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Blog 19 - Brittany and Normandy

Writer's picture: Mark NarramoreMark Narramore

Total distance walked so far: 2835 miles (4561km)


So, my final blog talking about individual places in France is here! I am now back in the UK where I will be completing the final few miles (around 260) whilst I also get settled into my new village and ready for my new job. I’ll do another blog about the final miles and walking in France in general when I am done.


For now, Bretagne! I have been very pleasantly surprised by my experiences in Bretagne. I have talked about bits of Bretagne before in an earlier blog and this time I visited Dinan which is on the northern edge of the region. I spent a couple of days walking up and down the Rance river and it was beautiful. A lot like many places in Cornwall, the river is tidal for large parts and this helps it attract a great mix of sea birds and land birds; I actually saw a kingfisher fly in front of a cormorant which is such a weird mix! The paths were easy to follow and around each bend the view just changed ever so slightly as the river grew. It would go from being a cute fishing village in one area to a wider marsh at the next and then there were a few rather impressive bridges crossing the whole lot as well as the beautiful town of Dinan itself. If you ever get the chance to walk here then I would also recommend going out at sunrise or sunset as the colours of the scenery are wonderful.



From there, I moved north east to the area surrounding Le Mont Saint Michel. I camped about 12 miles east of it near a large area of estuary. Again there was a lot of wildlife on display but my favourite parts were the distant views of Le Mont Saint Michel itself. You can see it from absolutely miles away as it appears over huge areas of very occasionally tidal, completely flat grassland.



On the second day I walked all the way to the town and back and just had a building sense of excitement as it got closer, the details of the buildings growing out of the mist and sharpening as I got nearer. I won’t bore you with the history of it here but I loved imagining the people who turned this rock that is stuck just out into the sea into the monument and town that it is today. It reminds me of the castle on the Disney logo the way it is conical in shape and gets grander and more elegant towards the top. As with all monuments like this, there is the old people problem (the problem being old, not the people). Yes, I know that is mostly a me problem but it was just way too busy and, even though I had walked the 12 miles there to arrive at 9.30 in the morning (yes, that was an early start!), I walked in, looked around and then almost ran away, probably only spending about 25 minutes there. I am really keen to go back and learn more about the place as it is fascinating, but I will try to pick a wet and windy day in an Autumn half-term for that once the crowds have dies down! The walk back was nice though extremely hot as there was hardly any shelter in the area at all. I was lucky to find a posh hotel on the way and stopped off for a drink, wet with sweat and coated with dust from the muddy ground. The look on the waitresses face was hilarious and I very kindly sat myself hidden away around a corner from the other guests! After that, I got back to the river by the estuary and went for a well earned swim.



Swimming in the sea then became a bit of a trend for the rest of the week. I visited the spectacular cliffs of Etretat, which has several arches similar to Durdle Dor in Dorset. They are spectacular and make a wonderful place to stop and have a picnic. I then went further up north to Dieppe, which is now a sea-side town but was once home to some of the fiercest fighting during World War Two. The town is fascinating. I will admit that I didn’t do too much reading up on the war events as I have another trip in mind - I would love to walk across the North of France, learning about the Eastern and Wastern fronts as I go! Nowadays, the town is a little run down but it has the charm that you hear seaside towns always used to have when you hear stories from your older relatives - if you are one of my older relatives, then it is like your childhood seaside towns. You know, from the olden days 😂.



It was at this point that something happened in France. Something called August. I have heard lots of jokes about the French in August and how they just don’t work and I presumed these were a little tongue in cheek. They aren’t! The coast was all of a sudden packed with French people and my way of life, driving to an area and just turning up at a campsite expecting it to have a place, became difficult. On my last night I ended up driving to three campsites, all of which were fully booked, before getting my phone out and using an app to book somewhere half an hours drive away! Top tip - If you are going to France in August, be more organised than me!


The Idiocies of Mark:


The final one… well, probably not - just the final one that I am going to publish for your amusement. And this one is a cracker (and that, unfortunately is a pun!). So, the beaches around this area are mostly pebble beaches. Not the little pebbles that are slightly painful but easy enough to walk on but the big pebbles that turn your ankles and trap your toes. I loved going out for a swim, particularly on the days with lots of waves and I had my nice new fancy swimming trunks to wear as well! Now, these being rather tight, are quite hard to change into, particularly when you are doing the old ‘towel technique’ required when changing in public. I think you can see where this is going, but I managed, whilst at the ‘awkward stage’, to stumble on some of the pebbles and when trying to regain my balance by throwing my arms out, managed to throw my towel as well! Trunks around my ankles and showing off way more than one should, even for French beaches, I was rather embarrassed!

 

There are now a few unfortunate people in France that know exactly where my tan lines are. It is a blooming good job I have run away back to England 😭

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