day 10 So many good things today!

Starting off with a light continental breakfast, croissant, yoghurt with cereal apple juice and those tiny coffees..... (Must say I'm missing a mug of coffee!).... And my vaguely planned day of wandering starts meandering through the tiny twisting back roads and broader thoroughfares with the expected stunning architecture I bumble into and under the Grosse Cloche, which was also prison! 

Tho I didn't see that as I walked through just happy to admire the beauty around me! 

One having a little poke at the British was the victor Hugo car park of all things! With a British racing green Jag bursting out of one of its levels! 😂

My first target was the museum of Aquitaine! But that was another under renovation..... The French are really building up for the new season wherever I go!.

Instead I head towards the Cathedral Saint Andre de Bordeaux with it's detached tower, presumably the cathedral was rebuilt after the war and the tower is original? 

the first thing you see on entry is a huge wooden cross with a multitude of bronze burning heart mounts hammered into it tho they look far too much like strawberries!

one thing I've really enjoyed with french cathedrals is the colour! British ones lack the vibrance

although ours are more likely to be the originals compared to war damaged France 🫤, tho I can't fault what they've rebuilt the towering vaulted ceilings being as good as any I've seen! 

Next I found my way to the local Auchan supermarket to load up for tomorrow's journey! And to find my fourth set of Bluetooth headphones this trip!!! Must stop losing individual buds!! These new ones are wired together.... Hopefully idiot proof!

Out the Auchan and across the road is the Musee de l'illusion! Not a big place but a fun visit for kids big and small! 

And their minions......

this place is a really nice and light hearted until you enter the vortex tunnel! Where You're in a rotating tube with a spiral pattern one step in and your balance is shot! Staggering drunks do a better job of staying upright, fascinating exhibit even though it makes you feel a bit sick! 

I decide next to chill out by the Garonne river walking through the Place de Quinconces a place of fountain(in the summer) and currently what looks like a circus, leaving the place de Quinconces by it's riverside entrance with two towing needles,almost Islamic looking! 

Its obvious that this entire area was once Docklands although any sign of warehousing is long gone! 

I take a seat in the now warmish sun and just soak everything in, opening a muslie bar to feed the pigeons and sparrows I just sat there observing life around me conversations being somewhat limited😄!

Then something that never happens in the UK occurred, a young woman (20 it turned out) came over and started chatting! In the UK they would just ignore you which is fine but this lass went out of her way to just be nice! And we sat and talked for a good hour! I can't say how refreshing this was to me! And apparently to her to (?) as we exchanged selfies and hugged as we parted company! ..... Anuka was her name! 

Where Paris was the city that smiles back Bordeaux is the city that talks to you! 

Quite touched by this encounter I carry on my wandering pretty much in a circle it turned out as I reemerge on the other side of the square from where I was chatting to Anuka right next to a metal detecting shop! One of only 11 in France! What are the odds!! 

i couldn't pass this by so I poked my head in and got talking(ISH) with Laurent the owner, not only does he sell machines he sells finds!! He even showed me an extremely rare gold stater that was worth about £8000 euros due to its rarity! 

Looking at his tray of Celtic coins on display from silver and bronze units he also has potins another copper alloy type Celtic coin which I'm not likely to find UK equivalents unless I detect in Kent... So I sold off the equivalent of one days travel to purchase this coin of the Sennon tribe...

Quite frankly the perfect item to carry around the world! 😄

Today's travels have shown me a few British pubs- The Sherlock Holmes, The Charles Dickens a Peaky Blinders themed pub and also some shops named in 'interesting' English! 

take a duck trip? 

And.....

well say no more!! 😄

day8 + day9

Day 8 well that was a rainy day in Nantes! And as I was knackered from all the wandering I decided to just chill out and catch up on my sleep! 

Day 9

A late start as I don't have much to do before the midday train, I wander into Nantes to have a look at the Chateau a sturdy Edifice with expected french elegance of the buildings within! Beautiful place 

From outside a statue of Anne duchess of Bretagne looks on, she went on to be queen of France marrying Charles the 8th

french elegance again!

Back within the walls I walk past the chateaux well! No half measures here either! With four pully's, ornate bronze work and oddly four gargoyles presumably to prevent water spilling onto those drawing it! 

Out of the castle and a quick stop in the Carrefour for snacks on the train and I head out of Nantes...... In time for the sun to break through!

Travelling along and as seemed the norm here the closer you got to the sea the better the weather, so occasionally I did enjoy a little heat!

Hopefully a bit more soon!

Four hours in and the train is getting close to Bordeaux as is evident by the quantity of vinyards we pass!

Over the river Garonne and we pull up at Gare St Jean (station) leaving me a 10 minute tram or 30 minute walk to the hostel, I always opt for the walk it gives a much better feel for the town/city that your in! 

And Bordeaux is bustling! 

Plenty of beggars a sad sight, but not something I can help, on this adventure every cent/penny or whatever currency I find is going to get me further, currently I'm getting through about £90 a day including travel food hostels and entry to museums etc! 

Which actually could be cheaper than my estimated costs for the trip around! We'll see! 

Into the city I reach a square with it's own arch like a small arc de triumph this one being called the portal of Aquitaine. 

I walk through this arch and on down the Rue st Catherine lined with shops and restaurants and with red Chinese lanterns strung all the way along this eventually brings me to Place saint ProJet where the hostel is

 Nice! 

My current room mates are Silvie (french) Anna (German) and Ralph(from Lincolnshire!)

day 7 Big Men hir!

What a way to start the day! 

After a brilliant night with the chaps in 21 I'm up ridiculously early to walk across town to the railway, thinking I'd keep quiet to not wake my dorm mates up I soon found out I needn't have bothered as with my kit packed and a flask of tea Benjamin and Ronan were both seeing me off at the front door! 

Amazing chaps!! 

My path through town was dark and misty and the minimal street lighting just made the whole walk massively atmospheric! 

i made it to the station with 15 minutes to go, having marched through town in 25 minutes not bad with 14kg on my back .

Train arrived promptly as they always seem to in France and I was soon in Auray and with a morning head on I was walking across town to a bus stop..... Not realising that rather obviously there was one outside the station! 🙄

Getting to the bus stop I hadn't thought to bring change for the trip, pretty much everything I've bought has been contactless through my phone! , the look on the ladies face when I pulled out a 50 euro note was hilarious!!! I couldn't find my other euros and a lovely old lady paid for my ticket! Such a star! 

Once I'd dropped my pack I found my cash and soon paid her kindness back 😊.

It's a nice route to Carnac following the coastal road and actually seeing the sea for the first since last year! 

Odd to think I've crossed the channel without seeing it!..... Another thing I hadn't seen since I got here was the sun! And finally it poked through the clouds! 

very welcome sight 😎 into Carnac and round to my bus stop at Illertisen gave me a short walk to the Carnac stones or the Carnac alignments as the French refer to them, I didn't bother buying a ticket to get in I just walked around the external track until I found a few of the ticket only gates were open! Thank you very much! 

there are thousands of stones in lines here I've no idea what purpose they served! Religious processions perhaps? They are in various groups here perhaps stones have been removed in the past? 

certainly for the occasional house at the furthest distance from the entrance is the Manio Giant menhir! 

Obelix from Astrix the Gaul eat your heart out! 

Having satisfied my desired for the Carnac stones I plotted an alternative route back to a suburb of Carnac called Beaumer, walking along footpaths and trails I came into the outskirts and passed a Dolmen!! (Neolithic Burial)

 people seem to be leaving offerings under the cap stone! 

My timing was nearly perfect I got to the bus stop not much more than ten minutes before the bus arrived at this point I made an ass of myself I murdered the French language trying to explain where I wanted to go! The looks of disgust on the other passengers faces was hilarious! You've gotta fail in style! 

Not that in practice I did as the bus driver filtered out from the drivel I was uttering exactly where I wanted to go! 👏👏👏

Catching an early train from Gare du Auray put me on my first double decker train! 

pretty sure we don't have any in the UK!?!

Had a two hour wait at Redon to catch the next train into Nants and a quick walk to the hostel.... Ending a successful day now for a day off travelling at Nantes! 

day 6 Keeping warm!

Today is a day to make up distance so that I can visit a particular place tomorrow! 

So not likely to be a long blog tonight!

Away from Caen early this morning missing breakfast again, train down to Le man then across to Rennes. 

Out the train and walking towards town I head through the Parc du Thabor one of the best town botanical parks in France at some  point not that it's likely to be at it's best in winter but I just found it bizarre!

presumably it's being set up for a night time display as these weird plastic animals were everywhere!

then there's the questionable statues....... 

 Ooh la la? 

Out of the park and into the old town and it's my kind of place beautiful old houses that are trying their best to fall down! 

But Rennes is full of them! The the statue is of mayor leperdit from 1793..... Probably did something.... 😄

One thing I've found in Brittany (Bretagne- couldn't that sound like Britannia!) is a lot of British flags and in this town a British themed sweet shop and a British Tea room! 

I suppose it has to happen but not something I considered!. Nice 😊

Temperature today is darn low so I've not spent too long wandering, by three ish I was at the hostel which I can describe as resembling a British youth hostel. but it's cheap and it's clean two other chaps in the dorm so far all about my age +- 10 years. 

They make dinner from 8pm so I've been making coffee on my stove probably not allowed but they won't know ....

All good as ever! 

Addition! 

Still not had dinner but been sitting in the dorm with two french men and a Catalan, We've been laughing discussing everything under the sun! Brilliant fun ... A great end to the day!

Benjamin, Ronan, Paul and the ugly one on the end!

day 5 one in the eye for planning!

Up early and dodging breakfast to get to the railway station I can't find which platform is the right one for Bayeux! My old go to app for trains in the UK told me everything! Brilliant! Straight into the train and a quick check on the Bayeux tapestry museum just to realise that it doesn't open until February!!!! Major planning fail! 

Hence the appropriately cheesy title for today! 🏹 For which I won't apologize! 😄

I decide to wander, something I'm good at, at least!

There's a river and port here so I wander the port to find a Sunday market is open! 

There's a pleasure in being almost mute in a crowd like this, I guess you just focus on looking rather than looking and listening, certainly meditative! 

Inevitably food draws me out and I purchase some Nutella crepes then some French sausage for the road (it won't go off).

up what I assume is the main road dodging trams cycles and cars I get to William the conquerors chateau an impressive lump of what appears to be limestone! I would have thought to soft for a castle?

inside the place is a building site! But no health and safety rubbish here your still free to wander around the majority of the place including the walls giving a good look over caens roof tops!

Heading out from my castle wander I meet an old chap turns out he's an Anglophile! With a good understanding of English! We got chatting and he shows me around the back of the closed cafe/ information building to look at a statue installation! Currently being erected it was built by a now dead Chinese man! It's called the 'malediction of the animals'

he told me the story of two of these.....

if multiple people dream of this one there will be a flood! 

....

and if multiple people dream of this cow/man there will be a tsunami!!

The artist also has an installation in the Loire river that's only visible when at low tide....a 150 meter long serpent!!!

Back to reality of the day and I'm wandering the streets in the old quarter (a small quarter since the city was largely levelled during ww2!)

What there is is nice tho! 

Blindly wandering on I enter the Abby St Etienne, with few lights inside and the smoky pall of incense from an earlier service I wander in hushed appreciation.... 

tho completely missing for a while the centerpiece of the Abby..... William the conquerors tomb!!!

Glad my wanderings found this! Completely makes up for missing the Bayeux tapestry! 

from here I wander indirectly back towards the hostel passing the cleanup crew clearing the remnants of the market and back around the docks, a quick clean up of myself and clothes

and I go to the bar for another one of their incredible pizzas and a pint

Sitting on the next table is another Brit! (Byron) We get chatting and he's also travelling he's looking at 18months for his trip at estimated expense of 30k..... Well that bodes well for my own expectations of cost! 

Off to sleep and prepare for another day!.

day 4 Caen do!

Today I moved on from Paris or as I like to think of it the city that smiles back... Londoners could learn a bit from Parisians! 

The usual continental breakfast down and a quick stop in the hostels bar toilets..... Best urinals I've ever seen! 😁

and I'm off to Laumier metro for the last time! 

Sitting next to a Mother of two young kids it struck me that even the smallest of them can speak better French than me! Hilarious that I've managed to deal with or be dealt with by everyone I've met/spoken to! 

I may lean French when/if I get home..... I may say the same about the language of every country I travel through! Who knows it could be a new hobby lol! 

I learned a few other things today if someone is trying to help randomly be vigilant! I was at the bus station at Bercy Seine and couldn't see where my bus was leaving from, a chap comes over to 'help' out and takes me to a bus he said was the one I needed, then starts the patter for getting money out of me .... Which I didn't have any intention of giving him, I thought I'd be nice about it and give him 2 euros the only change I had he asked for more.... So I shut him down saying I had no more cash, I did of course but I'm not admitting that! 

Safe to say he stormed off away from me and the wrong bus! 

Never look confused/lost it leaves you vulnerable!

Looking up at the display my bus was now visible and easy to locate thankfully! 

So on I got and left my pack in the bus cargo hold, the trip was pretty enough tho still under grey clouds, I've yet to see the sun in France!. After the bus trip ended at Caen I saw some of the straps on my pack had been undone, as hoped the kit I keep in my main pack is of low resalable value, tho priceless to me!

Whoever looked through didn't want any of it! 

Seems this is the right way of dealing with at least this thief! 

Initial impressions of Caen are pretty tired commercial/suburban, but I didn't spend much time looking, straight to my nights lodging at 'the Peoples hostel' very new very nice! Check in and store my gear (after checking it!) and go to the bar with a pint and time on my hands I plan my next few days travel..... Visiting Bayeux tomorrow and the trip to Carnac from Caen which is particularly awkward to plan with various bus sections and options to go straight to towns local to Carnac causing greater problems than first impressions would have you thinking! I finally decided to leave Caen a little later on monday and stop at another town sooner into that journey, I'll not say which until I've visited that to keep the blog fresh!.

They have a really nice pizza restaurant at the hostel bar freshly hand made pizzas by an Italian family.... I think the best pizza I've ever eaten! 

Up to my dorm and using the hilarious 'Shindlers lift' you couldn't make it up!!---- with it's aid I did make it up! 😁

and I'm settled down for a night's kip.