To South-West France via Pont Aven in Brittany

As usual, when heading so far into Aquitaine we took our time to drive there, in fact, three days. Day One to Pont Aven - Wednesday 18th. This was necessary, as the group of artists lead by Paul Gauguin stayed there. We had a relaxed start & time to pop into the so-called Folkestone Services for a comfort stop on the way to Dover, as we used the M20. We were soon on the largely empty P & O ship "Spirit of Britain", so we had our compulsory gigantic breakfast inside us before it actually sailed. An easy enough start from Calais. However, the bulk of the journey down (Abbeville-Le Havre-Caen-Rennes-Pont Aven) was in rain, with the aggro of overtaking & getting an extra spraying when overtaking trucks at 80mph, so it was a very stressful journey of 536 miles from Islington to Pont Aven. We stopped for coffee & a sandwich at the big Aire de Bolleville before Le Havre. Motorway tolls amounted to €25.40. It took us a turn round Pont Aven to find our hotel. Then we went for a walk through this enchanting place, with me taking photos like mad & a good thing, too as it was dull the next day. It is clear why Gauguin & his gang chose this place to camp (in our Hotel Alonjes & the Gloanec below), as it is full of paintogenic material.

Hotel Alonjes	Pension Gloanec	Plaque on the Gloanec

Most of the many galleries, cashing in on the village's history, were full of rubbish but one was not & we chatted to the owner. All the work there was by one artist.

So much to paint here

Bad "Art"

Better Art

Dinner in the Hotel Ajonces was light on vegetables in the French (& Italian) way but was very tasty. The landlady is an Alsacien & was much amused by my hollering entschuldigung at the massed Krauts waiting for their tour bus, while I moved the truck through them from the short-term parking to the longer term for overnight. There were a lot of other tourists in the village as well.

Day Two. Pont Aven to Royan - Thursday 19th We set off to St. Nazaire & were surprised to be let over the spectacular Loire Bridge free. We stopped the other side for coffees (€6.20) & set off down the coast. But most of the coast does not have a coast road from which you can see the sea, so after a few tries, we gave up & took the roads down South. The dull villages on the way seemed to have no people & definitely, no cafés. Two we tried turned out, in one case, bust & the other, which had 'ouvert' signs, was not. Just South of La Rochelle on the Rochfort road, we stopped at a Carrefour with a café which was open & had a very hard baguette each. Then, we went on the deserted old road to Saintes but be warned! We just missed the junction into town for their Balladines & there was no way back!!! So, I drove on a new motorway to Royan, which was not that far, although off our course & checked into the Hotel Hermitage again. We walked along the beach & back on the Prom, meeting two New Zealanders, who had bought bikes in Holland & ridden down, good for them. We had a much better, if dearer dinner (because we had wine) at one of the many restaurants on the front, staying open after the season in hope.

St. Nazaire Bridge over the Loire

Day Three. Royan to St. Marie de Gosse - Friday 20th Glorious sunrise at first & last, although it soon clouded up while we were North of Bordeaux. We followed the coast for a while (which can be done here), then cut in from Mortaigne to the main road to Maurepas & to Bordeaux. We were shuffled onto the motorway for the Dordogne bridge but it seemed that the dodgy old bridge is still in use. We went round Bordeaux on the ring road & picked up the A63 but turned off on the Arcachon Motorway, which gives up some ten miles from the resort, where there was nowhere to park until we got near the end. It was now warm & sunny, as forecast. We walked down to the shore & took photos.

We went a little further along the corniche to Les Abatilles & stopped for coffees (€7.60). Making our way down to Biscarrosse Plage, a very artificial concrete resort, we stopped for a good salad lunch & tarte tatin (€38). Going to Biscarrosse Ville, it turned out to be another place surrounded by an Americanised mall. On to Parentis-en-Born, we headed for the N10 but found it had been turned into a proper motorway with 6 lanes, so I could belt along at 80mph & we were soon at J10. However, not long before, they took €1.80 off us at a toll booth. Cheek. J10 has all changed & I had a puzzling route to St. Geours but once there, it was all clear. We got to Le Luc at 1601 but the gardener had to hunt Stephanie the Daughter down to let us in. We were introduced to Killiam, Stephanie's new baby. Dinner was roast chicken, beans, mange touts, spuds & a tart aux pommes.