Ile-de Batz - Bronze Age Remains

Wednesday – Today’s plan was to meet Isabell and Abdel in Roscoff to take the boat across to “Ile-de Batz”, a very fertile small island with 400 inhabitants. Initially went to the wrong carpark and then had to find the Roscoff harbour where our friends were waiting. Oh, what a blessing the GPS is. With time to spare we walked the streets of this enchanting ancient town which was involved with English Queen Anne in 1490, it was also a town which Sylvie and I absolutely adored. At 11:30 the small ferry took us to the island, but we were disappointed to find all the cafes, shops and hotels closed and had to rush to the only small supermarket to buy bread, meat, cheese and fruit for lunch, which we later consumed in the bitter cold sitting outside in front of the closed hotel. The wind never stopped blowing. We walked through the town and countryside, meeting a fourth-generation farmer (90 years of age but didn’t look it) who was borne here and still living in the same family house. He spoke about the destructive 197kph winds in November 2023, and how the Germans during their WW2 occupation of the island had given him sweets and chocolate and how his mother had given them hot drinks. When we returned to Roscoff late afternoon we went straight to the hotel where Abdel and I ordered a hot chocolate and Sylvie and Isabelle a hot cider. Having warmed up a little we walked around the town and did some food shopping. Tonight, we enjoyed a lovely dinner with Isabelle and Abdel at their Airbnb in Saint-Pol-de-Leon. We left at 22:00 and in the dark our GPS directed us up a small farm road and we ended up in a farmer’s courtyard. With the noise that we made all the lights in the house came on and a barking dog came running to the back door, we quickly turned around and made a hasty retreat. Eventually we found our way home to “Les Roses”. Tomorrow, we leave for an Airbnb in “Landerneau”. The temperature today was never over two degrees with very cold arctic winds.

Ile-de Batz. Look out for Bronze Age remains, the ruins of Saint Anne's chapel (to the east), Saint Pol's stole (in the church), the 19th-century lighthouse, the Captain's houses and the guardroom, they have all shaped the island's history...Read more