A Day at the Shore

Returned home from Spain and Portugal Friday afternoon.  Great trip with some set-backs, not the least of them a problem with the maps loaded into my GPS.  But, as the lady with the large derriere pointed out, it's all behind me now.  Looking forward to my next trip.

Today was a beautiful day in France.  Even though I'd had my butt in the seat for nine days, I needed some more road, so a little trip to the shore was in order.

Lazy start this morning.  Pulled out of town about 10:30am.  Visited the little coastal towns of Le Croissic, La Turballe, and Piriac-Sur-Mer on the Guérande Peninsula, west of Nantes.

The day was just post-card perfect.  Temperature at the start was about 78 degrees F., rising to about 86.  Not a cloud in the sky, just a slight breeze.  You can't ask for better weather.

Pulled in to Le Croissic about noon after just putting along enjoying the day.  Pretty little French fishing village...catching, it seems, more tourists than fish.  But that's okay...I'm part of the catch and I think there's no limit.

From the public parking lot in downtown Le Croissic.

To the right a small skiff beached on a sandbar and Mom watching the kids play.

Some folks seem to have figured this situation out.

Nice colorful lobster traps.

Ugly fellow looking back at you.

A statue honoring Pierre Bouguer, the "Father of Naval Architecture."

Found a nice little restaurant (among seemingly hundreds) out of the sun, but in view of the tourists and the sea.  As most here, the specialty is seafood.

A light lunch.  A beer (one) and Moules (mussels).

A little bread and butter and it's tasty, tasty.
Moules Marinières (steamed mussels with white wine, shallots, laurel leaf and thyme)

Some kids have figured this situation out as well.









A short ride north and pulled into Piriac-Sur-Mer just long enough to turn around and move back south to La Turballe.  Pirac s/Mer was mostly nice nice little houses fronting the beach...not much to see.
La Turballe seemed a very nice spot to spend some time.  I'm going to come back here when I have more time to explore around and enjoy the sights, people, and area.  Probably come over on a Friday evening and stay the night into the next day.  Beautiful little area.

Lots of public access to the water in this area...with lots of people taking advantage of it.  Just seems like a good place to stay.

Some more folks who have figured it out.  This was an impressively rigged little vessel.  If I had a boat, this is what I'd like to have.








Turned it around and headed back into Nantes.  Just a short little trip to the beach for a nice lunch.  Total time about six hours (non-deductible from your life time).