony

We walked down to the passageway to the Ile de Berder, at high tide a real challenge for kayakers battling the currents!

Back to the house for evening apéritifs. (L to r: your faithful blogger, Laeticia, Philippe, Julie & Jean-Pierre.)

Julie & Jean-Pierre compare bumps!

Just look at this view (not that we're noticing despite Jean joining us)!

Love this one: Laeticia and Leila enjoying a cuddle 

As the sun went down, the drinks flowed!

What a surprise for our meal, bespoke galettes made by an authentic Bretonne...

...and cabaret organised by Léa

A week in Brittany: Quimperlé

Oops, I forgot about our stop at Quimperlé on our way to Cécile & Arnaud's for their house-warming at Larmor-Barden (more next time).

We were very impressed with the town with its friendly people and interesting architecture. Well worth another visit, I think.

The small brick market provided us with our lunch

Le Pont Fleuri (The Floral Bridge)...

...watched over by one of the town's famous sons, Théodore Hersart, a 19th century poet and author, and promoter of Breton culture

The Sainte-Croix church is circular

with the original convent and cloisters now part of the police station. 

Inside the church the nave was raised above a crypt

containing artifacts and this beautiful 'Mise au Tombeau' (Entombment of Christ) that we saw in several churches in Brittany.

Walk with junior cousins & our log delivery

The weather seems to have taken over recently with pretty incessant rain and gale-force winds. Luckily we escaped a recent tornado in Vendée and more luckily still we have managed to get out and about a little!

Here we have junior cousins Camille & Leila, JP&C's grand-daughters. We spent a lovely Saturday with them (and Philippe & Laeticia of course)

even spotting a few dangerous-looking mushrooms!

Fed up of being stuck indoors we made a break for Les Conches one day to walk along the beach and watch the big waves.

But biggest news of the week was our annual log delivery, all seven cubic metres of it in two loads

now very neatly stashed at the side of the house. Bring on winter (noooo, I'm only joking)!

Oops, I've just discovered some more Brittany photos, so hope you're not fed up with them!

A week in Brittany: Our last day in Finistère

All good things must come to an end, and what a way to go: a visit to a crêpe & biscuit factory!

Everything is made by hand. We saw dozens of crêpes being cooked before our eyes in next to no time.

We loved these jaunty people advertising their wares!

Farewell to our gîte, Kindles to the ready!

And finally, howzabout this for a roundabout at Fouesnant?

Well, I hope you've enjoyed our stay in Finistère. We finished our holiday with a fabulous family celebration - more of that later!

A week in Brittany: Kerleven Bay & Odet cruise

We spent the morning near to our gîte, curious as to how our walk a few days earlier would look at low tide.

Then on to Bénodet for a cruise up the River Odet, spotting many châteaux along the way

As usual Tine looking for shells! That's our boat in the background.

Thankfully we arrived back safely, not on this wreck!

A week in Brittany: Quimper

Unlike many similar ones in the UK most French towns retain a definite flavour of times gone by. Quimper was no exception, once we'd managed to park up, that is!

Doors to the cathedral

A typical house with close-ups of three of its occupants

La Place au Beurre (and you can practise your French or Breton beneath)!