Vannes and the Golfe du Morbihan

Having left Arzal barrage at 0740, we arrived at Kerino Bridge – a distance of about 40 miles - a few minutes before its 1530 opening. We had thought it would be open permanently now that a tunnel has been completed for the traffic that used to use it, but the bridge is still being used by bikes and pedestrians.

We were allocated a berth in Vannes marina while waiting for the bridge. This was something of a relief as, with about a dozen boats entering at the same time, it would otherwise have been chaos!

Kerino Bridge which opens to provide access to Vannes marina

The convoy of boats heading for Vannes marina

Vannes marina, with Cyclone centre rear of picture

Vannes marina lies slap bang in the middle of town. This is both good and bad – good because everything is on your doorstep (do you have doorsteps on boats?) but bad because that includes the noise! 

After our first night, a Friday, I’d commented that it had been surprisingly quiet. This was most definitely a case of speaking too soon! Saturday night, through to about 0730, was one long chorus of singing, shouting and whistling. Sunday night wasn’t much better, with a group of ne'er do wells (I have no justification for that description apart from the fact that they kept us awake) having an impromptu party - about 50 metres from our berth - which lasted until about 0400.

We actually stayed a total of 5 nights for a variety of reasons. The remaining 2 were a bit quieter but by no means silent.

Vannes is well worth a visit. Its historic town centre and approximately 3/4s of its ramparts are remarkably well preserved, having somehow escaped damage in WW2.

The tourist information centre provides a free map of the town that includes 3 walking routes (in English) which take you past the most interesting sights. Jo is generally rather scathing of self-guided walking routes, being firmly of the view that the tourist information centres include sites of very little interest on them, just so they have somewhere to send you! However, even Jo would concede that those working in Vannes were spoilt for choice. The pictures hopefully show what I mean. 

The first group are from the town walk:

Town Gate St Vincent Ferrier - rebuilt in the 18th century

Market day. Tripe sausage anyone? Just 6 euros...

Rue P R Rogues

Vannes et sa femme. Nobody knows why they're there now

Chateau Gaillard. 15th century. Houses archaeology museum

Rue des Halles. Housing from the Middle Ages

Rue St Salomon

Wooden detail from the Lion house, 13 Rue St Salomon

Vannes town hall

Place Henri IV - 17th century

The pictures below are from the ramparts walk, although they do start with one of the lock gate that keeps the water in the marina and some photos of the cars that gathered in Vannes that day for a rally

Lock gate that kept us afloat in Vannes. Note keel shaped dents in it!

Love it! But you do wonder why anyone bothered to preserve a beige 2CV

Sublime to ridiculous? Fiat 500 next to Bentley Turbo R

Cute!

Night John boy. Night Mary-Ellen (etc.)

A Burton!

Jaguar XK140

I think this was from 1904. Remember them Keith?

Looking over Vannes marina to the town beyond

Impressive and built into the ramparts on the site of the former Castle de L'Hermine

Town gate Poterne

The wash houses

Connetable Tower - 15th century

The Gallo-Roman town wall with the cathedral St Pierre in the background

Vannes was hosting a jazz festival during part of our stay. We were looking forward to this as we like a bit of trad jazz, but unfortunately it was of the “Jazz Club” variety.

Remember “Jazz Club” from the Fast Show? “Nice”, “Great” etc? For those who don't, the compere's introduction is followed by a group of unquestionably talented musicians going into battle – each playing their own tunes which have nothing in common with those the others in the band are playing. 

Well, to our ears, that’s exactly what the Vannes jazz sounded like! So, in my opinion, it's a bit like modern art. Rubbish! Emperor's new clothes!! (although the musicians are at least talented. You can't say the same about modern 'artists'). Or am I just an uneducated Philistine? 

Vannes is accessed via the Golfe du Morbihan – Mor Bihan meaning inland sea in the Breton language. This is a really beautiful area with many islands (most of which are privately owned above the high water line) and calm waters. It reminded us a little of the Stockholm archipelago, but on nothing like the same scale.

Unlike the Stockholm archipelago, however, the Morbihan has fierce tidal streams - in places reaching up to 9 knots! Timing is therefore everything when navigating there - that and making sure that the tide isn’t sweeping you off course and onto rocks!

Other than that there’s very little to say about it. The pictures tell the story, although they don’t really do the place justice.

Port Navalo at the entrance to the Morbihan

The first of many pictures from the Morbihan...

... and the second...

... and so on...

... and so forth...

... etc...

... etc...

... etc...

... etc...

... yawn...

...er, and the last - for a moment

We anchored at 2 different sites for a total of 4 nights. 

View from Cyclone at our first anchorage...

... and another...

... and another...

... and another. Views like these make it seem claustrophobic when we return home

En route to our second anchorage...

... and again...

... and again...

... and again. This is what 6 knots of tide does to a flat calm sea!

The view from our second anchorage...

... and near low water when the oyster beds are exposed...

... more oyster beds from our anchorage

That's a French boat with an anchor ball. The only one we've seen!

After 4 nights at anchor Jo was starting to pong a bit so we headed for the marina at Port Haliguen on the Quiberon peninsular.

Entrance to Port Haliguen

2 nights at Port Haliguen are costing us 72 euros – that’s £60 in post Brexit times – which provides something of an incentive for us to move on! At least peak season in most French marinas applies only to July and August. This same marina is just 23 euros per night in May, June and September and less still in the remaining months of the year.

We’re off to do some exploring now before stocking up on grub, doing some washing and moving on to a couple more anchorages, weather permitting.

Thanks for reading.