Day 5             Saturday 3rd June 2017.    Mileage:    46     Total:  171

From:             Mousterlin, Cape Finistere             To:  Guidel Plage 

Weather:       Sunny early, then light cloud cover late afternoon. Early evening, sunny

We departed Mousterlin at 0910 hrs.  Stopping shortly afterwards at a Carrefoure to purchase fresh veggies etc.  We spent a good 45 mins. In the store, mainly because Mike couldn’t quite manage the automatic scales. 

These clever things allow you to place your fresh fruit and veg on, then you need to touch the screen for the correct type of Legumes.  Here lay the problem.  There were two screens of 12 types of tomato on each.  Mike panicked, pressed the wrong button and then tried to go back on the screen.  There was a queue behind me.  I turned and looked back with a sheepish grin.  Madame, behind came to my rescue.  Toms done.  The Lemons, no, not Jackie and I, the lemons for our G and T.  Madame asked me what type they were, then lost me.  Taking me by the hand, like some errant school boy and passing up her place in the queue, we returned to the fresh lemon section.  Having established exactly which lemons I had selected, we returned to the queue, waited till the scales were free, then weighed and printed the correct label.  I turned to Madame, who looked to be in her late sixties, thanked here profusely and said with a clownish look “C’est Difficiel” She giggled, weighed her Legumes and went off smiling in the other direction to me.  Now, does that not prove my theory.  The best place to pick up Hot Young Mums, is at the Supermarket !!

We arrived at Guidel Plage.  Again, we had had a few misdirection’s.  Nothing to speak about, but you enter a small village expecting to carry straight on, but its suddenly a new no entry.  By the time you drive around locating the correct road you’ve covered a few more miles.

Suddenly there ahead was the ocean.  Deep blue with a slight surf running.  We turned left on the D152 coast road.  Before long we spotted a Camping Car area and we pulled in.  It held eight Campers for a 24 hour stay.  It was not the one we were scheduled to find, but as it had three spaces, we opted to stay.  Immediately two other Campers followed us in.  “This’ll do” says Mike, not wishing to take a chance that our anticipated Camp site at 1254 had any spaces.  We decided to stay here for the night and check out 1254, further along the coast tomorrow.

Having parked up, we took off.  Across the road and checked out the beach.  There were a dozen or so surfers out with a few paddle boarders, all taking advantage of a nice swell rolling in.  We swung left along the coast path up towards the old Fort Du Loch.  This dated to the 1800’s and was built to protect the Port of L’Orient from raiders.  It was now only opened on special occasions.  Beside the Fort there was more parking for ten Campers for 24 hours.  No facilities.  It was full.  Returning to the Van, we made lunch and sat outside to eat.

1500 hrs.  We had lazed about enough.  Time for a walk.  We decide to walk back into town.  There is no town we discover, merely three or four bars or restaurants on a bend in the road, the very same road we drove down.  The most obvious and welcoming bar, is a structure with a glass and chrome front, to protect its customers from the wind. It also has fantastic views down to the Marina and out across the lagoon to sea.  Away in the distance we can see Kite Surfers sailing along at great speeds.  The café is busy but has a pleasant atmosphere, we order a Monaco and a Kir.

Finishing our drinks, we take a quick walk around the Marina and start to retrace our steps.  Taking small diversions into the Dunes to look at a few WW2 bunkers guarding the bay, they are quite numerous here.  Many are intact and the French have sealed up many.  Those obvious from the Coast road, have rather cleverly been painted as murals depicting sea side scenes.  This area features heavily as a kite/wind surf area.

One of the more interesting buildings was an old French powder magazine dating from the 1780’s set on the cliff top in a depression, its three rooms were solely to support the three canons placed here.  The English were raiding the area and had landed six hundred troops in an attempt to capture the port of L’Orient it seems.

Fort du Loch.

1720 hrs.  We are back at the Van and it’s time for a cuppa.  We sit and read and watch the car park beside us empty over the next few hours.  Quite a few Motorhomes arrive but are disappointed.  All fourteen available spaces are taken.