Oh dear, we are weary travellers. The day started grey as we left La Rochelle and drove across the Marais Poitevin. Breakfast was scheduled for the cafe in Luçon opposite the cathedral and croissants from the pâtisserie across the road. We are nothing if not organised! Eek! As we approached Luçon the laser display announces that the maire has decreed 'redynamisme' and the town is undergoing beautification. You may recall that our previous visit witnessed an 'incendie' in the centre of town with our mayor looking on. Was it all part of his plan...
Pâtisserie was closed too. But we found replacement supplies and the coffee is good - comes with its own little jugs of hot milk. After which we perambulated through the cinder packed dug up pavements and found this amazing edifice. At first we thought it was perhaps an old station or a church. As we gazed up at it a man appeared and I asked him if he knew anything about it. Well! He was the Local Expert. Knew everything and it was a fascinating tale. The building was a water tower built in the early 20th century, by the architect, Francois
Hennebique - one of first buildings to use his reinforced concrete system. It was commissioned by Clemenceau to provide running water for the garrison of Dragoons that he had also established. C was a local man, say no more! So Luçon, this little out of the way rural town, became one of the first places in France to have piped water and electricity (because the back of the building was a coal fired power station).
Nourished in body and mind, we continued up the Vendée stopping only to get sandwiches. Yet another strange sight...an ATM for baguettes! Really. Adrian even saw a woman use it, despite the shop being open.
It was all just too exciting. More heavy rain as
we approached the St Nazaire bridge but
fortunately it stopped as we drew up in St Brevin across from the Chantiers Navals. The two mega
ships are coming along nicely* and the serpent d'océan is still hissing at the waves.
*Symphonie of the seas and MSC Meravidia.
We were rewarded by the sight of two big ships coming up the river as well as a tug. And views
of Grand Charpentier lighthouse on the horizon.
But we still had miles to go so had to leave after an hour.
I was nodding off for most of the rest of our flight across Brittany so failed to navigate properly. Nevertheless we got here, Moguériec just near Roscoff, at about 5. Big room, quiet beach, comfort!
There's an old lighthouse that's under threat poor thing.
So that's pretty much it for this voyage. We get up early tomorrow for the 9.15 sailing and will be home for tea tomorrow.
I leave you with something so gross yet so French that we spotted in a Pharmacie window while waiting at traffic lights...
à bientôt!
