Breton Coast Briefing(2)

Transcription

Weekend Blueprint
Hotel Plage
(Breton Coast)
Contents
Finistère—Westernmost Brittany…
04
A personal view, by Andrew B. Flint
Highlights
07
Weekend itinerary showcasing what makes this hideaway so magical...
Hotel pick
10
Take your break in style, tranquillity and comfort
Practical details
11
Planning, travel, maps etc.
Location
France
Style
Hideaway
Setting
Beach, Rural
Energy
Relaxing
When to go
Spring, Summer, Autumn
Paris
Top: Hôtel de la Plage
Front cover: Ste. Anne-la-Palud beach, Rear cover: Baie de Douarnenez from le Sentier des Douaniers.
HOTEL PLAGE W/E BRIEFING - PUB JAN 07
2
WWW.WEEKENDBLUEPRINT.COM
Clockwise from top: Baie de Douarnenez; Place de l’Eglise,
Locronan; Baie de Trépassés; knight’s tomb, Quimper.
3
Finistère - West Brittany
...a personal view, by Andrew B. Flint
Western Brittany is France with an enjoyably Celtic twist. It has long been deservedly popular as a zingingly fresh summer holiday destination. New links make it more accessible for a weekend too.
A
r-Mor, “Land of the
Sea”, is the poetic
name the Celts gave to
their western fastness.
To the early French,
however, the furthermost reaches of their great Atlantic peninsula were known more forbiddingly as
Finistère, the “End of Land”.
Celtic outpost
Brittany has always been the least French
of France’s mainland provinces, an observation that remains valid to this day.
For most of its history, the French have
been outsiders here, if not downright
invaders, in what has remained a stub-
bornly Celtic land.
Drive down any country road and
chances are when you reach a junction,
the French version of the bilingual signpost will have been removed or defaced.
Over the centuries hostilities have
cooled, of course; but less than you might
think. In 1987 the French government
invited the SAS over to put down a simulated Breton revolt.
These days, though, Brittany chooses
to celebrate its distinctiveness mainly
through the cultural richness of its Celtic
roots. Aside from language and literature,
dance and music are enjoying a revival especially at summer festivals, the biggest
4
of which attract performers across the
Celtic fringe, from as far as Scotland’s
Hebrides and Galicia in Spain.
Cornish roots
Closest of the other Celtic territories is
Cornwall, just across the Channel, and
the Cornish peninsula was once used
extensively as a staging post by waves of
immigrants and missionaries who repopulated “Lesser Britain” following the
Roman collapse.
For several centuries it remained easier
to cross the narrow seas to kith and kin
back home on the British mainland, than
to venture east inland through the trackless forestsand moors. But, in time, the
immigrants did found two petty kingdoms of their own – Lyonesse in the
north and Cornouaille further south;
names that still echo through the Arthurian legends, where they were presented
as fey and ill-omened lands of magic and
sorcery.
Whispers of the south
The truth is much more benign. Cornouaille (as Brittany’s south-west tip is
still known), is a kinder, gentler place
than its namesake across the Channel,
but otherwise has much in common.
It shares a countryside of small fields
and narrow valleys running down to little
harbours with intractable, alien-sounding
names. It has windswept capes, sheer
cliffs and jagged, treacherous reefs. It
endures winter storms wild enough to
swamp whole islands. It offers clean,
rainwashed air and pellucid skies. Above
all, it is bounded on three sides by the
“The French government invited
the SAS over to
put down a simulated Breton revolt”
tireless sea—adding a salty tang to the
land and its people even when out of
sight. But compared to its English namesake, Cornouaille also has more warm
days that whisper of the south, soft dewy
woodlands lapped by still backwaters,
fields of exotica such as chicory and arti-
choke, and showy swallowtail butterflies
fluttering in the breeze.
And a taste of France
On top of this, alongside Breton pride,
comes an unmistakably Gallic approach
to the business of living well. Markets are
stocked full of charcuterie, fresh regional
produce, and sweet local shellfish –
widely regarded as the finest in France.
Each morning boulangeries bake their own
baguettes and housewives queue to catch
them still warm. Bars are open from
breakfast onwards for croissants and
warming hot chocolate, and the typical
neighbourhood brasserie bears no comparison to its British counterpart (and is
much less threatened than in more metropolitan areas of France). Even the cliché beret is alive and well.
Easy weekending
Brittany has long been popular as a fashion-proof and attractive summer holiday
Douarnenez harbour at dusk
5
“A gem of a beach
hotel idyllically
tucked into the sheltered corner of a
sandy bay”
Beachside bliss
Wide-open to the ocean and a winning
mix of Celt and Gaul, western Brittany
offers reason enough to travel. But the
icing on the cake is a gem of a beach
hotel idyllically tucked right into the sheltered corner of a sandy bay facing the
open Atlantic and stretching along the
coast seemingly to infinity. Standing in
glorious isolation, it is a perfect place for
an escape and an ideal base for a deeply
restful and hugely relaxing weekend.
© A.B. Flint.
destination, offering huge helpings of
restorative fresh air, deep blue sea and
golden sand. Until recently though, relatively lengthy sea crossings have restricted short break visits to within an
easy drive of the eastern Channel coasts.
However improved air services to Brest
from London Luton and several regional
airports (and to Lorient from Ireland),
have opened up the exciting prospect of
weekending further west, in Finistère, as
a realistic option.
6
Top, rue Kéréon, Quimper. Bottom Bedroom
view, Hôtel de la Plage..
Creek, Ste. Anne-la-Palud beach
Highlights
& weekend itinerary recommendation
This weekend is all about escape. Simply stay put in an utterly relaxing oceanside hideaway; or combine with visits to Quimper – the capital of Cornouaille, Brittany’s most Celtic corner or rugged Point du
Raz—France’s own dramatic Land’s End.
Outline Itinerary—London departures
Saturday
Lunchtime flight to Brest. Drive to hotel (approx. 45 mins) and relax.
Sunday &
Monday
Simply enjoy the unspoilt beauty of Ste. Anne-la-Palud Plage from your hotel base, or
make one or more expeditions to explore your environs. The showcase village of
Locronan is a mere ten minutes by car; enchanting Quimper is only a little further. For
a full day, combine Quimper with the scenery of Pointe du Raz and perhaps salty
Douarnenez on the return.
Tuesday
Afternoon flight home from Brest.
Regional and Irish
Birmingham
Fly to Brest Friday morning, return Monday lunchtime.
Exeter
Fly to Brest Friday lunchtime, return Monday afternoon.
Manchester
Fly to Brest Saturday morning, return Tuesday lunchtime.
Southampton
Fly to Brest Thursday morning, return Sunday afternoon.
Galway
Fly to Lorient Saturday morning and drive to hotel (approx. 45 mins). Return Tuesday
afternoon.
Waterford
Fly to Lorient Saturday lunchtime, return Tuesday morning.
7
Highlights
1
Hôtel de la Plage
Perfectly positioned facing directly
out over the vast Baie de Douarnenez,
this idyllic Relais et Chateaux hideaway stands in glorious isolation on
the edge of a boundless sandy beach.
On one side high dunes merge into
quiet meadows, on the other a secluded wooded creek lends shelter
from the wind.
2
Ste. Anne Plage
Wild and untamed, Ste Anne-la-Palud Plage runs
pristine between gorse-clad rocky headlands for
almost two km of unbroken sand . Despite its fabulous expanse and good, if bracing, summer swimming, the beach's immediate surroundings remain
deeply rustic: high dunes of marram grass backed
by rich green meadows and a few scattered pines.
Development is limited to the Hotel de la Plage at
one end, and, at the other, a small campsite with
simple beach restaurant serving fresh Douarnenezlanded shellfish.
.
8
Highlights
3
Locronan
One of the most attractive villages in
Brittany, Locronan is a once-thriving
community that withered. The ensemble of mellow old houses, inns and
religious buildings that remains is
exceptionally harmonious with everything scrupulously preserved.
Locronan’s centre is the large cobbled Place de l’Eglise. Three sides
are lined with solid granite medieval
townhouses rich in finely executed
detail. The fourth is dominated by the
15th century Church of St. Ronan,
built with grandeur to rival a cathedral.
4
Quimper
Capital of Finistère, Quimper is one
of France’s most appealing little cities.
Not a place of great sights or museums, it charms through the haphazard
way in which the streets and squares
of its half-timbered medieval centre
have grown up over the years.
Quimper’s natural heart is Place
St. Corentin beside the twin-spired
Gothic Cathedral. Equally rewarding
is to explore some of narrower side
streets and minor squares (especially
around Place au Beurre), where
quirkier shops and cafés predominate.
Make time also for Les Halles, the
light and airy covered market that sells
top-class local produce.
5
Pointe du Raz
The westernmost point of the French mainland is suitably
wild and windswept, with high granite cliffs and heathery
moorland. To the north, the sandy arc of the Baie de Trépassés (poetically-named for the souls of the dead) curves
round to the equally rugged Pointe du Van. Straight out to
sea, a line a jagged rocks guides the eye to the exposed Île de
Sein and its tiny fishing village. Excellent walking trails of
various length lead round the headland and along the clifftops.
9
Hotel pick
where to stay in style and comfort
A.B. Flint hideaway choice
Hôtel de la Plage (Expensive; 26 rms, 4
suites.) A superb seaside Relais & Chateaux hotel in a glorious and isolated
beachside location. Sublime setting, understated elegance, and well-judged comfort come together to make this one of
my favourite places to stay.
The hotel makes the most of its glorious situation with big picture windows
giving sweeping views across the sands to
the sea. Colours change constantly with
the light.
The relaxed seaside mood of the place
masks considerable luxury. Things are
done properly and materials are of the
best. Décor is light and understated, sensibly content to play a supporting role to
the extravagant views outside. Mood is
confidently comfortable, but not at all
showy—this is a place where, despite the
meticulous housekeeping, you quickly
think of and treat as ‘home’. The panoramic lounge bar is deliberately a notch
more basic, with a satisfyingly unvarnished feel that blurs the distinction between indoors and out—amplified in fine
weather when pre-prandial drinks are
taken on the beachfront lawn.
Service is engaged and friendly, yet
totally correct in the classic French manner. Good English is spoken on the front
desk and the hotel has been in the same
family for over 75 years. Less positively,
there can be problems with waiting times
at breakfast and staffing in the bar. Nevertheless, the mix of well-heeled (and
immaculately behaved) French families
and sprinkling of British, Dutch and German guests tend to take minor hiccups in
their stride.
Sea-facing rooms can be a little on the
small side but are worth paying extra for
to enjoy the superlative beach views. All
rooms are individually furnished in a light
and elegant classic French style gently
influenced by the proximity of the ocean.
Clockwise from top: Hôtel de la Plage faces the
beach across a narrow lawn, very private heated
outdoor pool, typical sea-facing room.
with a peppering of more specifically
Breton dishes.
Facilities: Restaurant, panoramic lounge
bar, room service, heated open-air swimming pool, sun terrace, tennis court,
games pavilion, direct beach access, coast
walks, watersports, fishing, riding, free
onsite parking.
Room recommendation: Sea-facing
room—the view’s definitely worth it.
Annual closure: November—March.
Hôtel de la Plage, Sainte-Anne-La-Palud, 29550
FR, France.
Booking—see www.WeekendBlueprint.com
The hotel’s restaurant is a major draw
in its own right, offering highly refined
dining at an elevated level of sophistication directly overlooking the beach. (If
the clouds keep away, dinner at sunset is
sublime.) Douarnenez-sourced seafood—
lobster especially—predominates on a
menu of precisely judged French classics,
10
Approaching la Pointe de Tréfeuntec
Weekend planning
Planning checklist
Weekend basics
Break length
Off work
Travel (London)
3 nights
2 days
1 hr 10 mins plane + 45 mins car
Time zone
Currency
Paperwork
UK+1
Euro (£1 = €1.47 approx.)
Passport (UK & Irish citizens)
Price
From £315 per person. To price your
own trip see www.WeekendBlueprint.com.
Before departure you will need to arrange...
• Flights (Sat out, Tues back)
• Hotel (3 nights)
• Car Hire (3 days)
To check prices and build your own weekend, see
www.WeekendBlueprint.com.
When to go
Heathrow, Luton, Birmingham, Exeter, Manchester, Southampton, Galway, Waterford
Departures
5
0
20
Max/Min
Temp. °C
10
0
4
Books & maps
Rain
Inches
0
Recd. Guide
Brittany, Cadogan Guide
Recd. Map
Finistère-Morbihan, Michelin Local Map
Sunshine
R
Hours/day
12
6
0
J F M A M J
J A S O N D
Weekend Read Asterix le Gaulois, Hachette
11
Travel choices
To check current best prices and book, see www.WeekendBlueprint.com
London departures
Galway. AerArann to Lorient 3 x weekly on Tues, Thurs and
Sat (not winter). Carbon Offset: 200 kg of CO2, cost from
£1.48 pp (www.carbonneutral.com).
Ryanair flies Luton to Brest 3 x weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (not winter).
Alternatively, Air France offers multiple through-booked
flights daily from Heathrow or London City connecting
through Paris, with total travel time to Brest of 4-5 hours. A
further option is to fly from Southampton Airport (see below).
Southampton Airport station is served by regular direct rail
services from Waterloo (journey time 1 hr approx).
Waterford. AerArann to Lorient up to 3 x weekly on Tues,
Thurs and Sat (not winter). Carbon Offset: 100 kg of CO2,
cost from £0.74 pp (www.carbonneutral.com).
On arrival
Car Hire. All the main agencies have desks at Brest Airport.
Carbon Offset: Luton-Brest—200 kg of CO2, cost from
£1.48 pp; Heathrow-Brest via Paris—300 kg of CO2, cost
from £2.22 pp (www.carbonneutral.com).
Public Transport. Public transport is very difficult given the
rural location—car hire is a virtual necessity.
London flight recommendations
LTN = Luton, LHR = Heathrow
Outbound to Brest (Sat)
Ryanair
FR3676
Air France
AF1371/7738
(1) change planes Paris CDG
Return from Brest (Tues)
Ryanair
Air France
(2) change
FR3677
AF7739/1970
From
LTN
LHR (2)
Dept Arr.
13:40 15:50
11:15 17:10(1)
To
LTN
LHR (2)
Dept Arr.
15:45 15:55
13:45 16:10(2)
planes Paris CDG
Regional & Irish options
Birmingham. Flybe to Brest 4 x weekly on Mon, Wed, Fri
and Sun (reduced service winter). Carbon Offset: 100 kg of
CO2, cost from £0.74 pp (www.carbonneutral.com).
Exeter. Flybe to Brest 4 x weekly on Mon, Wed, Fri and Sun
(reduced service winter). Carbon Offset: 100 kg of CO2, cost
from £0.74 pp (www.carbonneutral.com).
Manchester. Flybe to Brest 3 x weekly on Tues, Thurs and
Sun (not winter). Carbon Offset: 200 kg of CO2, cost from
£01.48 pp (www.carbonneutral.com).
Southampton. Flybe to Brest up to 4 x weekly on Tues,
Thurs, Sat and Sun (reduced service winter). Carbon Offset:
100 kg of CO2, cost from £0.74 pp (www.carbonneutral.com).
12
Maps
Finistère
© AB Flint
Roscoff
Morlaix
Ile d’Ouessant
(Ushant)
N12
N12
Brest
N165
384m ●
M o n t a g n e s
d’ A r r é e
Rade
de Brest
I r o i s e
Carhaix-P.
Crozon
Peninsula
Baie de
Douarnenez
Hôtel de la Plage
Douarnenez
Ile de
Sein
Pointe
du Raz
Menez Hom
● 330m
Châteaulin
Plonevez-P.
326m ●
Locronan
Audierne
Quimper
Baie
d’ A u d i e r n e
N
Concarneau
50 km
Bénodet
Penmarc’h
13
N165
To Lorient
(15 km)
P
Hôtel Plage
(25 km)
© AB Flint
Rue
de
Ke
rfe
u
nte
Quimper
Historic Centre
un
Maps
P
A
Ru e
de
Do
ron
Rue
Elle F
ré
2
J
Ker
ys
F
T
G
K
S
H
Ru e
Kér
Q
Am
P
l
ira
rc
na
Ro
W
C
Rue Luzel
Ru e
P
B
L
6
4
M
Rue Réquaires
5
Bd. Amiral Kerguèlen
N
O
st
3
D
R
Brest
(72 km)
Rue des Bre
E
éon
s
ve
ou
de
sD
de
z
ne
Rue
e
Ru
rne
ua
1
Odet
’h
arc
du P
Rue
Bd. Dupleix
uP
ed
Ru
U
Rue Jean Jaurés
i
ala
V
s
7
O
i
ua
Q
de
de
l’O
t
lé
Al
es
cm
Lo
8
t
de
ia
ar
8
N
9
200 m
Quimper - Key
Eat & Drink
1. L’Ambroisie
2. Crêperie Place au Beurre
3. Les Cariatides
6. Les Halles market
9. Fleur de Sel
See & Do
4. Cathedral
5. Bishop’s Palace (Musée)
7. Tourist Office
8. Mont Frugy
Streets & Squares
A Place de la Tourbie
B Rue Verdelet
C Rue de la Mairie
D Place St. Corentin
E Rue du Guéodet
F Place au Beurre
G Rue du Sallé
H Rue des Boucheries
J Rue de Kergariou
K Rue des Gentilshommes
L Place au Beurre
M Rue du Roi Gradlon
N Rue St. Francois
14
O Quai du Steir
P Rue Rene Madec
Q Place Terre au Duc
R Rue St. Mathieu
S Rue Chapeau-Rouge
T Rue St. Marc
U Rue Ste-Catherine
V Place de la Résistance
W Place de la Tout D’Auvergne
Miscellanea
Weekend Blueprint?
Who is A.B. Flint?
Weekend Blueprint is a small and enthusiastic business designing boutique, ready-planned weekends for travellers to book
for themselves using leading online travel agencies and other
best-value suppliers. The service saves time and money, and
offers a growing range of extraordinary short break experiences.
Searching out the Ark of the Covenant on the dusty plains of
Ethiopia, waking to the jungle sun rising over the Chocolate
Hills of Bohol, crunching over the bones of the lost Saharan
city of Kellis, kayaking with the bottlenose dolphins of Fiordland’s Doubtful Sound, cycling to the Jade Dragon Snow
Mountain on the borders of Tibet, or simply camping on the
sands of Britain’s remotest beach – champagne chilling in the
burn, driftwood fire crackling into the night, in 25 years and
more of travel Andrew Flint has explored his way through
over 80 countries on six continents.
Some of his more memorable past adventures include being held at gunpoint while shimmying along a pipe into President Ceausescu’s Transylvanian mansion, talking his way out
of a Panamanian jail hours before the US invasion, being
smuggled past the KGB in the footwell of a Lada, and spending three days holed up with Iranian Revolutionary Guards
after choosing the same morning as the Israeli army for a
drive into Beirut. These days, however, his journeys tend to
be more comfortable - thankfully.
Andrew Flint is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and speaks French, Spanish, German and Russian.
Hotel prices
Indicative prices per double room. (Based on standard room
unless our recommendation is for a specific alternative.)
Budget Below £60
Modest £60—£100
Mid Price £100—£140
Expensive £140—£200
Premium £200 +
Weekend Styles
Credo
Activity. Get out there and get involved. No prior experience required.
Discovery. Rekindle the explorer in you - culture, history,
natural wonders and pure travel.
Getaway. Leave the washing-up behind and grab an easygoing change of scenery away from home.
Hideaway. Magical places to stay. Shut out the world and
recharge mind, body and soul.
I believe passionately in the value of travel as part of a fulfilling life. It refreshes, excites, broadens horizons, and provides
much needed personal space. Within your crowded agenda,
Weekend Blueprint’s role is to give you the inspiration and
practical support to go experience for yourself.
Andrew Flint
Liked this, why not try...
15
A.B. FLINT
TRAVEL
DESIGN
SHORT BREAKS FOR INDEPENDENT TRAVELLERS

Breton Coast Briefing(2)

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