The Creaking Carcasses at Camaret-sur-Mer

It has been several months since we were in Camaret-sur-Mer, but we had relatively good weather for our trip to the far end of the Finistere in Western Brittany, France. Once a major fishing hub, the seaside town is best known now for the ‘Graveyard of Ships’ that lies directly across from the pretty harbour with its string of cafes and shops.

Nothing like rusting hulls and crackling paint to make eccentric but interesting photos. Enjoy!

Camaret-sur-Mer Harbour in Brittany, France

The boat graveyard in Camaret-sur-Mer, Brittany, France.

Crumbling ships in the boat graveyard at Camaret-sur-Mer in the Finister region of Brittany, France.

Mark taking up-close photos of crumbling boats in the ship graveyard at Camaret-sur-Mer in the Finistere region of Brittany, France.

And just to finish it off nicely — a black and white of one particularly interesting clump of old ships, crumbling into oblivion at the seaside.

Crumbling ships in the boat graveyard at Camaret-sur-Mer in the Finister region of Brittany, France. Black and white. B&W

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©Deborah Harmes 2007-2018 and
©A Wanderful Life 2007-2018
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The Work-Life Balance?

Just saying…

When you feel like jumping the barricades just to make your day-week-month-life a bit more straightforward…

Roadblock sign in France. Deviation. Route Barree.

I won’t downplay how thrilling it is to have so much consistent writing and editing work — and Mark’s renovation work is taking off again now that the weather has improved. But creating a day or two of time off for just-plain-fun can be a challenge for both of us — especially when we’ve spent so many ‘days off’ doing bureaucratic paperwork like getting two vehicles, inspected, altered (headlights changed from UK direction to EU direction and new tyres, too!), and finally registered with French license plates.

We’ve had multiple trips to Vannes for a variety of reasons including our interview for our residency cards (accompanied by a THICK folder of paperwork!) and a return visit to pick up those photo-ID credit-card-sized proofs of French residency. Hooray!

Occasional bits of sightseeing or museum-going, bits and bobs of shopping, and looking at houses for sale (groan!).

Up and down, up and down.

Juggling — happily (most of the time!) juggling…

#work_life_balance
#deadlines
#writing
#editing

Based In Brittany Now!

It will be apparent from the lack of updates on this particular website that things have changed in our lives. Indeed they have — in a very GOOD way!

After our holiday in Brittany last year, we became convinced that it might be a good place to settle down. So after a LONG visit of 2 months in the UK in June and July, we returned to this part of northern France, rented a house directly across the street from some friends, and sent for our household goods to be delivered from the storage unit in the UK.

It’s a funny little house, but very sweet and just what we need for now. And best of all, we have a wonderful circle of friends here. So life is good!

Our small but cute little house in Brittany.

Looking forward to the return of the fragrant roses in the Spring!

There’s apparently been a mad RUSH to get official French residency since Brexit was declared in the UK! So we’re BOTH going to get our Carte du Sejour (residency) as a just-in-case. It’s all feeling quite comfortable here now — so we will BOTH declare ourselves as residents of France.

That should do for a catch-up. Perhaps I’ll start sharing some photos of the area???

All for now…

Copyright
©Deborah Harmes and ©A Wanderful Life 2007-2018
Please respect the words and images on this page.
All rights reserved.

Breathtaking Brittany — Multiple Posts Coming Up!

We’re on the road in Brittany right now — taking a much needed holiday. I’ll have a whole series of posts from Dinan and Morlaix and the Finistere and Quimper. From ancient towns filled with half-timbered or stone buildings to pre-historic standing stones to gothic cathedrals — this part of France is simply stunning.

Just a tease or two — so shhhh — come back soon!

Rooftop Jumble in the historic city of Quimper in the Finistere Brittany, France.

Side entry of the Cathedral in Quimper, Brittany, France.

Standing stones near Camaret-sur-Mer

©Deborah Harmes and ©A Wanderful Life
Please respect the words and images on this page.
All rights reserved.

UPDATES on the Ad Lib Artisans website

Interesting how quickly time slides away — and we’re a bit shocked to realise that we are leaving the house that Mark has been working on since November in TWO WEEKS!

We’re headed over to the other side of Normandy for another reno — but it also looks like we’ll be leaving France in mid-June to have some adventures in other countries. Sooooo — it was time to update Mark’s online work portfolio with a LOT of pictures.

Gallery 1 has the images from here in Normandy over the last 5 months. And Gallery 2 is full of the pictures from that huge renovation he did on the Mid Century ranch house in Australia in 2014 through mid-2016.

Want a peek? Then go to Ad Lib Artisans to see what I’m talking about. DOZENS of photos showing the range of the work that Mark does.

Mark inside the Calvados house from the 1400s.

Photo Of The Day — The Woman In Red in Vimoutiers

Seriously — it’s moments like this that make you smile.

This tiny little woman in a red jacket wouldn’t have even been shoulder height on me. And there she was on a Saturday afternoon, dressed in her bright red wool jacket and making her way through the French town of Vimoutiers in Normandy. I hope I’m still getting around that well when I’m her esteemed age!

Old woman in a red coat walking in front of a historic church in Vimoutiers, Normandy, France.

Time For A RELAUNCH!

I mentioned this bit of news in my last post — so it’s time to show you what I’ve been up to since the Christmas holidays.

Rather unexpectedly — and happily — my freelance writing and editing business has taken off — so I did a total facelift of my writing, editing, and photography website.

The interesting thing about the photography is that it sells in fabbo spurts a few times each year. But what stays consistent is the writing and editing work.

The refreshed and relaunched website at deborahharmes.com

Just CLICK ON THIS LINK for the new and improved website!

Give me a few days (I hope!) and I’ll tell you about some of the amazing clients I have had in the last couple of months — everyone from advertising agencies to CEOs of interesting international organisations to medical practitioners to artists and creators. It’s certainly never boring!

Back soon…