Last day

We left Rochefort at the usual just before 8 am deadline and were well up into the Vendée by breakfast.  The marshes were lovely as always and I spotted a family of coypus chomping on their grassy breakfast on the banks of one of the canals. But later it was foggy and treacherous. Someone had spilled diesel on the road and we were skidding a bit on roundabouts in the damp! Good coffee in Ste Gemme restored the nerves. Not a terribly interesting drive- relentlessly up via Nantes and into Brittany proper along the seemingly endless D137. It was busy and we were glad to be going north, not south. Look at this tailback outside Rennes!

It started to rain. Our first for over a month. Fortunately by the time we pulled up on the clifftop outside St Brieuc, it had stopped.

Stunning views over the bay with mussel beds and islands at low tide.

 We’d bought sandwiches and some Lait Ribot (Tom Archer take note!) and ate them as we watched a group of walkers on the sand, miles out, hoping they’d make it back before the tide!

Arrived in Roscoff about 4 and settled into Ibis Ibis. A bargain at 47 euros.

For some reason we have a room with two shower rooms and two single and one double bed. Luxury! Overlooking the church and backing right onto the water in a lovely old building. The fancy hotel down the road can’t be any better placed despite its outrageously expensive restaurant. Cheapest menu there is 48 euros. The only downside seems to be the family of elephants above us! A table for two is booked at Surcouf across the way for 7 pm.
Up betimes tomorrow for the last boat out this month. À bientôt!

Rivers

Last night was ghastly. We went in search of Del Arte restaurant for a proper pizza and ended up in some diner that served pizzas in a centre commercial. Reason,..it was twilight and rush hour and it was a nightmare trying to find our way through the maze of Marsh Bartons on speed. And then the hotel wifi packed up in the middle of The Archers.aagh.

Today was better - milky sun, warm, lovely country. Agen will have to be visited another time-it all looked so easy in daylight. We crossed kilometres of of orchards, all netted against hail, and then came across the confluence of the Lot and Garonne. Or rather a viewpoint that overlooked it. Right on top of a cliff. So we hill-climbed up the hairpins to the table d’orientation. Great view but no confluence! It is hidden behind trees.

Back in  the town (Aiguillon) we parked up for breakfast only to find the whole of the main square fenced off and being dug up. Ringside view fom the café tables. The owner was less than thrilled - it’s taking eight months!

And on we went through Marmande, under St Emilion, Libourne, some lovely small towns north of Bordeaux, and finally to the cormiche along the Gironde. This is the actual meeting of the Dordogne and Garonne at le Bec d’Ambrès.

We had the rest of the eggs and sausage looking in the direction of Château Margaux (this isn’t it) on the opposite side of the estuary.

There’s a huge low lying area farther up that is home to birds, farms and a nuclear power station. Bit like Hinkley Point and the Somerset Levels.

We gravitated there! Egrets, herons, a kingfisher, birds of prey various.

It sounded like chips frying standing under the huge high tension cables.

And lots of little ports. All very atmospheric.

But it was getting towards 3 and the day was closing in so we reluctantly beat a retreat north to Rochefort and another Ibis Budget. We know this one and it’s nice.
Here is the wreck of Frisco. A petrol carrier built 1906 in USA and scuttled 1944 by the German navy.






This time we drove into town before dark and went to see Hermione, the reconstruction of the ship Lafayette sailed to America. This is the first time we’d seen the completed ship. Last time, many years ago, it  was still in dock being built. Oh it is a lovely sight to see all finished and proper. Then delicious galettes and crêpes at our favourite tiny crêperie and home to IB, sandwiched so elegantly between Burger King and McDo!

Leaving Sablet

Well Tuesday afternoon we returned the Livebox to Orange Orange and spent two days cold turkey with no link to the outside world except telly!

Yesterday we sat in warm sunshine at the bar and had a pretty grim shepherds pie. Then a walk in the vines and farewells all round before packing the final things.

 Up at 7 today and off at 7.45 in milky sunshine with the Dentelles standing to attention behind us. Ventoux swathed himself in sulky cloud. John and Louise beat us to it - left at 6 and will be in Paris mid afternoon! (They go on Motorways you see)

We didn’t stop for breakfast until 11, in a strange boulangerie cum bar in Flavin somewhere southish of Rodez.

Home to the local skittles team (quilles) who seem to have amassed considerable silverware in the form of cups and trophies.

It was a pretty drive through Quercy with picnic lunch in a village called Bach south of Cahors. Watched by a flock of black sheep.

Still amazingly warm even here. And very autumnal. Bright red apples on the netted trees and fields of military planted hazel trees as we approached Agen. We stopped in Intermarché to stock up on local confit de canard and prunes before struggling with directions to get ourselves to Ibis Budget Agen.
Going off in search of a pizza any minute!