14th July 2009 – Exploring Cameret-sur-Mer

Posted at 3:29 PM, Tuesday, July 14, 2009

The wind did not stop blowing all day but the clouds frequently parted, enticing us late morning to don the walking boots and head for the hills.

Took a long lazy walk around the heather clad headland allowing us to look back on the town and then later walk its beaches.  Just lovely stuff.  Took lots of pictures.

Here is part of the harbour area showing the two inner marina basins for the locals, and the outer marina and buoy area for larger visitors like us. 

We watched a couple of boats venture out whilst we were on our walk, perhaps thinking the forecast was wrong.  As each got round the corner they soon realised it wasn’t.  Did not take long for most to think again and head back in.  Guess they like us will either snug down aboard or go enjoy looking round the town.

Not sure you could make out the old Church on the end of the harbour wall in that long range shot - with most of its windows bricked up - tucked behind the castle?  This was built way back so those pilgrims travelling from Britain or Ireland and landing at Cameret before then walking overland to Campostella in Spain had a suitable place to collapse - and give thanks for at least getting this far.  Must have been hard.

The church is a favourite of sailors and we both chose and lit a candle for special friends - hoping each gets what they want.

The old harbour landing area is adorned by old deserted fishing boats.  Felt like paparazzi joining the other tourists snapping away - but who could refuse?

The walk around the cliff tops soon showed us why so many bomb craters pockmark the headland. Amid it all remain the concrete foundations of some extensive German  defensive emplacements, mostly overgrown but still impressive pieces of engineering.  I can recall climbing the Brit equivalent as a kid when growing up on the coast, but either the Brits were worse builders or perhaps simply cared less about them invading us than they worried about us invading them!

Anyway the multiple bomb craters perhaps testify just how bad our allied bomb aimers were in those days!  I amsure the locals went round after every raid and simply picked up the stunned rabbits for meat!

 Here’s Sue sitting on the edge of one bomb crater overlooking the manned lighthouse on the headland. You can see the rocky ground has not helped any green stuff to grow back in the craters.

And here's a more artistic shot of Sue paddling as the open Atlantic crashes in around her.  Bloody cold water.

Got caught out in one shower but the sun broke back through to reveal this French Barquentine sailing in towards Cameret, sounding some trumpets as a hello, wearing ship and heading back out.  She would have taught an English smuggler or two a lesson in her day, with ports for at least 8 guns per side.

Here’s a last parting shot of Cameret seafront.  At circa 9 pm tonight one of these restaurants will be serving us seafood and chilled Chablis.  Vive la vacation.

Cheers for now

Sue and John xx