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Very cold this morning, just below zero, but bright and sunny.
Nick and Grete haven't been to Brittany for a long time and ask us to plan the route for today.
We are all ready to leave at 10:30 and take the short drive to a familiar place for us, St Cado. Unfortunately roadworks mean we cannot go to the port car park but the alternative one still has good views over the quiet little basin, with fishing boats sitting on the edge of the wet mud. Ali walks along the path to the best view; the one with the little house on a tiny island in the middle of the harbour. The crisp, low sunlight brings out the colours in dramatic fashion.
We cross the little suspension bridge over the Etel and drive to Port Louis, entering the town alonside the beach then working our way around to the ramparts. We stop beside the Napoleonic citadel looking across to Lorient where the dock area is still domnated by the WW2 subnarine pens.
We skirt the bay past Lorient and head to Pont Aven, where we take a chance and ignore the 'no campingcar' signs by the harbour and park for lunch. In summer it wouldn't be right but with such little traffic and so many empty places no-one will bother.
The tide is coming in quickly, filling the river whil Ali and Grete go for a look around the town. We've been here many times and it is always charming with its little stone bridge, the millhouse and waterwheel, imposing stone houses and the quirky WC suspended over the river beside the main bridge.
The next destination on our magical mystery tour is Concarneau with its beautiful and quaint walled town and harbour. We have a town centre aire programmed but the approach to it is barred off for roadworks. After three or four times around a one way system we find the aire at the station car park but it is completely full of circus or fairground travellers' vehicles. No go in Concarneau then.
We drive out of town and stop to search the books for another place. Cap Coz near Fouesnant is only 10 miles so we take the scenic route there via the forest or Foret de Fouesnant. The car park is not an official aire but there are no 'no camping car' signs here although there are in other places near town.
Before settling in, we drive around to the seafront where we once stayed in a hotel. The beach, sand-pines and views over to Concarneau are so familiar even though it must be 10 years since that holiday.
Back in the car park we settle under a street lamp and watch the harbour as the sky changes colour with the sun setting out of sight behind trees.
There is a tall lamp standard right beside us so we have free lighting tonight, at least until 22:00 when they go off and we are plunged into darkness. Never mind, it means we can see the stars as soon as we are in bed.
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