Sep20

Hiking in Brittany: Quiberon’s Côte Sauvage

by Paris Weekender
Posted In: Getting Out of Paris

This is part of my series on ideas for day hikes in Brittany’s southern department of the Morbihan. Please also see my earlier posts on Île-aux-Moines, Île d’Arz and Île de Houat and Île d’Hoëdic.

Just west of the Gulf of Morbihan, the presqu’île (peninsula) of Quiberon extends into the Bay of Biscay, attached to the mainland by a very narrow stretch of land, at times not much wider than the road. The western side of this peninsula, which faces the ocean, its violent waves and howling winds straight on, is aptly named the Côte Sauvage, or Wild Coast.

The scenery is dramatic. Not much vegetation can grow in this windy climate. Tall and jagged cliffs drop down to the ocean and waves crash loudly against the rock, shooting up spray and ocean foam so forcefully that it often reaches the path far above. It is no wonder that artists such as Matisse and Monet were inspired by this landscape.

The coastal trail is part of the GR 34 (Grande Randonnée) long distance footpath that follows the entire coastline of Brittany. The trail is therefore well marked with red and white markers. For a longer hike, you could do a circuit whereby you follow the coastal path in one direction and wind your way through the streets of the Quiberon peninsula to make your way back.

Driving from Carnac, follow signs for Quiberon, and soon after arriving at the start of the peninsula, you will see signs for the “Côte Sauvage”. There are plenty of places to park for free. Head south (left when facing the water) until you cannot take the wind anymore, then turn around. If you make it all the way to the town of Quiberon at the tip of the peninsula, you will see that unfortunately it is fairly built up. Nonetheless, there are a number of places to stop for food or a drink (or for a niniche, one of Quiberon’s famous caramel and salted butter lollypops).

If you hike north, you will eventually come to the much quainter port of Portivy, which also has a couple of eating options. To give you a sense of distance, it is about 12 kilometers on the coastal path between Quiberon and Portivy.

If you do not have a car, in the summer months you can take the “Tire-Bouchon” (corkscrew) tourist train from Auray (which has a TGV station) to Quiberon, and then hike north up the western coast of the peninsula and back.

For a longer hike (2-3 days) on the GR 34 that does not require a car, see my post on hiking from Auray to Vannes. Note that this hike from Auray to Vannes could be combined with a visit to Île-aux-Moines or another island for which the ferry leaves from Port Blanc or Vannes.

 

└ Tags: ,
 Comment 
Sep17

Hiking in Brittany: L’île de Houat and L’île Hoëdic

by Paris Weekender
Posted In: Getting Out of Paris


Île de Houat

This is part of my series on ideas for day hikes in Brittany’s southern department of the Morbihan. Please also see my earlier posts on Île-aux-Moines and Île d’Arz.


Île de Houat

Île de Houat and Île d’Hoëdic lie outside the Gulf of Morbihan, in the Bay of Biscay. They are a bit east of, but equidistant from, the tip of the Quiberon peninsula and the largest of the nearby islands, Belle-Île-en-Mer. Both Île de Houat and Île d’Hoëdic are inhabited, but their year-round populations only reach about 300 and 100 persons, respectively.


Île de Houat

We set off once again from Port Blanc, in Baden, just 15 kilometers from Auray, on the Gulf of Morbihan. Izenah Croisières offers a ferry that allows you to visit either the island of Houat or the island of Hoëdic, or both in one day. There is plenty of free parking at Port Blanc, but if you do not have a car, there is bus service from Auray and from Vannes (which both have TGV stations).


Île de Houat

Unfortunately, the Port Blanc ferry only runs once a week (for the 2012 season, it was on Thursdays) and only in July and August. This gives you an idea of how unspoiled these islands are. (Although there is also ferry service part of the year from Vannes, Locmariaquer, La Trinité-sur-Mer, Port-Navalo, La Turballe and Le Croisic.)


Île de Houat

We decided to visit both islands, which left us with about 5 hours on Île de Houat and 2 hours on Île d’Hoëdic. In hindsight, this was perfect timing as it takes 3-4 hours to circumnavigate Île de Houat and about 2 hours to do the perimeter of Île d’Hoëdic (we cut off the far eastern end of the island).


Île de Houat

When we arrived on Île de Houat, we were once again shocked that an island in the same region could have such a different feeling from the other islands we had visited.


Île de Houat

Île de Houat is spectacular. The northwestern side is more lush, with high cliffs dropping down to pristine beaches only accessible by boat. The southern coast and eastern end are more rugged, facing the open ocean and the strong waves and wind that come with it.


Île d’Hoëdic

Unfortunately, the town is not so interesting. Most of the buildings are from the mid-20th century and the ensemble gave off an eery vibe of an abandoned film set.


Île d’Hoëdic

Île d’Hoëdic is the opposite. I did not find the landscape particularly interesting compared to that of its sister island: it is rather desolate, but without the lusher side or the high cliffs. However, the small town is older, charming, full of character and offers several small shops and restaurants. Visiting the two islands in one day makes for a perfect combination of impressive landscape and quaint living.


Île d’Hoëdic

 

└ Tags: , , ,
 Comment 
Sep14

Weekly Get-to-Know-Paris Challenge #30!

by Paris Weekender
Posted In: Everything Else

This week’s get-to-know-Paris challenge is to learn a little bit about French geography!


Le Vieux Passage, Ria d’Etel, Brittany 

About-France.com is a great resource for learning:

Or how about this fun method of learning your départements ? I admit, I have one!

***

The world is divided into two types of people: map people and non-map people. Which one are you?

 

└ Tags:
 Comment 
Sep13

Treasure Hunt at the Louvre!

by Paris Weekender
Posted In: Must Do in Paris

You are tired of the standard museum visits. You would you like to explore the Louvre but you are intimidated by its size, three interconnected buildings and multiple entrances. You just don’t know where to start. You think if you step foot in the building it could swallow you alive.


Treasure hunting

Last month I had the opportunity to join a group of bloggers, entrepreneurs and other contributors to the food & wine world in Paris to explore the Louvre in a new way: as a treasure hunt! What better place to search for hidden gems than at one of the world’s largest and most treasure-filled museums?

We met after work on a Wednesday evening. Were divided into teams of maximum four or five people each, asked to come up with a unique name for our team, given our marching orders and told at what time to be back at the starting point.


Navigating our way through the Louvre

Daisy de Plume, founder of THATLou – Treasure Hunt at the Louvre, is the master organizer. She takes much care in putting together a list of the treasures the teams must find. But it is not just a list. For each masterpiece, Daisy gives a description and often details you will not learn in a typical tour of the Louvre. Armed with our descriptions and our maps, we set off on our sleuthing.

The hunt lasts about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Teams are advised to give each member a role – photographer (how else would we prove that we had found our treasures?), navigator, spotter…. and teams must stay together but not too close to any other team.


Deciphering the map

Of course you will quickly have the police after you if you try to take home a found treasure. But do not worry – there are prizes!

We enjoyed a lovely picnic in the Jardin du Carrousel after the hunt, shared our treasure hunting stories (both in narrative and in limericks) and tallied the points. Daisy gave out the prizes. The top prize the evening I participated was a gift certificate to Alisa Morov’s Sweet Pea Baking catering service. I can never get enough of Alisa’s baking! Sadly, my team (the Smoking Monkeys and The Old Masters) came in dead last but it was still a blast!


Inside the Louvre

If you are looking for a bit of healthy competition, or just a fun evening out, Treasure Hunt at the Louvre is an event not to miss. Perhaps you are charged with organizing a different sort of corporate event or you want to throw a one-of-a-kind birthday party? Here is your answer! You’ll get to know both the Louvre and your team mates that much better. But to experience Daisy’s adventures, you do not have to sign up as a group. She runs treasure hunts open to the general public the first Sunday of each month. There are still spots left to sign up for the next hunt on October 7th! The theme? Fish & Water.

For more information on THATLou – Treasure Hunt at the Louvre and to sign up for your own treasure hunting adventure, contact Daisy at daisydeplume @ gmail.com! And be sure to ready Daisy’s detailed description of our evening at the Louvre.


The Grande Roue, backdrop for our post-hunt picnic

***

Have you been on one of Daisy’s treasure hunts? Tell us your story!

 

└ Tags: , , , , ,
 Comment 
Sep10

Hiking in Brittany: Île d’Arz

by Paris Weekender
Posted In: Getting Out of Paris

As promised, over the next two months I will post a series of ideas for day hikes in Brittany’s southern department, the Morbihan. The hike on Île d’Arz, described below, is the perfect complement to the hike I described in my post of late July on Île-aux-Moines.

Île d’Arz, in the Gulf of Morbihan on Brittany’s southern coast is just minutes from the mainland, but with its windswept beaches, year-round population under 300 residents and its relatively infrequent ferry access, it truly feels a world away.

I had visited Île-aux-Moines twice in the previous week and expected Île d’Arz to be similar. Geologically, there were once one single island that broke into two. But although the two islands, at their closest point, are just a kilometer or so apart, each island has a very different feel, both in terms of landscape and culture.

While Île-aux-Moines is accessible by a ferry from Port Blanc (Baden) that leaves every 15 minutes in the summer and takes just 5 short minutes, Île d’Arz has fewer ferries (just two from Port Blanc each day), and the comparative seclusiveness is immediately tangible. Similarly, even once you arrive on Île d’Arz, the you must work a bit to find the main town (“Le Bourg”), several kilometers from the port, in the center of the island.

Île-aux-Moines is relatively hilly. In comparison, Île d’Arz is nearly flat. It is windier and has much lower-growing vegetation. The beaches are beautiful and the island is a paradise for sailors and windsurfers.

One similarity between the two islands is that each has a beautiful coastal path of about 17 kilometers or 4 hours around. You could shorten the Île d’Arz route by about an hour if need be by skipping the peninsula in the northeast of the island.  Most of the path is well-marked.

Île d’Arz’s main town is small but offers a handful of tempting restaurants and cafés. (There are also a couple of spots to grab a bite or a drink at the port). Although a visit to the town requires a small (5-minute each way) detour off the coastal path, it is well worth the extra steps as Le Bourg is about as pretty a village as you are going to find in Brittany.

Izenah Croisières runs ferries to Île d’Arz from Port Blanc (in the commune of Baden, about 15 kilometers south of Auray). There is plenty of free parking at Port Blanc, but if you do not have a car, there is bus service from Auray and from Vannes (which both have TGV stations). From April to September, you can choose among options including a direct round-trip 20-minute ferry that leaves you on Île d’Arz for either 3 or 7 hours, a visit to the island that includes a 2-hour tour of the Gulf by boat before or after, and a visit to both L’Île d’Arz and Île-aux-Moines in one day. Time permitting, I would recommend a full day on each island, so you can walk the full perimeter of each island and also enjoy the beaches and one of the local restaurants or cafés.

For a longer hike (3-4 days) and that does not require a car, combine a visit to L’Île d’Arz and/or Île-aux-Moines with a hike on the GR 34 (see my post on hiking from Auray to Vannes).

 

└ Tags: , , ,
 Comment