Today our ways separate. While our friends are heading back home with their rented motorhome, our thirst for adventure and travel drives us further west. Here it smells of seaweed and sea air and the light is incomparable. We head southwest and arrive at our first destination, Carnac, after about three hours of driving.
In principle, everyone knows the stones of Stonehenge. Less known, but no less impressive, are the stone lakes of Carnac. That there was a connection between the early people of Brittany and the British Isle becomes visible here at the latest.
For reasons that are still not fully understood, the prehistoric inhabitants of the area that today bears the name Morhiban placed granite stones of various sizes in rows, all pointing in one direction. These parallel "avenues" undoubtedly had a ritual background, what exactly this accumulation means will probably remain a mystery for some time.
We look at the stones and then continue with the motorhome to the Quiberon peninsula, which juts out into the Atlantic quite nearby. Quiberon is a lively little peninsula, which even now in the off-season has to cope with a lot of traffic. We wind our way through countless traffic circles to the tip of the peninsula, where there are several campsites to choose from.
Even though the island has a certain charm, we find it only partially suitable for RV travelers. We have our e-bikes with us and are thus quite mobile, but further distances are not manageable. We have stocked up wisely still in Saint Malo with everything necessary and can enjoy this evening a pan with crevettes and zucchinis.
We decide that we don't like it here enough - the advantage of a motorhome is that it is ready to travel in exactly zero time. By now we've developed a routine about leaving, and while one of us takes care of disconnecting utilities, the other checks to make sure everything is safely stowed away. In fine weather we set off further south, the Île de Noirmoutier is our next destination.
It is located a little south of the Loire estuary at about the same height as Nantes. To reach it, we cross the Marais Breton, a landscape characterized by salt marshes and countless channels that, depending on the tides, are sometimes filled with water and sometimes completely dry. A unique bird life has been preserved here, which does not seem to be harmed by agricultural use. Where we like it, we stop for a short while and let the landscape take effect on us - food and safe accommodation included.
We arrive on the Île de Noirmoutier in bright sunshine. "I'd like to stay here for a while," says the motorhome driver, and the companion has no objection. We settle in at a campsite right by the sea, the beach is separated from the site only by a small wooden fence. We can hear the sea rushing, breathe in the spicy sea air and listen to the cries of the seagulls.
The main town of the island is 2 kilometers away, a distance that can be covered wonderfully by bike and shopping. The next two days will be spent relaxing and soaking up the sun.