Bretagne and homeward bound

I'm writing this post in our hotel at the Paris airport but time is short so it will not get posted until we get home to Portland.
We arrived in Brest on Monday late afternoon. The sun was shining and more wind was blowing! The yellow stuff growing there is a type of scotch broom!!!

We came via train to Lyon and then plane from Lyon to Brest. It was one of those running through the airport to catch a plane moments in Lyon so not a single photo of this very nice airport which is slated to get even bigger next year!
We  picked up our Fiat 500

and proceeded to Pont l'Abbé to surprise maman who was just finishing her dessert. She looks great at 95!!
We were staying in Benodet nearby and where we've stayed before only this time we were at the Grand Hotel Abbatiale near the little harbor filled with boats of all kinds.

After dinner we took a walk along the seawall under starry skies.

Morning however was rainy but our hotel had the best buffet breakfast so we sat and enjoyed delicious coffee and croissants until it was time to get maman and drive over to Concarneau.

We strolled in the walled city there until it was time to go to lunch in the little restaurant we like on the harbor.

As you can see it was rather chilly and windy.

There was a huge ferris wheel nearby probably because of Easter break and we passed by on our way to enjoy some mussels and frites.

I would really like to look this chic and snazzy at 95!!

I took a few shop photos after lunch since everything was closed for the noon hour. This is one of the typical French sailor shops....stripes everywhere actually.

This is a look inside the shop...so many stripe colors. Yes...I did get a stripe top but not here. I only had room in my suitcase for one slim item or else who knows!!??

The wind was pretty chilly so we decided to drive back to Benodet. This whole village has postcard views wherever one looks. The sky too began to clear a bit and when you are out of the wind the sun was nice and warm. Here is a view from in front of the hotel.

By 7 pm the sun was mostly out and we took a longer walk along the shore...the clouds in the distance were heading somewhere else. This is the beach we visited in July last summer...completely empty this time!

On Wednesday we took a drive over to Saint Marine across the bay from Benodet. A small local market was set up there.

We were quite cold (not maman just me and JC) so our lunch was perfect: soupe aux poissons among other items 

and these lovely desserts...cappuccino  mousse

 and  mini tarte tatin....

This is the view out the window of the Cafe du Port...

 we were a happy group to enjoy the yummy food and lovely view.

Outside we walked a bit in the harbor area and enjoyed the brisk air!!

Since the sky was clearing up we decided to go back to Benodet...you can see our hotel there on the left of the church steeple.

JC though we would enjoy a two hour boat excursion on the Odet river up to Quimper and back. It was a lovely ride and we all three cuddled up together as we glided along. Outside we had all weather systems like our friend JM says:"all seasons in one day." there was sunshine, wind, clouds, rain, hail and just plain dark sky during the boat ride.

Through the forest along the river you can see some stone châteaux. In one of them Emile Zola either wrote or began his novel Germinal.

We spent some time in the mornings walking around Benodet and I took a few photos. This pink house was just up the street from out hotel.

Here's the view towards the hotel which is on the right. The sky was blue and sun shining but the temperature was 32 degrees.

This is a tile map of Benodet on the side of our hotel...notice that JC is wearing the red wool cap I bought in Geneva!!

Here are a few views from our hotel room windows on separate days.

 Every once in a while there is a little pop of color like the bright turquoise shutters you can see on the far right of this photo...

All in all it was an invigorating visit and we were delighted to find maman looking, and acting so fit!!

We left Brest with blue skies again ready to get home to Portland!

Here's a rather goofy Brest airport selfie!! See my new striped top??

See you back in Oregon! A bientôt!!