Another short bus trip from Morlaix on the Léon side of the Baie of Morlaix takes you to the small town of Carantec.  This place is all about pirates and Résistance.  At the entrance to the bay stands the Château du Taureau, a 16th century fortification designed to block access to alien ships.  Later strengthened by military architectural specialist, Vauban, the castle was also later used as a prison for insane aristocrats.  Evidently an underwater cable or chain was strung between the chateau island and another across the bay to stop the intruders getting in.

Carantec is also famous as the haven where De Gaulle hid his family before organising their evacuation to safety in Britain in the dark days of WWII. It is said that De Gaulle always retained a residual affection for Brittany thereafter.

My visit coincided with low tide so I was able to walk to Île Callot.  An island for 16 hours per day, Île Callot is home to 17 people and is famous for its potatoes (the stuff you learn while travelling!)  I just found it quirky and pleasant to walk to and from an island. And it did release the boy in me for a short time.

Low tide is a busy time at Île Callot as residents take advantage of the short window of opportunity to access the mainland and to receive deliveries or services.

Final highlight was afternoon tea with Odile.  I had met Brussels based journalist, Odile on the bus from Quimper and we had struck up an interesting conversation about politics in France and Europe more generally.  We mused over how the Americans will deal with the ongoing embarrassment of their Presidency and whether Emmanuel Macron can make an impact in France.  Afternoon tea was very civilised: sparkling cider, crêpes and galettes, all in the wrong order but somewhat logical after starting the day off with tiramisu.

And I did not miss the bus home – even though it left 10 minutes early!