16. Brest, France - June 4

At the bottom of the page click on the YouTube link to see the photos.

Bordeaux is situated 60 miles from the sea, and the Prinsendam did the transit into the city in the wee morning hours, three days ago. Not being an early riser, I missed the spectacular Gironde Estuary – but not this time.

The sail-a-way from Bordeaux was excellent; the sun shimmered on the mighty Garonne and Dordogne River and mirrored in the pink tones of the château. A great many villages with prestigious vineyards are on the banks of the river. Beyond the grape vines, there’s emptiness. A strip of earth like a No Man’s Land, wedged between the Atlantic and the Gironde estuary, isolated due to its geography.

The estuary is a boundary. The shores themselves seem to agree, very majestically on one side with superb cliffs, while the other side is rather swampy and flat; humble, in sum, with its small coves holding just a few boats. Lots of rocky coastline interspersed with small towns and beaches. As we got nearer to the entrance of the estuary the river was extremely dramatic, with waves breaking over the rocks and several different lighthouses warn ships of the dangers.

Late afternoon, I attended a lecture on Brest, our next port, and learned that Brittany drew its heritage from the Celts. Apparently it was the centre of a sophisticated prehistoric culture that had strong links with Wales, Scotland and Ireland. After being absorbed into France, its fortunes declined as it was ignored and oppressed by its new rulers. It is thought that Brittany has the oldest continuously inhabited areas in the world and the structures that remain are both spectacular and of supreme importance. Large stones, utilizing an interlocking system without the use of mortar or cement, date back to 6000 BC. They pre-exist Stonehenge and even the pyramids of Egypt.

After dinner (and tucking Dickie into bed), I engaged in the usual shipboard activity: A nightcap at the Crows Nest. Our friends were already there. A karaoke singer resurrected Frank Sinatra from the grave by singing “the Lady is A Tramp”, but nobody noticed.

Before retiring, the group went to the Lido for a late night snack. Having had enough food to last me a lifetime, I called it a night.
....and there in the cabin I found chocolates on my pillow again.
Clearly, the cabin steward wants me dead!

At 8:00 in the morning we arrived in Brest, home base for the French Naval Fleet. None of the excursions were appealing to us, so we took a shuttle to the city center and moseyed around town. Their claim to fame is the Océanopolis marine center and the Musée de la Marine de Brest. The city is a centre of commerce, combining the cobbled streets and fortifications of the old port with all the attractions and facilities of the modern city.

At 5:00 PM we set sails for the awesome town of St. Malo in Normandy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjXvk9GfsFw

Click on the above YouTube link to see the pictures.