One of the advantages of visiting this part of the world off-season is that there are very few tourists. No traffic jams of campervans, caravans or lycra-clad cyclists… Brittany is beautiful and I’m enjoying every minute and every mile. The roads are great, and there’s very little traffic and the scenery is just wonderful. I expect it would be different in summer, but for me, October is the perfect time to visit and see all this beauty.
Today I visited the historic town Vannes. It’s a big town, but the original part of Auray still exists within the old battlements of the citadel. Built between the 15th and 16th century, inside the battlements are lots of small winding streets, with many of the old and original buildings. Having their own Breton style, it’s almost like walking back in time.
Vannes also has its own harbour, and the river connects to the sea just a few miles away. The days of the fishing boats have long gone, so now the water is filled with yachts which are overlooked by boulevards packed with cafes and restaurants.
After Vannes I rode south to the Parc Naturel Régional du Golfe du Morbihan and around the adjoining peninsula. Beautiful. There are still lots of salt flats, but they are no longer used, and with its many inlets and jagged coastline, it almost reminded me of Cornwall in some places except there are more golden beaches and coves in Brittany.
Another enjoyable day and I really am falling in love with this part of France. It’s only a 200km ride from the Saint Malo ferry-port so if you’re at a loose end next summer and thinking about touring. Come to Brittany…
