Brittany Ferries and Sentier des Douaniers

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Neither of us slept very well because just after dinner last night we learned that our ferry trip from Roscoff to Plymouth had been cancelled in response to industrial action. This means we now have to catch the ferry from Calais to Dover – a much shorter crossing but an extra two days of driving. Consequently, we spent this morning on the phone and internet sorting out our car rentals and hotel bookings. Thank goodness Hôtel des Rochers has Wi-Fi!

We finally emerged from our room and headed out onto the Sentier des Douaniers – a walking path that was established at the time of the French Revolution to guard against smuggling. It follows nearly the entire Breton coast for about 1,300 kilometres (we didn’t walk all of it!). Once patrolled day and night by brigades of customs officers on the lookout for boats carrying contraband from England, it is now a protected natural site and part of the network of official Grande Randonnée hiking trails. A feature of this part of the walk is the large pink granite boulders that litter the coastline around Ploumenac’h. (Guess that's why it's called the Côte de Granit Rose!). The Phare (lighthouse) and some of the houses along the way are made from this granite, which looks kind of cool.

We had intended to do a nine kilometre circuit, along the coast and back through the town. There are so many side paths and picturesque views, however, that we were taking a lot longer than the 2½ hours the pamphlet had indicated. Luckily for us (?), the last bit of the coast section was closed for redevelopment, so we had to cut the walk short. This also meant we made it to the Bîstrot du Port just before the rain!

We had been wanting to sample the famous Breton galette complèt for ages, and fortunately they were on the menu. They consist of a very thin pancake folded to enclose ham, cheese and egg. The crêpe is described as blé noir as it is made from buckwheat giving the cooked crêpe a dark brown colour and distinctive flavour and firm texture. They’re delicious, especially when washed down with a Breton bière!

Back in our room we went about the very sad business of packing up in preparation for leaving France.

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Photos

Finally getting out of our room
By the way, that’s the dining room on the left and the breakfast room on the right.

Starting out on the Sentier des Douaniers
Essentially, this is from the front of our hotel.

The little shrine on the right is the Oratoire de St-Guirec
This is a shrine to Saint Guirec, one of many uncanonised “saints” recognised only by locals. Inside is a stone statue which replaced the original wooden one, which suffered defacement (pun intended) due to a strange local custom. Girls wishing to marry within the year came here to stick a pin in the saint’s nose. Even the ‘new’ granite one’s nose has now been worn away!

Le Phare Maen Ruz (cool pink granite lighthouse)
Actually, “Maen Ruz” doesn’t mean “cool, pink granite”!

Lots of cool pink granite (with man fishing)
Well, it is the “pink granite coast”!