Beautiful Brittany
Lives in a van. Bimbles with a camera. Often pointing his pixel box at scruff. Has been known to run long distances. Would consider cake as a form of payment.
Recovering.
Welcome
Hello, and welcome back to another week behind the lens of a full time nomad currently living, travelling and working from his VW camper van. After over 2 months of life back in the UK (mostly spent looking after mum and dad) we are now only a few days away from escaping back into mainland Europe where the mountains are waiting. The rough plan is to meander down through eastern France, spending a bit of time in Switzerland, before crossing back over into France and the Alps. A large section of the year will hopefully be spent exploring The Dolomites in Italy before a rather interesting challenge awaits us in Slovenia in September.
Of course as we have learnt over the past 4 years of full time life on the road, we can make plans, but we also need to be ready to adapt.
Given I’m going to be spending quite a bit of time far from any coastlines, I thought it may be nice to remind myself of a wonderful month touring the coastline of Brittany in France.
I hope you enjoy.
We were very fortunate in 2022 to spend three months touring northern France in the camper-van, exploring the picturesque coastlines of Normandy and Brittany. It was out of season (Feb) but the wether was unseasonably mild and, with lower tourists around, we pretty much had the place to ourselves.
The Brittany coastline is known for its rugged beauty, charming villages, and dramatic seascapes, and offered me lots of opportunities out with the camera.
Majestic cliffs, weathered by the relentless waves, created a striking contrast against the azure blue of the Atlantic Ocean. Charming fishing villages that dot the coastline also provided a unique perspective, with their quaint harbours, colourful boats, and vibrant facades.
One area that particularly captivated me was the Cote de Granit Rose, famous for its pink granite rock formations. As I strolled along the shoreline, I was amazed by the natural structures that had been sculpted over countless years. Some of the rocks seemed almost unreal, as if they were made of polystyrene, placed there as a whimsical joke by the local tourism board. And yes, I did check to make sure they were actually rock. The contrasting colours between the hues of the rocks and the turquoise sea were truly mesmerising, requiring no filters to enhance their beauty.
Another memorable highlight was Pen Hir Point, where I was blessed with soft, beautiful light on the evenings we visited. The texture and lines of the rocks beckoned for a wider lens than I currently possess for my GFX camera, but I made the best of things.
One of our final stops was the westernmost point in France, Pointe du Raz. Once again, towering cliffs overlooked the raging ocean below, and it was during these moments that I spent a couple of magical hours alone with my camera, capturing the essence of this breathtaking place.
France is an incredible country to visit, especially when exploring it in a campervan, with many villages offering free overnight parking and services. This makes the Brittany coastline an ideal destination for photographers, allowing them to freely explore and capture its beauty.
I hope to return to this enchanting region one day, to once again witness its wonders through the lens of my camera.
Vlog
As I shut the door on the van and made my way down to the edge of the rocks, I had no idea just how incredible the light was going to be.
And one from our more travel related content, this time as we made a rather speedy journey north to answer an SOS from back home in Ireland.
Other corners of the inter webs you can find me.
The X100 Diaries
My Portfolio
Bimbles magazine
Thanks so much for allowing me a few moments of your time. I hope you have enjoyed my words and images, and if so a quick share amongst your own community will help spread the word.
And if you really enjoyed it you can even consider throwing a few pennies into the tips jar. It helps most with diesel costs for the van to keep me on the road making images.
Until next time .. Happy Pixels …
