Quimper, Days 1 & 2

At the top left, you can see Jean-Jacques charging off to find us a haircutter

Yesterday we left Quimper to explore the coast and we drove to Point du Raz (we simply drove around the parking lot because we refused to pay six euro to stare at the Atlantic), Douarnenez, and through some other towns. We ate a picnic of bread, cheese, and sausage on a beautiful sandy beach and returned to the room a little early because I wasn’t feeling my best. Unfortunately, the room hadn’t been cleaned yet, so we had to visit a bio (organic) store and have a beverage at a cute coffee/tea shop before it was ready again.


Today I woke up feeling much better, so we took a bus into Quimper, window shopped, ate a savory crêpe for lunch, and wandered around the city before walking back to our hotel. 


Along the way home, we stopped by a fascinating, but eerie, church that had been constructed in the ninth century; in the stone we could see marks that looked like bullet holes, so that added to the somber atmosphere. (We saw a statue in the middle of the town commemorating the liberation of Quimper in 1944, so it's possible that a battle was fought close to the church.)

A slightly less touristy part of Quimper

The trip “home” was surprisingly pleasant because we walked through some beautiful gardens and nature preserves. We even passed by a former German prisoner of war compound, which was located in the middle of a dark forest, so it was rather gloomy. Part of the historical area has now been converted to a golf course, so I guess it’s a good use of the space.


Tomorrow it’s off to Orval, which is where we’re going to spend the next three weeks in a converted stable that we rented back in January. I’ve certainly enjoyed our touring thus far, but I will also be happy to have a home base where we can do some cooking for ourselves and laundry. 


Oh yeah, we also got haircuts today! Thankfully, we’re no longer the Shaggy Têtus.