The weather couldn't have been more perfect today for our exploration of Port Navalo. We ran out of time the day we went to Suscinio and Saint Gildas du Rhuys to finish the Michelin tour, so today we are headed back to that peninsula to finish. We are also on the lookout for a beach to pair with a morning visit to Castle Suscinio when Penny and Evie are here. We set our sights for Port Crouesty and Port Navalo.
These ports are directly opposite from where we're staying, as the crow flies, but it takes 45 minutes by car to reach this eastern side of the Gulf of Morbihan.
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| our house to Port Crouesty |
The tourist office was open in Port Crouesty and the map we received was excellent both as an overview and detail to the whole Presqu'Ile de Rhuys (the east side of the Gulf of Morbihan). We explored the beautiful marina, home to what seems to be 1000 pleasure boats. I was wrong - according to their website, Port Crouesty, built in 1973, can moor almost 1500 boats and is the largest pleasure port in Brittany. Certainly looks so.
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| A parking garage for boats! |
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| panorama of Port Crouesty |
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| sailboats as far as you can see |
But we're looking for a beach possibility, so we headed away from the port to find lovely sand beach stretching along the Atlantic. We first parked at Plage de Kerjouanno, but it was not accessible for my scooter. But it was beautiful.
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| Dave coming up from the beach to report |
We ate lunch at the picnic tables along the walk to the beach.
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| There's a camper parking lot/campground behind us |
We made our way to the Plage du Fugeo which turned out to be a large recreation area with picnic tables, playground, horse back riding, sailing classes, and lots of open beach. That's the beach for us. It would be a perfect place to picnic and spend the afternoon with Penny, Evie and their parents.
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| Dave checking out the beach |
Next stop, Port Navalo. From this port, you can see the far end of Ile aux Moines, which is the island we see from our Port Blanc location. It was a fishing port in the early 20th century, but now is mostly tourists and pleasure fishermen. Walking out on the quay brings you to the very end point of land jutting into the sea from this peninsula.
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| Panorama from the quai |
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| Looking over at the quai which is the end of land on this peninsula. We walked out to the very end, of course. |
It is also a point of embarkation/debarkation for cruises around the bay. As well, there is a small navette that ferries people back and forth to Ile aux Moines.
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| the navette to ferry people to Ile aux Moines |
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| a tourboat |
Heading home, we made a quick stop at a mill, turned art gallery.
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| the art gallery within |
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| Pen Cast Mill |
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| Pen Cast Mill |
We had made reservations yesterday for a restaurant in Baden called Au Rhythme des Marées. Dave had read reviews of it online and wanted to go. Well, I'd say we had an authentic seafood dinner there tonight. It turns out that Au Rhythme des Marées (the Rhythm of the Tides) is actually the name of a boat that takes people out to learn about oyster culture. The restaurant is called La Cabane à Huitre (the Oyster Shack). Both these were started in 2012 by the owners of L'Huitre La Touverne, an oyster culture company that has been family run since 1869.
La Toulverne is a spit of land on the south end of Baden that separates the Inlet of Baden from the marshland of Toulverne. Right at the tip of this spit of land is the restaurant. The oyster warehouses are behind the restaurant. Clearly, they catch other seafood because tanks of live lobster, langoustines, moules, and shellfish whose names I don't know in English or in French. You can buy these to cook at home. The restaurant is on a deck behind the Oyster Shack with a dozen or so tables. We were one couple of four dining at 7 pm. You order from a large sign posted on the door to the deck.
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| It was breezy here in spite of the glass protection. The marshland of Toulverne is behind me. |
Dave ordered the plateau torteau and I ordered moules marinieres which came with fries. Dave's dinner was an adventure, mine tried and true.
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| Our dinners |
When it came, we quickly surmised that torteau was crab, because that's what he got half of. We knew huitres were oysters (raw in this case), and langoustines are baby sized lobsters and crevettes are very big shrimp. It turns out that bulots are whelks (in this case little ones), palourdes are some sort of clams, and the pot de bigomeaux is a pot of periwinkles, tiny snails. Dave thought the clams were slimy and tasteless - They were also raw. Anyway we washed it all down with a bottle of Muscadet.
The breeze was fresh but when the sun was out, it was very pleasant. Dave was really glad we had this adventure. For sure, it's a mostly local place, although I saw one woman with a Michelin Guide and two couples speaking German.
A lot of adventure for one day. We're both ready for bed.
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