As an architecture and history obsessive, I often discuss with my students their favorite Dublin visits and “sights”. The great medieval Cathedral of Saint Patrick’s came up in class conversation the other day. I was a little mystified, not to say horrified, when one of my students shrugged her shoulders, and said it was “so-so” ! … Read More Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, my favourite place in the world.
I bid adieu, or rather au revoir to White Morning, our home these last eight days. It’s a windy grey morning near the harbour. The France and Breton flag snap and flap madly in the wind. To say goodbye to Concarneau, our base the last 4 days, I pay a quick farewell visit to this… Read More Goodbye to Concarneau, hello Nantes and home.
The day after Carnac, Mike and I drop Lindsey off at the train station to make her way home. It’s a sad moment, the Fellowship of the Mast is coming to an end. Later the same afternoon Mike and I take our rental car to visit Pont Aven. This pretty little town was made… Read More Pont Aven Washout & the Cathedral and the Bridges of Quimper.
We pay a trip to the extraordinary site of Carnac. The fields for miles around are dotted with Neolithic stones, placed in mysterious alignments of up to 1.3 kilometers (roughly a mile). Constructed 3,500-4,5000 BC, some 6 thousand years ago, they are an amazing sight. There are also dolmens like this one. The cap stone weighs 30-40 tonnes.… Read More Carnac and around
Another days sailing done. Having survived a mix of weathers, a run-in with a spiteful tug boat and long day’s sail, we find ourselves coming into view of our next stop: Concarneau. Passing the first harbor walls, it is a beautiful evening. Even from sea, the place looks amazing. In fact, arriving by sea is… Read More Sailing Brittany part VII- Audierne to Concarneau.
a- Getting there. Dave, alas, has departed back home, to England, and work. Our crew is a man down. But we few remaining sailors, just three now, must press on, to our next destination. That destination, our new target, is Audierne. A new chapter awaits. We sail out fairly early to catch the tide, passing… Read More Sailing Brittany part VII- Cameret to Audierne.
Having survived the beautiful weather; low winds; our horsing around at sea and- for me personally- about two hours in the sea, acting as dummy in the safety drill for Mike’s new Man-over-Board procedure, (and deservedly winning my two Oscars in the process) we finally arrive at Cameret-sur-Mer. It has been a good day’s sailing. The… Read More Sailing Brittany VI: the Fellowship of the White Mast.
We leave L’Aberwrach early the next morning, for what Mike described, in his pre-trip internet briefing notes, as a “5-hour flume ride through the Chenal de Four”, (whatever that means) Not to be confused with tomorrow’s, much scarier-sounding “10-hour slog through the Rez de Seine”. The weather off the rugged Atlantic coast of… Read More Part V- Sailing L’Aberwrach to Cabernet-sur-Mer… Man overboard!
The Channel crossing over, sailing from Plymouth, a naval town in SW England over to Brittany, was long, cold, and grim, shrouded in fog and darkness. Most of our time through the night is spent scanning the radar, anxious to avoid a collision with one of the many massive tankers cruising through the dark. Even… Read More France at last, Dublin to Concarneau, part iv, L’Aberwrach.
Or, from this… to this… to this… Plymouth, day iii (my trip) first full day on boat. We will leave today, when Mike’s pal Dave arrives on his train from Manchester, and soon as the afternoon tide allows. We grab a quick bite in town and then have another, more serious, tour of the boat. … Read More part iii Sailing Brittany, from Plymouth to l’Aberwach.
Arran Q Henderson 