Conquering the Amiable Waters: Traversing Brittany with One Port, One Restaurant Each Day for a Whirlwind Week!

In the spirit of roving adventure, Gilbert Park embarked on a solitary expedition across the amicable waters of Brittany. With a week’s schedule neatly packed with seven diverse ports and seven distinctive eateries, Park set sail on his trusty Mitchell 28 ‘Let’s Go’ from Plymouth to Northern France. His wife, Maire, set her own terms of engagement, indulging Parks’ aquatic passion by agreeing to join him later at St Malo for a gentle exploration of the area.

With little more than chirpy dolphins and occasional looming container ships for company, Park traversed a trek of about 100 miles before a respite at St Peter Port, Guernsey. Then, it was onwards to Jersey for a few days before homing to France. Bypassing familiar ports, he elected St Brieuc as the destination for his all-important passport stamp.

Proximity to essential services like boulangeries, a supermarket, and a chandlery offered Park a smooth stay. He succumbed to the charms of a bus ride to experience St Brieuc’s vibrant Saturday market.

His gastronomic adventures kick-started at La Passerelle, a local restaurant offering a delightful three-course set menu that he describes as fantastic. It was here, inspired by the quality of the food and the keen sense of adventure, that Park decided to visit seven unique ports in just seven days.

He planned to dine at local restaurants, each offering a similar set menu, meeting his beloved Maire in St Malo at the end of this exhilarating week. But such ambitions are often challenged, and this no less. Each port had tidal constraints or a lock to negotiate, meaning strategical timing was an additional factor to this audacious agenda.

As a seasoned sailor and an adventurous epicurean, Park found in this expedition the ultimate marriage of ethos, blending the thrill of the high seas with the pleasures of gourmet dining, creating an unforgettable journey of a lifetime.