Friday 24th September - Pointe du Grouin - Cancale
Weather improved from yesterday evening, though still very showery and certainly more autumnal - Ouest France - Temps assez agité. Made for dynamic skies and striking skies. Sea a bit rougher, with some waves, peu agitée. Went to Pointe du Grouin, the promintory to the north of Cancale. Fresh and breezy on the Pointe. Views of Mont St. Michel to the east, in the distance during gaps in fast moving shower clouds. Beyond it the southern end of the Cherbourg peninsula. The broad bay of Cancale, near the centre a hill standing out on otherwise relatively flat land, Mont Dôl. Just across the water, the Chenal de Rivière, from the Pointe was an elongated island, Île des Landes. Presumably because it was relatively narrow and probably shallow with rock outcrops / ledges beneath the water, it was rougher. When we came back from our walk, there was a strong current here as the tide ebbed. To the north of the Pointe was a cylindrical white lighthouse, the Phare Herpin. Rocky islets: the Île des Rimains, Le Châtellier. On the horizon, the Îles Chausey. On the top of the promintory, near the car park, was a coastguard lookout. Beneath it a concrete bunker. Have to remember in France, that unlike the pill boxes built back home to help defend Britain from the Nazis, the structures here were built by the Nazis occupying France - D.Day N'oublier jammais (, D-Day, never forget), 6 Juin 44 Merci.
Did a short walk on the east side of the promintory to Port Mer, a village with a sailing club. The bay was sheltered, some tropical / Mediterranean plants growing, so it felt hot and sticky when the sun came out for a bit. CCEng, overdressed, as if taking to the Scottish Hills. Must admit, I was a bit taken aback when I later discovered his shorts etc on the backseat. Sailing school at Port Mer, École Voie. Some dinghy boats / sails. Lots of yachts moored in the bay. Rounding the bay, though another reminder of the Nazi occupation, this time, a gun port with a really F'off steel gun.
Quick lunch stop back at the Pointe, dodging heavy showers.
Caught in another heavy shower when we got to Cancale. Parked on the seafront, though a bit out of the main melee where the car parks were full. Quiet on the streets, though. Seems everyone was lunching in the numerous restaurants, dining on oysters, for which Cancale is famous. Tide was now a long way out, exposing the muddy shore (note 1), leaving sailing boats high and dry. Had to shelter for a while under a shop awning as it poured with rain, watching tractors continually coming and going from the oyster beds, some of them with boats. When the rain had cleared, we walked to quay with the lighthouse and looked over the nearby oyster beds. Oyster farmings in tractors busily harvesting them at low tide. Beach near the shore a shingle of discarded oyster shells (from people eating them on the shore). Best view from up the hill, good view over the lighthouse and quay from here, too. Both took more photos than we knew what to do with, but the best view was looking across them to Mont St. Michel. The beds must be unique, haven't come across this kind of thing anywhere else. Map shows them extending some way out to sea. The ebbing tide, began to expose the farthest ones. Must be a race against time for the farmers to harvest the oysters against the tide which, no doubt races in here, as with any extensive flat shore. The tide marks on the islets to the north of the beds, showed how high the tidal range is here, the high water mark probably 12m+, as with the Rance.
Headed back to Dinan Port mid-afternoon to do some packing and cleaning. Ate out again this evening, again at La Terrasse, though the coo, breezyl autumnal weather made for some confusion. Not many tables laid outside on the terrasse at all. Generally very quiet everywhere, unlike Friday night at home, though it got going a bit later. Plenty of space inside and, as we were early, we had a table in the corner with river views on two sides. Restful watching the river as it got dark and the lights came on. Had some more local cider. Main course with pork very good, for dessert a Breton flan (rather than pastry, sugary milky consistently, rather like creme caramel.
