We took the train from Paris (Montparnasse) to St Nazaire then rented a car. The places we visited while in southern Brittany: Pornichet, la Baule, le Croisic, Batz sur Mer, Guerande, Vannes, Carnac, Guiberon and Concarneau-I’d never heard of one of these before in my life. It was just enough to get a taste of that part of Brittany-enough to make you want to visit again.

Near Carnac are these intriguing megaliths put in place thousands of years ago, all lying east to west. There are thousands of them.

Another view to give you an idea of how they were lined up.

A castle on the edge of the ocean that appeared to be lived in. This was in Quiberon which is on a piece of land jutting out into the ocean called Presqu’ile de Quiberon. Presqu’ile means almost an island which struck me as curious. I guess it might be called a spit of land, maybe a penisula, to Americans. I’ve never lived near the ocean so don’t know these nautical/geographic terms.

I love these fences that protect the dunes.

Just an old rowboat floating in a harbor. Lots of harbors in Brittany.

The dishes made in Quimper in Brittany are very famous. I have a plate myself. We didn’t make it to Quimper but it is on my list for next time.

Brittany is known for its rocky coast. There are a few sandy beaches as well. When the tide is out, people are out with rakes and buckets looking for shell fish probably for their next meal. Looks like fun.

These two figures were on the side of a building in the old walled section of a very interesting city called Vannes. It was well worth the stop. I think we would had driven right past if I hadn’t done a little research and learned about it.

A look at some of the half timbered buildings in Vannes.

Maurice and I recently made a quick three day trip to Brittany, the southern part mostly in what is called the Guerandaise, the area full of marshes where the famous salt is made. It is a truly beautiful part of France on the Atlantic Coast and we had a fabulous time. The day we arrived there was wind and rain which is very typical for the coast. It blew and rained so much that my umbrella broke a spoke, my rain coat turned from light purple to dark with water saturation, my hat was soaked and my glasses totally useless. The next two days, however, were wonderful with mild temperatures and sunshine. A perfect time to be there.

An old windmill on the side of the highway that once ground the flour used to make the famous crepes here. We had some and they were really good. Galettes are the ones made from buckwheat for savory fillings and crepes are the lighter ones used for sweet fillings.

A menu outside a typical restaurant. As you can see, it is mostly seafood. I had some great fish and scallops. So fresh.

A boat hanging in a church we entered.

A photo I took of a place mat showing the salt marshes from up above. It’s a very interesting process.

Bags of the famous salt for sale. The little village of Guerande and the old walled section, was so cute, almost Disneyland in perfection.

One of the most lively streets in the Left Bank, in my opinion, is Rue de Buci. It is lined with cafes and interesting shops and full of people enjoying themselves. I often find myself there just to see what’s new or worthy of a photo or two.

A street cleaner dressed in that distinctive shade of green with the unual broom which I guess at one time must have been made of twigs.

A line of tables and chairs on the street waiting for customers.

Someone after my own heart.

I love the long aprons that waiters often wear in France. (PS-I cropped this photo and didn’t even notice that I cut out the B and R in Brasserie. A funny mistake.)

I love this blue door. I think it is a color I see quite a bit around Paris but this door is a bit more elegant than many. It’s in Place de la Madeleine.

Probably done during Hausmann’s day.

Two sweet angels are atop each door.

Not your average decoration.

Woman in a hurry.

I never get tired of taking shots around the Paris markets.

I love scallops-I love to eat them and I love the shape of their shells.

An artistic touch in arranging the haricot verts and tomatoes.

Don’t these strawberries look good? But they really aren’t. They are from Spain and most of the strawberries sold right now aren’t even grown in dirt but some sort of irrigation system and they just don’t have that sweet strawberry taste. I’ve learned to wait until the French strawberries arrive-not too much longer now.

Scallops all cooked up in a white wine sauce and served in the shell. They are very tasty this way. I would have bought some to take home if I were heading there straight away but with a walk around of several hours I was afraid of their fate before I arrived home.