France for Adventure - Camping In Quimper

Many people’s first experience of France is under canvas – and with caravans, mobile homes and even the humble tent still enjoying an ardent following, the camping holiday is here to stay, whatever your age. That said, camping with grandparents in their 80s may still seem slightly ambitious, but with a well-chosen site and a carefully planned itinerary, a camping holiday in France can still bridge the generation gap.

There were obvious differences in our quartet: Granny, as spritely as she is at 85, wasn’t going to want to paint the town red and Granddad, a year her senior, would happily spend every day of his holiday visiting one obscure museum after another. Whereas it has to be said that my 23-yearold cousin and I are only able to muster genuine interest for a limited number of medieval frescoes and are much more used to action-packed city breaks and the occasional lazy beach holiday. But there were a surprising number of common interests too: the Francophile gene had certainly been passed down the generations and what’s not to like about daytrips of discovery around picturepostcard towns? The important thing was to choose the location wisely – and to make sure everyone was insured to drive the car for a fast getaway if it all got too much.

The Breton town of Quimper in Finistère was our destination. Not only is it within easy driving distance of the ports of both Caen and Saint-Malo, but our chosen route (Portsmouth to Caen) also had convenient crossing times, an important factor for a relaxing and manageable journey. Our chosen base of Quimper met all our criteria with plenty to see and do within a 50-mile radius; charming towns that begged to be explored, wide, unending sandy beaches and rolling countryside all just a short drive away.

The site itself was also a major consideration in as much as it had to have good facilities and be pleasant enough to while away an afternoon in situ. Our site on the very edge of the town was affiliated to Castel & Camping and, as it was situated in the leafy grounds of a 15thcentury château, it more than met these requirements. A long, tree-lined avenue led to a secluded community of some 200 pitches and somehow each plot managed to have a character all of its own. Cropped hedges and flowering bushes demarcated boundaries and we could choose from large and palatial expanses to cosy, enclosed enclaves.

There were plenty of nooks and crannies to be explored as the outbuildings had all been expertly and sympathetically renovated to provide all the necessary four-star facilities. The immaculate château gardens are open to the public but as campsite residents, we got to explore in our own time. The explosion of hydrangea blooms was breathtaking and the perfectly symmetrical gardens were a delight to lose ourselves in and great to have as our own back garden for a week.

Town of charm
A reconnaissance of Quimper was top of our agenda having taken a day to set up camp and settle in. A gentle exploration of its old town made for an interesting and charming excursion. The architecture is eclectic and half-timbered houses butt up against granite and stone; slate roofs often forget they are just roofs and creep half-way down the façade stopping just above the front door.

The old town is a network of cobbled streets – pretty, but not easy on any age of legs – with plenty of eye-catching boutiques as well as a wonderfully stocked covered market. The twin-spired cathedral is another must-see and got an extra tick as its pews provided free seating for one of the regular breaks.

You don’t have to walk very far anywhere in Brittany before coming across a crêperie and the vicinity of Quimper’s place au Buerre seemed to attract more than its fair share. The tiny cave-like Crêperie An Diskuiz, just around the corner, only had capacity for a maximum of 25 covers but served delicious crêpes and bowls of chilled sweet cider to mainly French diners.

The campsite is a short drive from the noteworthy beach resort of Bénodet that boasts an expanse of sand and a wide calm bay that makes for an ideal family day trip. It isn’t overly developed, but it is a resort rather than a wild, undiscovered bay. We chose to cycle the 15 kilometres while the grandparents took the car, giving them the freedom to return to the campsite at will, a compromise that benefitted everyone.

Catch of the day
Carrying on around the coast is another great day trip; Concarneau is a pretty Breton town that begs to be visited. The town is France’s first fishing port and if you’re lucky, you will get to see the day’s catch come in at the aptly named Port de Pêche. The impressive ramparts surround the walled town and with its beach as well, it’s a three-fold point of interest. There are plenty of cafés in which to sit and soak up the surroundings, so it makes an ideal stop-off point.

Further down the coast again are Port- Manech and Pont-Aven and both are still within an hour’s drive of the campsite. Pont-Aven is greatly favoured by artists for its light and in particular attracted the likes of Paul Gaugin and Émile Bernard. Rounding each corner yet another indescribably perfect scene is revealed and the sound of the rushing water of the River Aven is a constant reminder of the town’s milling past.

Restaurants along the mouth of the Aven serve a simple and delicious menu of fresh mussels or Breton galettes and the tiny town centre has some sophisticated boutiques that serve the influx of tourists remarkably tastefully. As well as Gauguin’s Pont-Aven painting school, the town is also known for its buttery melting Galettes de Pont-Aven and it is worth stockpiling a packet or two of these Breton speciality biscuits.

Boat trips journey down the estuary to the tiny Port-Manech but it is equally pleasant to drive. Wend your way down narrow roads that suddenly open out on to a wonderfully charming curve of a beach over which a row of weather-worn beach huts stands sentinel. There are some panoramic walks to be had for those so inclined but it is a wonderful spot in which to just sit and ponder.

Having reached our self-imposed diameter of exploration south, we turned our sights north-west to the most westerly point, the Pointe du Raz (pronounced ra). A driving tour from Quimper takes you through pretty towns and villages such as Pont-Croix and past sweet-smelling biscuiteries that offer tempting tours and tastings.

On the approach to the Pointe du Raz, the landscape opens out and becomes tinged with the desolate and suddenly the appropriateness of Finistère, meaning land’s end, becomes clear. The site, a designated Grand Site de France, receives about one million visitors every year and is both well managed and well protected.

You have the option of walking or taking the shuttle bus to the Pointe and in our case, the combination of a short walk there and a chauffeur back was perfect. It is certainly recommended to walk at least one way as the path is quite remarkable and takes only about 20 minutes at a gentle pace. To one side, the sea crashes in its own rhythm on the rocks far below and to the other lies a hardy, undulating carpet of colour: purple heather and yellow gorse against a backdrop of deep green – dotted with honeysuckle, soft, plump grasses and blue harebells. The spectacular views that greet you at the very tip are almost too much to take in.

Spoilt for choice
Beautiful countryside is certainly something that appeals to both sides of the generation gap and, ultimately, we were spoilt for choice for things to do. Some may have spent longer in the cathedral or museum than others and some may have retired for 40 winks on the sly but we found a cross-generation appreciation of fascinating places and a mutual appreciation of relaxing, leisurely holidays.

One unfailing common interest was that of eating and drinking and in Brittany, we certainly weren’t short of options. It began with a fortuitous encounter with a Les Routiers on the way down. As we edged the caravan in alongside articulated lorries in the dusty car park, none of us thought to expect the simple, tasty and ridiculously cheap three-course meal that lay in wait.

The campsite’s own restaurant was an unexpected find; open to the public, it served great, classic French food with contemporary touches in a beautiful barn conversion, all within walking distance of our pitch.

A particular find though was the Restaurant à Vin in Quimper, just a couple of minutes from the campsite by car. The incredibly jovial owner made a fuss of anyone and everyone before serving delicious locally-sourced dishes with a menu of some 300 wines to choose from.

Chatting about the day’s events and life in general over a fine meal with a select bottle or two of wine was arguably the highlight for us all. Food, it appears, proved to be our ultimate common ground and it deftly transcended any generation gap.

Orangerie de Lanniron, allée de Lanniron Quimper 29000.

Tel: (Fr) 2 98 90 62 02

www.lanniron.com

Brittany Ferries sails to Roscoff, Saint- Malo, Cherbourg and Caen.