12th July – Saturday – Lorient Kerneval to Concarneau

08.45 to 15.30 – just over 6 and a half hours to make the trip from Lorient to Concarneau.  It was a cloudy day with a biting northerly wind, the weather did get better as the day progressed and there was no swell.

We had our obligatory walk which Mick now calls ‘Orientation’, I call it ‘Curiosity’.  He loves it really.

Concarneau turned out to be a corker.  We had passed the walled Citadel on our way into the harbour which is just outside it.  From the marina you walk passed the usual shops and cafes, then at the end of the street there is a large car park, which was playing host to a local gathering who were sat at long benches eating seafood bought from stalls, whilst listening to bagpipe music!!

I have not yet mentioned the Celtic connection.  We have seen many Irish pubs and shops, particularly noticeable in Lorient.  As in Cornwall, the people of the Bretton region are Celts, and they regard themselves as Celtic, with Music festivals, elf type characters etc to celebrate the fact.

I digress.  We walked into the walled Citadel and were greeted by the most charming street of shops and cafes you can imagine.  It was like a Harry Potter street for real.  Timbered houses and shops, jammed together, to make a feast for the senses.  I am sure Disney must have visited here for ideas.  The Citadel itself was impressive enough, but to find the delightful interior was a real treat.

13th July – Sunday

We went back into the Citadel to walk the ramparts.  Tip: Walk to the end of the street and walk back on the ramparts for free.  I know we are tight, but everyone does it.

There was a Celtic band playing in the entrance and they played ‘Galway Girl’ just like the band ‘Blood Shot Eyes’ at the ‘Hole ‘ith Wall’ pub in Bowness, Windermere.  Very nostalgic for us, many happy Friday nights of singing therapy after working weeks.

Ventured out again later in the evening as it was the night before Bastille Day and there was a concert in the main square and then fireworks on the promenade (20 minutes including a heart shaped one).  The lady sang ‘zeez bootz are made fo wacking and zhats just wot zey do’!!  They played a lot of local tunes that people obviously knew and danced to.  It’s nice to see people letting their hair down en mass.  The concert continued into the early hours after the fireworks.

The World Cup final was on in some of the bars and cafes.

We really enjoyed Concarneau, it was an unexpected treat.

Info: There is a Carrefour City supermarket near the daily market house.  The large outdoor market is on Mondays.  A large supermarket is on the road out of town.  The facilities were modern and clean, but you have to pay for the showers at the office and put a code into a machine.  The marina cost 33 euros per night.