Tag Archives: harbor

Meandering in May in Morlaix

Needing a break from the grim and seemingly interminable winter last year, we decided to meander around Brittany, comparing the lifestyles on offer in each small village and larger town. Morlaix may not have been where we chose to settle, but it had a lot going for it as you’ll soon see.

The undeniable ‘feature’ of the small city is the viaduct, built in the late 1800s, that looms over a portion of the town below. The viaduct carries the train tracks and is even snuggled up close to a historic church. I can imagine that the houses, businesses, and the church all feel the vibrations of that rail traffic throughout the day!

The 1800s viaduct in Morlaix, Brittany, France looms over the town below.

The 1800s viaduct in Morlaix, Brittany, France looms over the town below.

As you walk further away from the viaduct and into the ‘old town’ area, it’s soon clear that the entire city is built on several levels with both residential and commercial areas sprinkled high and low.

The old town of Morlaix is built on several levels.

Along an almost silent street on the upper levels of Morlaix, the violin maker’s shop is now closed and the blinds are drawn down.

Some of the medieval era streets are quite narrow and twisty. Since the doors and shutters for both homes and businesses are sometimes closed tightly against the weather, you’ll need to keep a close lookout for the quirky spots — the tiny shops of interest that are off the main streets filled with glossier offerings.

Blue-painted front facade of a small brocante in a narrow street in Morlaix, Brittany, France.

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©Deborah Harmes 2007-2018 and
©A Wanderful Life 2007-2018
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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
Please respect the words and images on this page.
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Granville in Normandy: Seaside Views and Memories

There is simply no way to escape. The visible signs of the past are ever-present in this part of France and a simple trip to the seaside has turned once again into a history lesson.

After driving through the autumn coloured countryside of Normandy for an hour from our current location near Mortain, we passed through Avranches and drove on to Granville. Mark asked me, “Want to take a walk on the beach?” We parked the car and descended down the sharply angled street and I could immediately see that this was not the types of beach we were accustomed to.

Walking down the ramp to the beach at Granville on the Normandy coast of France

Gray stone, jagged boulders, and sand littered with shards and shells lay before us. What a contrast to our familiar Australian or American blonde-sand covered and fairly rock-free beaches.

Rock strewn beach at Granville on the Normandy coast of France

Back in the car, we passed the bustling port full of ships in all sizes, whisked quickly through the ‘new town’, and ascended the road toward the historic ‘old town’ Granville until we had reached the rocky peak. At the edge of the cliff, just outside the stone walls of the old town, we could see a lighthouse.

Lighthouse at Granville on the Normandy coast of France

The wind was so gusty that we had to plant each foot firmly as we walked. But the surprise that we encountered was that all around the lighthouse in an arc along the top of the ridge overlooking the sea were concrete bunkers left over from World War II. That dark bump on the left in the photo above turned out to be one of these relics of the past.

Coastal fortifications from WW II at Granville on the Normandy coast of France

During their active use, they each stored rather a lot of ammunition and had soldiers with a machine gun atop which had been mounted into the concrete. Today they provide an impromptu place to rest or an object for children to scramble over.

Gun emplacements from WW II at Granville on the Normandy coast of France

View from the 'old town' overlook toward the newer part of Granville on the Normandy coast of France

View of the port area and 'new town' Granville on the Normandy coast of France from high atop 'old town'

We plan to go back in a week or two and this time we will walk up and down those narrow streets in the ancient historic section. We were ‘stuck’ in the car on very thin one-way streets with no place to just get out for a few random minutes and take a photos. But there were far too many beautiful angles of light and shadow against stone walls within the old town for me not to visit on another sunny day.

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Dragonish in Devonport, New Zealand

For the price of a ferry ticket, visitors to Auckland on New Zealand’s north island can leave the bustling metropolitan area behind and be walking around on the quaint streets of a bayside village within 15-20 minutes. The charming suburb of Devonport is visible from the dockside precinct of the city, but the look and feel of the area gives the illusion that you have gone back in time by several decades.

Devonport Ferry Terminal with Auckland, New Zealand in the background

This tiny community has an eclectic mix of architectural styles that include Federation cottages from the 1800s and an Art Deco theatre on the main street.

Federation cottages from the 1800s in Devonport near Auckland, New Zealand

Art Deco theatre on the main street of Devonport near Auckland, New Zealand

But our real ‘find of the day’ was a work of mosaic art sitting half-way up a steep hill on a tiny green park. This ‘find’ overlooks the township and the harbour below. In the first photo below, you can just make out a man’s head in this view from the back. And those children on the left were running downhill quite quickly, trying to keep their balance on the steep angle.

Dragon passed by children running downhill in Devonport near Auckland, New Zealand

Dragon bench of mosaic tiles in Devonport near Auckland, New Zealand

Detail on backside of mosaic-art dragon bench in Devonport near Auckland, New Zealand

And so you can get a feel for the size and scale of this piece, here’s what a 6 foot tall man looks like sitting on it.

Man sitting on dragon bench in part overlooking Devonport near Auckland, New Zealand

Devonport — a charming side trip from Auckland and it is well worth a full day or overnight visit.