Day Trip to Concarneau , France in Southern Brittany - July 10, 2013

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On July 10^th we decided to do another bus trip starting from Camaret. We had to go to Quimper again, then change buses for the ½ hour trip to Concarneau. We picked this town to travel to because it was one that we would have sailed to on the south coast of Brittany if we hadn’t made the crossing directly to Camaret from Spain. Reading about the town we found that it originally was built on an islet and a fortified wall was built around it in the 14^th century. It was captured by the English in 1373. In the second part of the 15^thcentury it was decided that the fortification needed to be improved so towers were added. By the 18th century the port had declined in importance and thus had been spared much of the destruction which occurred in other ports during the wars in Europe.

Concarneau is one of the most touristy areas we have been to so far with lots of crowds, but we still enjoyed the day here. Walking around the fortress area gave us a great view of the harbor and city. One place that was the least touristy but had received high marks when reading about it in TripAdvisor (an extremely useful website that rates not only restaurants and hotels but also museums and other points of interest) was the Museum about the fishing industry which is so important in this area. It is a small place, but it was very informative and the displays were well done. All the labels were in French, but they did have an English guide that you could use which helped. Fortunately the displays were clear enough that they didn’t require translation. A retired fishing trawler was also part of the museum so we were able to climb onboard and see how the crew lived while at sea. After going through the exhibits we got a much better appreciation for all the work that is involved in putting fish on our dinner plates.

We knew we would be leaving Brittany soon so of course had to partake of their local specialties – Bob had mussels cooked in a wine and cream sauce and Janice had excellent crepes. We both sampled the local cider and discovered another great delight of this part of France.

A successful day’s outing gave us a chance to see a little more of Brittany. It is a very pleasant area and we highly recommend it as a place to visit if you are looking for a vacation idea! Just beware that July is the time for the French to take their holidays and places are crowded.

The bus connection worked out well with only a 20 minute layover for the bus to Camaret. We have been fortunate to have been able to use the public transportation system up to now as it lets us look around the countryside and it definitely is less expensive then renting a car. Luckily even in a foreign language the bus schedules are pretty easy to figure out!

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Photos

Where Were We?
Camaret is where we sailed to and we took the bus to the other 2 towns shown here.

View from the Bus Stop
When you get off the bus in Concarneau this is the first view you have of the walled city that is located in an island.

Fishing Boats Tied Up
A view of the town with the many colorful small fishing boats tied up in the area near the walled city.

"Recent" Addition
The belfry that holds the clock was added in 1906.

What About the 3rd?
The French flag, the Brittany flag and the 3rd one we never did get an answer about what that one represents. We heard it may be the Arms of Brittany flag, but don’t quote us!

Walking the Perimeter
We were able to walk around the wall of the fort that was located in Concarneau which gave us great views of the harbor.

Colorful Addition
Everywhere you looked there were small gardens or planters full of beautiful flowers.

The City Walls
These granite walls are approximately 2.5 meters (+8 Feet) thick and were built during the 15th century.

Fish Processing
The fishing fleet of Concarneau is known for its tuna fishing with approximately 100,000 Tons caught each year. The fish factory is located close to town where the boats come in with their catch.

Cafes Everywhere
As you walked around the wall of the city you could look down and see many small cafes and restaurants that cater to the many tourists here.

Water Taxi
The water taxi runs back and forth to the other part of town that is across the river – it has been running for hundreds of years in order to connect the two parts of the city.

View Toward the Wall
A view through one of the gates that looks back toward the wall of the city.

The Look of Maine?
This view reminded us of ones we have seen along the coast of Maine.

The Marina
Of course we had to check out the marina that we would have stayed in if we had been able to sail the south coast of Brittany before crossing the Bay of Biscay.

One of Many
One of the many restaurants that were located in the historic part of town using the old stone buildings that were here.

Sailing Vessels Used in Fishing
A view of a few of the smaller craft that had been used for fishing as seen in the Musee de la Peche (museum of fish).

Quite the Crab Legs!
Bob noticed the Japanese crab that was hanging over the doorway – how about the size of those legs? It was caught in 1839.