We have split our 5 weeks journey to Brittany to 5 locations, first stop Cancale. We stayed here for 6 days.
Cancale is a peaceful harbour city in the Mont Saint-Michel bay, best known for their oysters. On arrival, we drove along the oyster farms into the city and were able to see their sales and tasting offers directly from the farms.
With our Airbnb we subconciously chose a very favourable location. Within a few footsteps, we reached the charming miniature town center. Although small, it provides everything you need for everyday life: an excellent butcher, two bakeries, shops selling fish, cheese, fruits and vegetables, flowers and a supermarket. A weekly market open exceptionally on Sundays, providing in addition clothes and a stand with fishing equipments and accessories. In the opposite direction, we walked downhill towards the ocean and were at the port just in a few minutes.
On our first evening we stumbled across the oyster market. (https://www.marcheauxhuitres-cancale.com/fr/) Many people sitting on the quay wall, slurping oyster, drinking wine and watching the ocean which offers a completely different view depending on the tides. We were delighted seeing people simply throwing empty shells on the beach in front of them. We followed their example and bought some flat oysters (hûitres plates or hûitres de Belon) from „Cahue“ who won a gold medal last year. What a wonderful experience.
Not only it reminds me of my childhood, the tides are a fascinating natural phenomenon.
In this bay they are the strongest in the world. When low tide, the ocean recedes almost to the horizon. Cancale‘s oysters are bred in the bay and weighted by the tides, why they develop an idiodised flavour. The oyster parks come to view when the tides are low and they can freshly be harvested.
Above the port, the hiking trail Chemin de Rondes starts which runs across several town along the Emerald Coast and offers a lot of lookout points with beautiful views.
Next Stop: Saillé bei Guérande.
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