Amiens 2018 - DAY 14

The quartier Saint-Leu neighbourhood of Amiens (wiki info only in French)

Wednesday, 8 August 2018: driving from Brittany to Amiens (our stopover).

After travelling many kilometers we arrived at Armiens and wanted to see the cathedral (Notre Dame de Amiens). 

Guess what.... all roads were blocked, security officers in place, coz today was the official celebration (with lots of British tv stations and 'important' people and millitary present) of the fact that it is a 100 years ago that the battle of Amiens took place, which finished World War I.

We decided to have a drink first.

art is everywhere

So we first visited the Quartier Saint-Leu; mostly very small old wooden houses, some refurbished, some deteriating situated at a canal. Lovely neighbourhood. We hope young people will buy, refurbish and make the houses as well as the neighbourhood more up-to-date. 

Some photos:

After 5 pm the gates were removed and we could approach the church, however, nobody was allowed to enter.

Oh well, lots to see at the outside

Brittany 2018 - DAY 13 - an abbey and a rockband

the harbour of Paimpol after sunset

Tuesday, 7 August 2018 - our last day in Brittany

It's clouded today and it rained now and then, which was ok with us. We loved the coolness. I made some photos of our hotel Les Agapathes:

We started, after enjoying a lovely breakfast at our hotel, with visiting the extensive market at Paimpol: buying several items. Eggszackily at the moment I bought stuff, it started raining. Great timing, coz we could hide under the market stall cloth 😊 

After our visit to the market we explored the impressive Abbaye de Beauport. Lots of information about this impressive abbey here (in french).

We did the tour with the French guide and afterwards walked a trail. I made far too many photos coz this place is soo enchanting: great plants, lovely old stones walls/ruins, apple trees and more.

 

 

the Abbey has 60 different species of apple trees, among them very old and rare ones

hortensias everywhere here in Brittany

We were just in time to reach the car coz it started raining cats and dogs (cleaning our car). After a drink at our hotel we had a lovely dinner at restaurant La Cabane Sur Les Quais Paimpol.

first course: tuna with fruits

and surprising first course which we will try to copy at home 😏

 

meat for a change

we both had tiramisu mojito for desert: very fresh (limes)

Afterwards we enjoyed the performance of a genuine rock band from Brittany at the harbour. When arriving Peter immediately recognized the members of the band coz they had been sitting at the neighbouring table at the restaurant. It's a small world.

one of the spectators

After a stroll along the harbour back to the car, making photos of the boats mirroring in the water, we went home to our hotel.

This is the END of our holiday in Brittany/Normandy 😭. Tomorrow we will return home, with a stopover at Amiens.

Brittany 2018 - DAY 12 - moving to a new home and an extensive lunch

Oratoire la Sentinelle at Port Blanc (view from the restaurant)

Monday, 6 August 2018: moving to another temporary home (2 nites)

The end of our stay here in Brittany is coming near. Today we move to our last 'home';  the hotel Les Agapanthes in Ploubazlanec.

Some photos I made this morning while travelling:

hortensias everywhere

2 languages: French and Breton

new red Napapijri T-shirt bought yesterday in a Sale

However, before we go to our hotel we will visit the restaurant of the Grand Hotel at Port Blanc.

Reason: yesterday, when having a bite at the 'English pub' across the street of our hotel in Lannion, we met a fun Dutch couple that had been walking the GR34 for 7 days, and stayed at this hotel. They loved the hotel and Port BLanc because it's so quiet and genuine (no shops etc). They were right, it's indeed a lovely place. We started with having softdrinks at the terrace at the water front and ended up in the shade having a great lunch.

view from the waterfront terrace

oysters and shrimps

tuna with salad and cod rillette

We checked into our hotel, which is a charming place and soooooo much better than the one we left this morning in Lannion. The hotel has a nice garden and the rooms are tastefull. 

After unpacking we went to a nearby beach for a swim and when it got chilly we drove to the nearby town of Paimpol, where we had a drink and afterwards a stroll along the harbour quay.

the harbour of Paimpol