Wines news of France , part LXXI !!!

Again back at you with the best of wines news of France. By the way for the non Romans LXXI is no 71, The wines of 
France are just super simply awesome and a great tradition. Often imitated, some time equaled ,but never surpass! Therefore, let me tell you about wines news of France, part LXXI !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The debt-ridden Champagne house Maison Pommery announced Tuesday that it has entered into exclusive negotiations with the German sparkling wine producer Henkell. If the deal goes through, Henkell would become the majority shareholder of Maison Pommery, the new name for Vranken Pommery since January, the company stated. Maison Pommery manages 2,600 hectares of land, owned outright or leased, spread across four vineyards in Champagne, Provence, the Camargue, and the Douro Valley in Portugal. Its portfolio includes Champagne brands such as Vranken, Pommery & Greno, Heidsieck & Co Monopole, Charles Lafitte, and Bissinger & Co; the Rozès and São Pedro Port wines; the Terras do Grifo Douro wines; as well as Domaine Royal de Jarras, Pink Flamingo Camargue, and Château La Gordonne Provence wines.

What wine should you drink with a barbecued duck breast? The combination of duck and honey lends itself to wines that stand out, make a statement, and offer distinctive flavors! This pairing is tricky with a red wine, but if you must choose one, opt for an elegant red with spicy notes and a refined, flavorful texture. Are white wines a possibility? Alsatian wines are a perfect match! Pinot Gris grapes are ideal for their bitterness, while Gewurztraminer offers aromatic intensity. Offer rosés with a vinous style. Look for warmer, younger vintages! The almost sweet character of a young, vinous rosé can be a real asset to this pairing.

Open for over a month now, the Hôtel de Brimont is waiting for you. Champagne Jacquart (drank in my wedding reception !) has transformed its Reims headquarters into an exceptional wine tourism destination. Behind the 19th-century façade designed by Paul Blondel, at 34 Boulevard Lundy in Reims, Maison Jacquart has settled into its summer routine. For the third consecutive year, the Hôtel de Brimont, the house’s headquarters for the past seventeen years, is opening its doors to the public until September 26, 2026. The pop-up shop has taken up residence in the former Coquebert pavilion, once reserved for horse-drawn carriages. Wearing headphones, visitors explore three cuvées: Signature Brut B2018, Blanc de Blancs 2018, and Alpha Blanc 2014, through a soundscape created specifically for each. The boutique also holds a few surprises, notably the first three releases of the exclusive Triple 1 collection and the 2018 Blanc de Blancs vintage in its case designed by the artist Odyssée Khorsandian. More info at Champagne Jacquart: https://www.champagne-jacquart.com/en/visit/

Terre de Vins and Cash Vin return to Hangar 14, 115 Quai des Chartrons, Bordeaux, on Saturday, October 10th, for a very special edition: the 10th anniversary of the Second Wine Fair. For a decade, this unique event has showcased the second wines of the finest Bordeaux estates. It’s a rare opportunity to taste, discuss, and purchase these exceptional wines directly from the producers. More info at Wine Space: https://winespace.fr/en/events/la-foire-aux-seconds-vins-10-ans

In Champagne, a great cuvée isn’t always simply the sum of great wines, but sometimes the combination of characterful wines that one wouldn’t appreciate individually: this is the secret of Maison Krug and undoubtedly the true genius of this increasingly forgotten appellation. With the presentation of the 174th edition, based on the 2018 harvest, the House crafts the most premium cuvées in Champagne, not limiting itself to Premier and Grand Cru vineyards, but crisscrossing the entire Champagne region, from North to South and East to West, to seek out the greatest possible diversity of expression. Moreover, all the tastings that guide the blending process are conducted blind. Take the example of a cru like Ambonnay, where in 2025, the House vinified no fewer than 35 parcels separately. In total, this 181st edition of La Grande Cuvée represents 163 different wines, including 38% reserve wines, also kept by parcel, spanning around ten different vintages over 17 years. Adding to this the seven years of aging on lees in the bottle, we can deduce that each edition of La Grande Cuvée is the culmination of at least 20 years of work. Enough to make your head spin for a simple non-vintage brut. The 174th edition, based on the 2018 vintage and now on the market, goes back to 2001!

There you go folks, another wine episode of my belle France! The wines news from France that is, superbe, sublime, wonderful, gorgeous, enjoy without moderation but accompanying a meal, family table just perfect. See you in the vineyards of my belle France, Again, hope you enjoy the post on wines news of France, part LXXI !!! as I,

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

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Curiosities of Sainte Marie de Ré !!!

I had these pictures mix in with other posts and feel they should have a post of its own, after all there are two different islands part of a bigger island ,get it ! This one is on Sainte Marie de Ré in the Île de Ré island !! The Île de Ré is a nice wonderdul island , the fourth largest on metropolitan France! It is in the Charente Maritime dept 17 of the region of  Nouvelle Aquitaine, and in my belle France. Therefore, here is my take on curiosities of Sainte Marie de Ré !!! Hope you enjoy this post as I

The ride was nice and we got up early leaving by 6H or 6AM taking the N165 direction airport of Nantes ,Nantes-Atlantique, then Bordeaux on the toll A10, and then La Rochelle on the A83 then  exit 7 to  the D237 , N11  and continuing to Ile de Ré  and then in the island on the D735 and D201 and D103. Coming back we took a more quaint trip going all the way on the D137  passing by the wine region of Clisson into the beltway or périphérique of Nantes into the N844 and then N165 home. The morning ride was foggy and cool at 10C and then the day went up into sunny and 24C as well as 21C on the way back. The other nice thing of the road trip was crossing the the bridge linking the Mainland with the island, the Le Pont de Ré, magnificent and 8€ roundtrip toll in winter. The official Pont Île de Ré: http://www.pont-ile-de-re.com/

I went straight to the Atalante Thalasso hotel, where the Spanish team was staying and to my upsetting disappointment the whole was block by police ,gendarmerie with wagon and steel barriers all even before reaching the hotel!!! We settle for a hola at a distance! For reference the official Atalante Thalasso Hotel: https://relaisthalasso.com/fr/hotel-atalante

We console ourselves with a walking tour of the town of Sainte Marie de Ré.  There is typical quant market day by place d’Antioche; we had our breads at boulangerie maison Marin, right there,

We walked to the dunes at Plage de Montamer, rocky and good for on foot fishing with some white sandy sections. My fav site plages tv on the beaches of Sainte Marie de Ré : https://en.plages.tv/seaside-resorts/sainte-marie-de-re-17740

The Île de Ré has other spots such as Loix, La Flotte, Rivedoux-Plage,Ars en Ré, Saint-Clément-des-Baléines, and Phare des Baléines , as well as Les Portes en Ré passing a natural reserve area. Another wonderful spot in my belle France, but they are so many ,can go nuts trying to see them all lol!!! Again, hope you enjoy this post on curiosities of Sainte Marie de Ré !!! as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

Curiosities of Saint Martin de Ré !!!

I had these pictures mix in with other posts and feel they should have a post of its own, after all there are two different islands part of a bigger island ,get it ! This one is on Saint Martin de Ré in the Ïle de Ré island !! The Île de Ré is a nice wonderdul island , the fourth largest on metropolitan France! It is in the Charente Maritime dept 17 of the region of  Nouvelle Aquitaine, and in my belle France. Therefore, here is my take on curiosities of Saint Martin de Ré !!! Hope you enjoy this post as I

The ride was nice and we got up early leaving by 6H or 6AM taking the N165 direction airport of Nantes ,Nantes-Atlantique, then Bordeaux on the toll A10, and then La Rochelle on the A83 then  exit 7 to  the D237 , N11  and continuing to Ile de Ré  and then in the island on the D735 and D201 and D103. Coming back we took a more quaint trip going all the way on the D137  passing by the wine region of Clisson into the beltway or périphérique of Nantes into the N844 and then N165 home. The morning ride was foggy and cool at 10C and then the day went up into sunny and 24C as well as 21C on the way back. The other nice thing of the road trip was crossing the the bridge linking the Mainland with the island, the Pont de Ré, magnificent and 8€ roundtrip toll in winter. The official Pont Île de Ré: http://www.pont-ile-de-re.com/

We move on to Saint-Martin-de-Ré a bigger town and nicer, nice surprise should be a nice stop for all. Here we went straight for the Stadium stade Marcel Gaillard  where Spain was to train during the Euro16. This is one reason I came to the islands! Again ,another disappointment as the stadium was under security due to the terrorist condition at the time, very difficult to see unless you camp out according to the security guard on duty. The stadium is home of the AS Rethaise football team: https://www.fff.fr/la-vie-des-clubs/3705/terrains-du-club

We again has to settle for a walking tour of the town. We found parking by Vauban near the Citadelle , first hour free and then for the day 6€. This was a nice surprise as it has wonderful Vauban citadelle (see post)  fortifications that you can go in into the inner yards of the enclosure, but not Inside as it is now a prison. The Citadel is a military work built from 1690 to protect the Île de Ré.

We move on to the inner city, visiting the Church Saint Martin, (see post) with gothic ruins (from Normans invasions)  in the middle of the high city to be seen from the harbor. Today the oldest part dates from the 15C  on the walls on both sides of the high towers in ruins.  The belltower has a square tower and has three bells, such as the Marie Thérèse, the big one that sounds, the  Charles Catherine , the medium one, and the  Marie Pierre Michel Samuel Augustine , the smallest sound.

By now we were hungry and mostly thirsty so without any real choosing I told the gang to eat at Le Phare resto pizzeria by 4 Quai de Bernonville facing the habor, and it was a 10. We ate in the terrace just next to the water, with a friendly fishing dog that no fear of going into the water! the service was fast and friendly and we had our usual mussels or moules au curry and Rochefort with pizzas, great Leffe beers and desserts like the rice pudding in caramel sauce with express coffee to finish all for 36€ per person, a bit high but good considering you are in a very touristic  island! No webpage but reviews at RestaurantGuru : https://restaurantguru.com/Le-Phare-Saint-Martin-de-Re

The refreshing busy town and the quaint harbor, pleasure marina ,and citadelle and great ambiance by the wharfs was a great surprise and a good consolation for missing out on the Spanish team. It would be a great vacation area combining it with beach there and sights additional at La Rochelle or even further north at Rochefort-en-Mer. All along the border a wonderful view of the sea and views of the other smaller island the île d’Aix. There is a quaint lighthouse red (phare toit rouge) there and a wonderful harbor for pleasure boats into the center of the town.

The Île de Ré tourist office on things to do: https://www.iledere.com/

The local South Charente tourist office on the Île de Ré : https://www.sudcharentetourisme.fr/destination-ile-de-re/

The Île de Ré has other spots such as Loix, La Flotte, Rivedoux-Plage,Ars en Ré, Saint-Clément-des-Baléines, and Phare des Baléines , as well as Les Portes en Ré passing a natural reserve area. Another wonderful spot in my belle France, but they are so many ,can go nuts trying to see them all lol!!! Again, hope you enjoy this post on curiosities of Saint Martin de Ré !!! as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

The Church Saint Etienne of Pleugueneuc !!

And yes actually on the start of my latest road warrior escapades I arrive to Pleugueneuc !!! I like to tell you about this latest adventures in my lovely Bretagne !!! Finding new places that are nice enough to be in my blog, me think,  Here is my testimony to this town church. Therefore, here is my take on the Church Saint Etienne of Pleugueneuc !!  Hope you enjoy it as I.

The town of Pleugueneuc is located in the department 35 of Ille-et-Vilaine in my lovely region of Bretagne, It is near the road D/N137 between Rennes, 40 km away and Saint-Malo, 33 km away. Pleugueneuc comes from the Breton Plou which means “parish” and Guéhenoc from the name of its founder. The name of the town is Plegeneg in Breton. The origin of Pleugueneuc is linked to Guéhenoc, monk soldier, druid or warlord who came from Great Britain in the 6C. The parish of Pleugueneuc was part of the deanery of Dol under the bishopric of Dol and was under the name of Saint-Étienne. There are only about 1914 inhabitants in what could better be call a village.

The current Church Saint Etienne (St Stephens) was built in the village with a proven existence as at least from the 14C The parish church respects a Latin cross plan. The nave and the west facade are from the 15C. The current transept and choir were built in 1841. The remarkable elements of the church are the altar, the altar canopy and two statues from the Louis XV period. The church has a 17C nave with a Romanesque apse, and a chapel rebuilt in 1717. The openings were altered in the 18C. The nave of the old church remains alone: ​​the choir and the transepts date from 1841-1842 and following this restoration the church was blessed again on September 24, 1844.

Pleugueneuc has several castles such as the Château de la Motte Beaumanoir is located between the towns of Pleugueneuc and Plesder. It was built in the 15C. You can see several turrets and it once had a private chapel. It was again remodeled in the 19C. The Château du Gage, built in the 19C located on the road to Saint-Domineuc and built on the site of an old Louis XIII castle or manor. It has a private chapel, a circular leak and a pretty well with four pilasters, decorated with the arms of the Saint-Gilles family with the date of 1625.

The town of Pleugueneuc on the church (clic on église actuelle)  :  https://www.pleugueneuc.com/?Histoire_%26amp%3B_Cartes/Histoire_de_notre_commune

There you go folks, another nice wonder of my lovely Bretagne, always more always will be more, This was a nice find in church of Pleugueneuc nice finds indeed.  Glad to have stop by, and looking forward to have it enjoy it with my readers. Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Church Saint Etienne of Pleugueneuc !! as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

The markets of Vannes, part VI !!!

And here I am again telling you about my wonderful beautiful capital city of Vannes in my beautiful Morbihan breton dept 56 of my lovely Bretagne and in my belle France! This is an underrated city that must be visit more and I know we have plenty to see here but you come and will be hook by it, I took new pictures for my blog for you and me. This is the awesome market on Saturday mornings is top at least in Brittany, me and other attest, We parked at parking République across the street! Therefore, I will tell you more on the markets of Vannes, part VI !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

Come to think of going shopping and to us , the word market comes to mind immediately. Sure modern life has its hypermarkets and such, but when it comes to food, edible kind the markets are still IT. In France, they have a centuries old tradition of excellence where you get the best culinary delights known to men in culinary champion France.  The markets in my adopted region of Brittany, and dept 56 of Morbihan are no different. In fact, they can play with any anytime and popular shows attest to their beauty and abundance, The markets of Vannes are tops. On  Wednesday and Saturday mornings ,we go on Saturday bigger); the flea market of Vannes, full of fancy jewellery, new clothes and fripes, underwear, shoes, flowers, plants, but also food with fruits and vegetables, spices, cakes, cheese dairy, pizzas, etc. It is one of the first markets in Brittany which is accessed by the place Lucien-Laroche, but also by Rue Saint-Vincent and rue Le Hellec,(as we come in), opposite the post office. It is spread over the Place des Lices and the Place du Poids Public,(see posts), that offer you all the fresh products you want: fish, delicatessen, caterer, dairy slag, cellar. From  8h to 13h.

Other than our usual fruits and veggies stand already mentioned, we stopped by the Asian traiteur a friendly Vietnamese very talkative who gave us the sweets of his country banh bo cakes for free! We purchase the whole from cantonese rice, beef vegetables, tiger shrimps, noodles and vegetables, beef and pork samoussas !!! Superbe!

In continuation of the Place du Poids Public, you have the Place de la Poissonnerie and on to Rue de la Poissonnerie, and the superbe Halle aux Poissons or fish market that will delight all the freaks of crustaceans, oysters, fish and even smoked salmon stand. This market is held all year round on the following days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday from 8h to 13h. About twenty permanent traders in all. It is a wonderful building which we enjoy tremendously and shop profusionnally!  In 1821, a first fish market,  back of the buildings on Rue Saint-Vincent, was built on the place de la Poissonnerie, a place for fish markets since the end of the middle ages. The Gulf of Morbihan fishermen wishing for a larger and more hygienic building, a new Hall is made in 1880 of 35 meters in length and 13 meters in width, it is built in granite. Inside, 18 cast iron poles, some of which are adorned with scallops, support a metal frame. For reference, we got our moules or mussels of penvins as well as dos de cabillaud sans peau or codfish without skin, and Juliennes fish filets or aka Ling,  

The city of Vannes on its open air markets:  https://www.mairie-vannes.fr/halles-et-marches

The Morbihan dept 56 tourist office on the markets of Vannes : https://morbihan.com/decouvrir/gastronomie-bretonne/flaner-sur-les-allees-des-marches/le-marche-de-vannes-lun-des-plus-beaux-marches-de-france/

The local Gulf of Morbihan tourist office on the markets of Vannes : https://www.golfedumorbihan.co.uk/explore/savour-the-exceptional/markets/market-of-vannes/

There you go folks, really enjoy it , always a treat and very friendly merchants that we have come to know on a first name basis with the best of France and the world! Do not miss it , when my neck of the woods! Again, hope you enjoy this post on the markets of Vannes, part VI !!! as I.

And remember, happy travels ,good health, and many cheers to all !!!

The La Boucherie steakhouse and Mother’s Day !!!

I have come back to a family favorite on Saturday to celebrate Mother’s Day in France which is on next day Sunday , The area is well visit by us as many restaurants, shops, hypermarket, stores and cinema are around it, I will take the time to indulge myself in telling you again this particular restaurant for the memories of always, I have several posts on these dates in my blog and read them often. Therefore, let me tell you about the La Boucherie steakhouse and Mother’s Day !!!  Hope you enjoy the post as I

 I have come back again for a special day, Sunday May 31th is Mother’s Day or Fêtes des Méres in my belle France ! This now is sad as we have no mothers to celebrate now, but do so in rememberance of all they have given us, and it has been huge, Thank you always my dear Mom Gladys and my dear wife Martine,always remembered, After all as said, my blog is my life’s history !!! And to those celebrating this day Happy Mother’s Day to all present and in your hearts, worth it they are precious indeed,

We came back to one restaurant my dear Martine love, the La Boucherie steakhouse at Rue du Gay Lussac, Zone du Parc lann, Vannes , I came with my wonderful 3 boys, and our dog Rex which was the star of the day by all present, one customer even gave him her steak! My sons drag me into it and of course I need to move on and do came in had my pavé de rumsteak with white rice, strawberries ice cream fraisier and down with a bottle of Château La Rose de Vitrac Bordeaux red , My boys all had different dishes as always lol !!!

A bit of history of Mother’s Day tell us that the festivities already existed in Antiquity. Indeed, the Greeks celebrated Rhea, the mother of the gods, and the Romans paid homage to mothers or the “matronas” during festivals called “Matronalia” . These days were celebrated in the spring, the month of fertility. In the 16C, the English celebrated “Mothering Sunday,” and Americans celebrated “Mother’s Day” in the 20C. At the end of the Great War or WWI, the concept of Mother’s Day took hold in Europe. It was spread by young members of American relief organizations for occupied populations (the CRB, or Relief Commission in Belgium and occupied Northern France, founded by Herbert Hoover) or for wounded soldiers at the front (the American Red Cross), and especially by the American soldiers of General John Pershing’s Expeditionary Force who arrived en masse from April 1917 onwards. In May 1918, Pershing ordered that postcards of appreciation be distributed to all soldiers under his command (some were English, Dutch, French, or Belgian) to be sent for Mother’s Day, and he also commissioned Gaumont to produce a newsreel. For info, in the United States, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May; and in Spain, it’s on the first Sunday of May.

The village of Artas in Isère (dept 38) claims to be the “birthplace of Mother’s Day” in France, In fact, on June 10, 1906, at the initiative of Prosper Roche, founder of the Fraternal Union of Meritorious Fathers of Families of Artas, a ceremony was held in honor of mothers of large families. Two mothers of nine children received an award for “High Maternal Merit” that day. The original diploma created by Prosper Roche is preserved in the library of the Institut de France along with the archives of the association, In France, the first Mother’s Day was established in Lyon in 1918 to honor the mothers and wives who lost their sons and husbands during the Great War or WWI. It was popularized by American soldiers. Then, on May 25, 1941, Marshal Pétain officially added Mother’s Day to the calendar. Mother’s Day was officially established after the WWII by Vincent Auriol, President of the French Republic,(France) with the law of May 24, 1950. In France, it is celebrated on the last Sunday of May , and if this day coincides with Pentecost, the celebration is moved to the first Sunday of June. This year 2026 was on Sunday May 31st,

The official La Boucherie restaurant on Vannes:  https://www.la-boucherie.fr/restaurant-viande/vannes/

The RestaurantGuru reviews on the Vannes resto: https://restaurantguru.com/La-Boucherie-Vannes

There you go folks, yes it is now more painful but for the sake of life continuation we need to make the best of it; now with more vivid memories than ever as my dear Mpms which were the motor that got me going to these places. The people here at La Boucherie arealways with a smile friendly service good quality/price ratio and domestic animals are welcome ! Again, hope you enjoy the post on the La Boucherie steakhouse and Mother’s Day !!! as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health,and many cheers to all !!!

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The Salon de la Gastronomie et des Arts Culinaires of Vannes, part I !!!

My fav event in the area of Vannes and they continue the tradition !!!  When, I moved to the beautiful Morbihan for work duties and stayed, we heard about it, but always too many to choose from , and went elsewhere, then in 2014 got the bugs and went in; surprise was nice ! We have gone ever since, skipping a year and the virus but always here, By now many producers are known and even have delivered home and freebies !!!  I am updating this post with the original pictures as this was the first entry even with a later date in my blog, This was in November 27-29 2021 at the Salon de la Gastronomie et des Arts Culinaires of Vannes, part I !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I,

Once again I bring you back to the wonderful superb Salon de la Gastronomie  et Arts Culinaires  held once again at the Chorus Parc des Expositions de Vannes in the Parc du Golfe. All from 10h to 19h, Monday 10h to 18h. General admission 5€! Free for folks like me a good customer lol !!!  More than 100 exhibitors representing French gastronomy and sorted for the quality of their products. Free entertainment and cooking classes, wine tasting during the show, professional competitions and a variety of catering in a friendly space. We were there again Saturday morning as it already has become a tradition for us.

 Some of the repeated favorite for us, and again back this year are (with stand number and direction). highlighter in Black those we purchase again this year!

Brasserie Vénètes – Cidres Nicol T27 as you enter to your far right , Caves ROUGEBEC Vouvray B12 as you enter middle range second stand, Champagnes LAGILLE B25 as you enter just after the above , Domaine du Haut Bellay E73 as you enter bear right at the back near the T27 above, Guy MORIN – Fronsac C43 as you enter, bear left second row back. By now our all time favorite and already visited their property is the St Nicolas de Bourgueil EARL Cousseau Boireau C33 The wines of Christel and his wife Claudine we are clients since 2014 ! (see post) as you enter bear right third row next to village section. My sons and the Star Wars cap of my dear Dad !!!

Alain CHARTIER chocolats A 01 as you enter bear right on fifth row
Le Pays Basques Chez Vous T15 as you enter bear left all the way back And we met a new member at the salon, the folks of Château Tour Birol E61 entrance to your left back ,from the côte de Bourg, Bordeaux region with delicious malbec reds!!!

Also, my sons went for their teas at Un thé pour soi B13 entrance straight ahead ;they even got banana flavor teas lol!

The official Salon de la Gastronomie et des arts culinaires : https://www.saga-vannes.fr/

The official Le Chorus Parc des Expositions de Vannes : https://www.lechorus.com/#

There you go folks, a dandy indeed! This one in Vannes is one of the best me think, And after talking with the exposants I believe it even more.The very best of my belle France under one roof, can’t beat it anywhere ! Already looking forward to the next one, catch it , this is France at its best for the food, the ambiance the savoir faire and all of the above ! Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Salon de la Gastronomie et des Arts Culinaires of Vannes, part I !!! as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

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Curiosities of Vannes, part II, III, and VII !!!

Well here I am back with a by now usual name ; actually I am condensing 3 posts into one as they were without pictures as in my black and white series,no pictures, And getting these old posts to new life in my blog for you and me. The pictures are in the individual posts on the sights.  Therefore, here is my take on curiosities of Vannes, part II , III ,and VII !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I

We walked by the St Patern district ,very old quaint nice and friendly, and had our lunch in already our favorite place Le Gavroche, 17 rue de la Fontaine.  (now sadly closed) We decided to do the round of créperies and bar à nuits in town that we have been, these include the night time bar A Tribord, 28 rue st Patern. (now sadly closed). The Créperie Dan Ewen, 3 Place du Général de Gaulle is one we had tried a while back,and  after so many crêperies here,this one becomes routine,nothing more. We stop by the Irish pub Le Chat qui Grogne, 12 Place Cabello, right in a quaint area that I just like it a lot. This is for that old Guinness pint and having some real sports watch, Another old favorite was the Saint-Exupéry (now closed) was a brasserie/créperie at 14 rue des Halles, old area, nice buildings and shops all around you,and you can come in with terrace as we did by 8 Rue des Orfévres sitting in a nice square.

Outside the old town in the area of Atlanville is very nice family spot; there are about 6 restaurants,bars to choose from, some local some national brands, A center of entertainment away from the center of the city, We have been many times for football/soccer games to the Irish pub Le Skellig.  For lunch they are light but for nights is packed. Further south and out of the old town you have the wonderful Parc du Golfe at the entrance to the Conleau peninsula you find the Le Master bowling. Very friendly and the prices nice. Here too you find the congress hall for events we come often such as the wine fairs Further, out over the expressway N165 you have the municipal pool where we went once but for others should be ok, This is  Vanocéa. The winter is coming and is nice to have a place to swim under a roof and heated pool for many

In the perimeter of the old town, my boys were a must stop was the Empire Games  (now closed ) a sort of star wars scenes of games and figurines, t-shits etc. ; all chic and different by pl des lices; very nice friendly service. Another store , and bigger now their central area is the Japanim by 14 Bis Rue Emile Burgault  that offers lots of mangas, dvd, cups, etc of the japanese genre of games and movies. My son’s favorite !

Back in the old town section you have the La Belle Illoise, fish canning local ,wonderful; 31 place des lices, La Trinitaine, cookies biscuits ,breton sweets, deco, souvenirs,and fish canning too, glorious at 19 place des lices. Alain Chartier chocolatier and glacier ,ice creams gourmands, mâitre chocolatier de France at 25 place des lices, and also a school of cooking desserts. Monoprix, discount dept store at place Joseph le Brix. La Huche à Pains, the best bakery at 23 Place des Lices.  Right around here you have the  Villa Valencia. 3 Rue Bienheureux Pierre René Rogues ,where I had my filet mignon pork in a wok oriental style ! You go down to Le Port for lunch at one of our favorite places, A l’aise  Breizh Café on top of the Capitanerie du port (harbormaster).

The quant nice covered market or marché couvert des lices at pl des lices. We did some tablecloths shopping at La Tapenalgue, 23 Rue des Halles , wonderful gifts of Brittany and foods items locally done. The store is in the old section very nice quant area to walk too, our favorite. We stop by to our old favorite shopping store  Michel Loizeau  (sadly closed) was at pl Henri IV , the house dates from the 15C! Here we had our Breton winter clothing, bags ,umbrellas,and belts of the finest local quality.  The Pizzeria Don Camillo at 20 rue du port, by the Le Port area across from the canal and the tourist office.

The city of Vannes on its heritage: https://www.mairie-vannes.fr/decouvrir-le-patrimoine-vannetais

The local Golfe du Morbihan tourist office on Vannes: https://www.golfedumorbihan.bzh/explorer-vannes/decouvrir-vannes/golfe-morbihan/vannes/

There you go I feel better updating these wonderful posts of great souvenirs/memories for us. Hoping it brings you over, this is a wonderful town of Vannes and the above while open are tops. Again, hope you enjoy this post on curiosities of Vannes, part II, III, and VII !!! as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

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The other beaches of Carnac !!!

Ok so the world knows this town and Unesco recognised because of the megalith stones that abound here (see post). However, we come here literally for the beaches and the ambiance in good weather. Sometimes even in bad weather for the ambiance in the restos/bars. The town is great and well known in France and Europe in summer months.Enjoy it , good for the whole family, Of course, Carnac is in my beautiful dept 56 of Morbihan, and in my lovely region of Bretagne, and in my belle France. Therefore, here is my take onthe other beaches of Carnac !!!  Hope you enjoy the post as I. 

The beaches are plenty in wonderful Carnac, and we have seen them all while visiting some, See my posts in my blog on the major beaches of Carnac ! 

The unique Men-Du beach on a big harbor dent with the possibility in low tides to walk to the island of Stuhan or île de Stuhan on your way to La Trinité-sur-Mer beaches (see post). Plage de Men-Dû beach is a fine sandy beach facing due south. It is shallow. It is a delight for swimmers at high tide, and for wading and shellfish gathering at low tide. In the center, the Île de Stuhan rises majestically. At low tide, this islet is connected to the mainland by a sandbar, known as a tombolo. A car park with direct access allows for convenient access to the beach by car. In July and August, a free minibus operates within the town and serves the beach. During this same period, a beach club also provides lifeguard services. Public restrooms are available. Animals are not allowed. Finally, a bar-restaurant is located near the beach.

The smaller beach of Beaumer is well sheltered from the wind and shaded, the beach extends east of the Grande Plage after Pointe Churchill. It is the ideal place for shore fishing. Note that the annual shore fishing trips are organized on the foreshore at Beaumer. Dogs not allowed. Parking lot behind the beach.

The plage de Kérivor beach is not well known, except by locals. So what about these creeks located nearby, at the western tip of Carnac and facing west and the Quiberon peninsula? Fine sandy beaches well exposed and almost deserted in August, it’s a discovery. Here, a large cove alternates with other smaller ones where everyone can find their place. No equipment and you have to walk a little to get there, however you have certain freedoms prohibited elsewhere, Wonderful find and we will be back quiet nice place to play with my boys ! The beach is not mentioned in tourist offices nor the City of Carnac ! You go there by the Chemin de Kerivor , there is parking at Parking Pointe du Po, and just next to it are the viviers de Saint Colomban for great oysters and mussels !! etc etc tastings, purchase and we get them at the fish market of Auray!! On site come every day in summer from Easter and every school holiday from 9h30 to 19h non-stop! You can see the beach on their webpage : https://viviersdesaintcolomban.fr/viviers/en/home-2/

The Port-En-Dro basin, built at the same time as the salt marshes, shelters small fishing and pleasure boats. On the seaward side, the nautical center houses the Yacht Club. Built in 1962, it overlooks an exceptional body of water: Quiberon Bay. This bay, sheltered by the Quiberon peninsula, is the ideal place to discover and enjoy water sports in complete tranquility throughout the year. The regattas organized by the Carnac Yacht Club offer a spectacular sight for onlookers. Just a short walk away, the small square of Port-En-Dro invites leisurely strolls with its shops and art studios. The food is plenty and would be unfair to just name a few, however, for something different head for the Kreiz An Avel, at 1 ave de la Chapelle, in the port du Pô area, a nice harbor where you can attained the beaches and have some good food looking at the sea, especially by plage Saint Colomban.  Kids activities including learn to swim (special inflatable mini pools )  is available and supervise by certified instructors. Great seafood and pizzeria in two different legal entities , resto with Kreiz An Avel and pizzas with Pizza Baia (take out) 1 ave de la Chapelle. Same owners , they are in roundabout facing the harbor. We try for lunch the pizzas with canard, chorizos, and hams, with banana splits, ice cream, and creme brulée à coconut; with pints of beers pelforths. The price is right for a tourist area, the food was great, good company as we found British tourists who had come there the day before and like it a lot. The resto was full but always rotating with tables available and 3 servers. For a first impression , bit slow , but again very popular with locals and tourists alike.

The Anse du Pô cove nestles like a jewel in its setting at the end of Quiberon Bay. Walking along the coastal path, one can observe the immense biodiversity protected by the Natura 2000 network. This cove serves as a resting place for 3,000 wintering barnacle geese and as a nesting site for the magnificent common shelducks. Numerous migratory birds stop here and take advantage of the rich nutrients this corner of paradise provides.

There you go folks, the beaches of Carnac are glorious, the time of the year to be out every day, and they are popping indeed! This one at is very family oriented nice and quiet. Again, hope you enjoy the other beaches of Carnac !!! as I

And remember, happy travels , good health, and many cheers to all !!!

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How to Enjoy the Sweeter White Wines of #Bordeaux #Seminar.
@bordeauxwines @labattoir_van #winewriter #foodandwine #sauvignonblanc #semillon

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