The laid-back vibe of northern France just a ferry ride away
AS the path that hugs the Brittany coastline reaches the end of a rocky outcrop, we pause to admire the view.
Approaching us from the other direction is a middle-aged couple with a definite spring in their step.
“To swim in this scenery is something erotic, no?” the man says to me in a thick French accent as he also stops, taking in a sandy cove with a sweep of his arm.
Unsure what to say to this real-life version of randy cartoon skunk Pepé Le Pew, I awkwardly nod and shuffle off.
On reflection, it’s too cold for a swim and erotic is pushing it, but there’s no doubt the scenery is gorgeous.
It’s like Cornwall: the craggy shore broken up by beautiful beaches, and gorse and heather bordering the path.
Even the butterflies – peacocks, red admirals and meadow browns – are the same. The only difference is Bretons speak a different language.
Another difference I would not dispute is the lack of people in the St Cast le Guildo commune, just 45 minutes’ drive west of St Malo.
Forget the choked roads and tourist throngs of Britain, here the only jam is the apricot variety – and it’s as if my wife Rachel, our four-month-old Toby and I have the place all to ourselves.
Our base for the trip, Canvas Holidays’ excellent Le Chatelet resort in St Cast, has a wonderful sleepy, early autumn, end-of-season feel.
And such is the level of attention campsite manager Hazel is able to bestow on the few remaining holidaymakers, it almost feels like we are staying in her bed and breakfast.
This sense of being a lone band of adventurers kicked in before we had even left the UK.
It was the first time we’d taken our car abroad and as we queued to roll-on to the Bretagne Brittany Ferry, I had a sense of excitement about going away that I hadn’t felt since my voice broke.
There’s nothing quite like reaching DUBAI: Three nights’ B&B in a Deluxe Room at the four-star Lapita Hotel is from £659. Includes tickets to Dubai Parks and Resorts. Go from Gatwick on dates until June 14. See emiratesholidays.com. NORTHUMBERLAND: Arrive on May 25 for a three-night self-catering holiday at Berwick another country by sea – especially on a ferry with well-stocked bars, restaurants and an entertainment lounge.
After settling in to our sea-view cabin, we headed to the Gwenn Ha Du bar for a few drinks, where Toby is happy in the bouncy chair we’d brought (another benefit of car-on-ferry travel).
Then an early night, rocked to sleep by the undulating Channel before waking as we nudged into the port of St Malo, overlooked by the walled old town.
St Malo is lovely place to potter Holiday Park in Berwick-uponTweed for £299 per family. Price based on a family of up to six sharing deluxe accommodation. Book at haven.com. DUBROVNIK/GREECE CRUISE: around, either wandering the cobbled streets or walking beside the majestic Grande Plage du Sillon, stretching more than a mile east of the city wall.
We chose the latter, with lunch at the Hotel Ambassadeurs’ creperie, while watching the tide retreat to reveal an expanse of steam-rolled-flat sand.
We quickly discover that crepes, the regional speciality, are what you have for dessert. Savoury pancakes, which come topped with all manner of meat and cheese, are actually galettes in this part of the world.
Besides these unleavened delights, the other cornerstones of our holiday routine are mornings out walking or sightseeing and evenings in, drinking cheap Breton cider and playing Scrabble.
Le Chatelet resort is a stone’s throw from the Grand Randonnée 34, the footpath snaking along the entire coastline of Brittany.
The campsite, which has an indoor pool, kids’ pool, children’s club and playground, is also a short drive from the 14th Century Fort La Latte and the FUERTEVENTURA: dramatic and attractive medieval town of Dinan.
For the nights in, our Select chalet with a sea view is the perfect cosy bolthole.
A week and a few cider bottles later, it’s time to quit the campsite and head back towards St Malo.
Before the ferry we have two nights in Dinard, just across the mouth of the Rance from the ferry port.
Once one of Europe’s most popular resorts among the rich and famous, Dinard retains an understated glamour with dozens of grand villas perched on the rocks overlooking the beach.
We stay near the sea in a modern and well-equipped Airbnb apartment owned by the friendly David.
It’s a great base from which to explore and, on our final day, I do at last have a dip in the sea at the Plage de SaintEnogat.
It’s surprisingly warm and looking back at the pale yellow sand bookended by rocky headlands I ask myself, “is this erotic?”
Hmmm, I think…almost.