Returning Home to Brittany

We depart the ship at 0800.

Didier cannot find the exit to the parking garage. We eventually load the car. Little space remains in the Opel. The four of us are surrounded by pieces of luggage.

It is a long drive to Brest. We make numerous stops and one lunch stop. Unfortunately, Biere et Choppes, an extraordinary beer pub and store is closed on Sunday.

We have dinner at Bistrot 1954 at Pointe Saint Matteau. We begin sharing a half dozen oysters. 

If it is possible to overdo it on foie gras, this night we succeeded.

A neighbor retrieves us from the restaurant. Didier and Jocelyne have not yet returned from the theatre. We raid their liqueur cabinet.

  

Brittany Day 1

CJ accompanies Didier and Jocelyne to Le Conquet for a crêpe lunch. The crêperie is full on arrival so we take a drink at St. Barbe. 

The walk to the restaurant is picturesque.

CJ attended many a corporate dinner at this place when he worked here. The restaurant sits perched on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.

The return to delicious Bretton crepes. First the savory main course, La Crêpe Complète Bretonne.

CJ's favorite water: Badoit.

And then the desert crepe. CJ cannot resist ordering his favorite: pear and banana with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream. Yes, he is a bad boy!

We pass by the church next.

Before returning home we take a short walk on a walking lift bridge that crosses the Le Conquet estuary.

The view toward the sea and the harbour entrance.

The tide is out. In this part of Europe, radical tides influence boat design. Notice the dual keels which keep the boat upright when the tide is out.

The view upriver.

We have drinks with Jean-Jacques and Nelly before departing for dinner. Didier and Jocelyne have dance lessons in Brest so they drop us off in Brest.

Dinner with Marie and Thierry at a crab shack, Le Crabe Marteau, in the Brest port.

This makes four restaurants CJ has attended in this block. He was once a regular at another in the next block.

Last Scenic Diamond

We spend our last evening docked in Bordeaux. It is a busy evening. Since departing Cadillac we have been packing. It requires periodic breaks. At this point one suitcase is packed and set aside on the balcony.

Every passenger gets invited to a set course special menu in a separate dining area off the lounge for one evening during the cruise. Our invitation comes on the final evening aboard. These meals are prepared by the ship's sous chef.

The amuse-bouche.

The entrée of tuna tartare and beetroot.

An amazingly flavorful tomato soup.

A fish course with fresh wild mushrooms.

Beef and foie gras with wild mushrooms.

This singer and guitar player entertains after dinner. He has played all over Europe and perhaps the world. He is very good.

Let the dancing begin.

The final sunrise in Bordeaux aboard Scenic Diamond.

Disembarkation. 

The parking garage is located behind and above the shops lining the quay. A porter takes our luggage to the pick-up area adjacent. There is construction in the parking garage and signage is lacking. Didier appears at the portal where we entered. He cannot figure out how to get out of the garage. A fellow advises him.

Packing our luggage into the car is a feat of engineering.

We are headed home to Brittany.

Cadillac & Sauternes

The ship departs for Cadillac on the morning tide. We must pause mid river to wait for the proper moment for the low tide before passing under an old bridge in Bordeaux.

After kissing a dock to allow the pilot to jump off, we head upriver toward Cadillac.

Destination: Château Rayne Vigneau.

The vines of desert wines.

A tour of the barrel cellar before tasting.

A sampling of fine sweet desert wines of Sauternes.

The bus gives us a tour of the finer château of Sauternes. Here we see the future owners of Château d'Yquem in front of the vineyards and château.

We pass so many we don't remember the name of this château.

Château Reussec, our favorite Sauternes.

We enjoy a picturesque ride back to Cadillac.

The approach to Cadillac is impressive.

Scenic Diamond docked and rafted with a Viking ship.