24 April 2003: St Malo to Portsmouth. It’s an early start from our Brittany base, and a long crossing follows. The sun is low in the sky when we dock in Portsmouth – three hours later, it’s good to be home again.
Author: geoffspages
A different approach
There’s been little change since we last walked this way – perhaps I can do something different with the photos…
La Roche-Bernard
23 April 2003: Our last day in Brittany – a wander around La Roche-Bernard, where the river is busy but the streets are quiet, followed by a visit to the Arzal barrage. Tomorrow it’s an early start – we’re sailing from St Malo, on the long slow crossing to Portsmouth.
Antlers
That’s what those wispy clouds resemble. Some of the old oak trees have antlers too. We’re walking down the Dean Farm lane again, enjoying the warm sunshine (again!), though there’s a bit more cloud today.
Steam days
Coincidence: we don’t get many main line steam-hauled trains in Shropshire, but 22 April scores heavily with three in recent years. The fourth event, just three years ago, involved a brief look at the Middleton Railway in Leeds.
Port Navalo
22 April 2003: a drive out the the Gulf of Morbihan. Port Navalo is on the eastern side of the gulf’s mouth, through which the sea rushes in and out twice a day. Nothing so energetic for us – I think our visit may have included refreshments at a local café, which probably involved crèpes…
Red Lane and Inett mines
Beyond Inett Farm, a kissing gate provides access to a path across rough grassland, through the remains of ancient shallow coal pits. Beyond, a damp, shady way takes us to Red Lane, where the fields are bright yellow. Some of the bluebells are a funny colour too. We’ll survey the scene from Red Lane before heading back through the mines – to continue would be a shorter route home, but we’d have to walk along the road – no thanks!
5, 7, 13
All on 21 April:
2005: Ironbridge on a spring evening
2007: steam on the main line, All Stretton and Knucklas
2013: Bridgnorth – a brief exploration
Landes de Cojoux
21 April 2003: We found this site by accident, while studying the Michelin map – “where shall we go today?”. Carnac is well-known, deservedly so. On a scrubby ridge near Saint-Just, a few miles north-east of Redon, the Landes de Cojoux seem to be much less popular, despite the fascinating arrays of megaliths.
Down the lane
…and back again. It’s about two miles to the point where we turn back – any further would mean a lengthy descent. In normal times, we’d keep going and have tea and cakes at Coalport.
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