Still some heavy showers around but at least the wind has dropped and as such you get a little more notice of when the heavens are going to open! Today we are pressing on with the aim of making it to the Crozon Peninsula but first we have a few beaches to visit on the way – our first stop only being a couple of miles along the road at Porsmillen. Height restrictors and a full car park (small) – the surfers are in town – prevented up from parking properly so it was a quick dash to capture this smallish (though the tide is in) sandy beach…

We had more success with parking at our next stop as there was a motorhome specific parking lot – where you could also stay overnight – so we were able to get out and walk to the next couple of beaches Plage de Portez and Plage de Tregana. Both looked lovely beaches but the tide is in so they are currently very small….

Next on our list a little further along the road was the small bay of Plage St Anne du Portzic…

Next was a rather tricky drive through Brest – as you know we are not keen on driving through large towns or cities but it really didn’t make sense to drive all the way round as we also wanted to visit the only beach there Plage du Moulin Blanc….

Unfortunately our timing was a bit off as the heavens opened just as we got parked up so we just took a quick look before carrying on our way. Then followed a failed attempt to visit a beach at the tiny village of Lamar, as we just could not see anyway of getting parked anywhere near the beach – if there is parking there then it was on a very much need to know basis, we arrived on the Crozon Peninsula crossing a beautiful suspension bridge to get there. Once on the peninsula we travelled all the way to the top to the seaside town of Cameret-sur-Mer, which is to be our home for the night just stopping off at the one beach on the way into the town – Plage de Trez Rouz….

Once parked up in the Aire we wandered down into the town to the Port….

And its neighbouring beach – Plage du Correjou where the lovely white sand was already lost to the shadows of the town and surrounding cliffs…

From here we walked back up onto the headland and across to the west coast to enjoy the sunshine in all its late afternoon glory on Plage de Pen-Had…..

As we reluctantly left the beach behind and clambered up the hill our efforts were rewarded by stunning vista back down to the beach and Pointe de Toulinguet beyond….

And the cliffs of Pointe de Pen Hir to the south which we shall explore tomorrow….

Up above us are the ruins of a rather fancy Manor House with just the turrets still standing…

Our Aire is just on the other side of these ruins which is a good thing as we are hungry! Another good day.

Thoughts of the day:

• As well as endless road signs or should I say multiple roadsigns the French do love daubing white paint all over the roads – taking the form of pedestrian crossings, chevrons, random stop points, arrows and speed limits – it’s a job to know where to look which is why I find driving in larger towns or cities a lot more stressful – could do with an extra pair of eyes – Tilly?
• We do seem to have lost the pretty villages of further north, of late they are rather monochrome with modern boxes – especially as so many are shuttered up.

Today’s stats:

• Miles driven – 77
• Miles walked – 6
• Beaches – 8
• Aire – £12.05 EHU

After a wet and wild night it only seems fair that we have a wet and wild day too! I must admit that having had a very busy week or so we are ready for a bit of a break – ideally in the sun but as that wasn’t to be, having a chill day when it is wet and wild outside and we are warm and cozy inside, is not a bad alternative.

There was a brief break in the heavy showers during the afternoon, so we took a chance and headed off out for a walk to see the three beaches of this village, all within easy reach – firstly was Plage de Plage de Bertheaume a pretty sandy smallish cove….

Next up was the very small Plage des Cures – especially bearing in mind the tide must be roughly half way by now…

We didn’t venture down as it was those horrible metal steps that Tilly will not walk on and I am trying to keep an eye on the rain cloud situation, knowing that we are on borrowed time. We pressed on to the main beach of the village – a long stretch of white sand where we enjoyed a nice walk before tackling the long hill back up to the Aire….

We just made it back as the first drops of rain came, so we are now warm and cozy and feeling rather smug!

Thoughts of the day:

• I often wonder on days like today what Tilly makes of it – is she relieved too that we are taking an enforced break? She certainly isn’t clamouring to get out and seems perfectly happy to doze the day away!
• It certainly isn’t cold inside the van but somehow it feels good to stick the heating on and just bask!

Today’s stats:

• Miles driven – 0
• Miles walked – 3
• Beaches – 3
• Aire – £9.26 inc EHU

A mostly grey and very wild day for us today, but as we are now on the slow road south, I remain forever hopeful!

Our first walk before leaving the Aire took us down onto Plage de Beg ar Vir, looking a bit wilder than yesterday and nowhere near as ‘golden’….

Our aim was to walk along the coastal path to capture the white sands of Plage du Gouerou, a little to the north of the Aire, as today we are continuing on our journey south – however the tide clearly had a different agenda and all we got to see were a couple of surfers and a lot of white surf….

What do they say ‘Time and Tide waits for no man’. Never mind we enjoyed the walk and after packing up the van we drove a mile or so up the road for our next walk along the coastal path and beaches of Plouarzel. First up was Plage de Porscuidic and Plage de l’Ile de Segal leading to a once inhabited peninsula that has now become an uninhabited island cut off at high tides…

Continuing further south along the coastal path are Plage de Kerescar and Plage de Porskaolenn – the tide is still high but they make pretty little coves with white sand even then….

The last beach of this string is the beautiful Plage de Pors Sévigné – if you lived in this village you could walk to a different beach each day of the week – what a lovely dilemma….

At this point we returned to the van and travelled a couple of miles along the Route Touristique to find parking for our walk to the next little cluster of beaches – bearing in mind we are still only an hour after high tide and the sea is choppy, I’m sure these beaches are far more spectacular at low tide and in the sunshine of course! Plage de Charrettes, Plage de Ruscumunoc and Plage de Corsen….

The next two beaches were conveniently on the coast road in little hamlets and I was able to just pop out to take a quick snap of Plage de Kerhornou and Plage de Illien….

Our next proper stop was at Plage des Blancs Sablons (another beach featuring in the top 10 best beaches of Brittany) – a beautiful long stretch of low dune backed soft white sand beach. Not a soul to be seen apart from a couple of surfers on the water but judging by the hundreds of car parking spaces all along behind the dunes a normally popular spot. Here we enjoyed a blustery walk along the beach….

In the end the wind got the better of us and we decided to start to make our way to tonight’s Aire with just a brief stop on the way at Plage de Pors Liogan on the outskirts of Le Conquet…

Another busy beach day, cut a little short again by the weather – for now though we are hunkered down against the wind and rain and hoping for a better day tomorrow.

Thoughts of the day:

• I feel almost blasé about these beautiful white beaches but believe me I am appreciating everyone of them it is just that if I travel any slower I really won’t achieve my goal for this trip – which is to visit as many as possible in the 3 months I have here.
• Sorry too tired for another one – though I’m sure I did!

Today’s stats:

• Miles driven – 18
• Miles walked – 6
• Beaches – 14
• Aire – 9.26 EHU

Another damp start and mostly grey day with just a little ray of hope around 5pm but we want to cover some ground today so we will press on. We started the day with a walk from the Aire to the beach on the other side of the dunes – it was drizzling a bit but well worth the effort to see the long white sandy beach of Plage des 3 Moutons….

After packing up the van we drove barely a mile up the road and set out to do a circular walk of the beaches around the small community of Porsguen. Visiting Plage de Treumpan and Plage de Carn….

Before cutting across the village (mostly second homes by the looks) and starting with Plage de Kerdeniel and Plage de Porscave….

And passing Plage de Pors ar Villan, Plage de Porsguen and finally Plage de Port Geoffroy before arriving back at the van…

At about this point we are leaving the north coast of Brittany and beginning to head south and roughly speaking are due south of The Lizard! We made a brief stop in Trémazan to catch Plage de Chateau and Plage de Tremazan…

Parking up in Porspoder we enjoyed another longish walk along the coastal path looking down on the lovely deep sandy beach – Plage de Penfoul, across the coastal path on the dunes behind Plage de Rochard….

Along the pretty Plage du Vivier and more weedy Plage des Colons….

We wandered out onto the Spit of land to find Plage des Dames and back again to Plage de Bourg….

Before wandering back along the low lying dunes to the van and driving the short distance to the final beach in the area – Plage de Melon….

Another shortish drive to our Aire for the night behind the dunes at Lampaul-Plouarzel. Once in and sorted, as the sun was making the effort we took the opportunity to visit the two closest beaches – Plage de Beg ar Vir and Plage de Porspaul – catching both in the golden glow of the evening sunshine…

As a bonus we wandered out onto the small strip of land jutting into the sea – Beg ar Vir and caught what I think is a Tall Ship crossing into the beam of the golden sun….

A long and busy day – we shall eat and sleep well tonight.

Thoughts of the day:

• Some of the beaches we have visited over the last few days have been strewn and quite often smelly with seaweed which I think may have been as a result of Storm Benjamin as it is all relatively fresh – shame otherwise these would all have been absolute beauties.
• Sheep – where are they? Travelling around the UK in the more rural areas you see many sheep but I don’t think I have seen any in France.

Today’s stats:

• Miles driven – 21
• Miles walked – 8
• Beaches – 19 (a new record)
• Aire – £8.45 EHU
• Fuel – £86.85