Europe
Mont Saint-Michel
On an island in a bay, the mont Saint-Michel abbey is a magical place.
Jersey
Photos taken while staying in Jersey on a cold winter week-end.
Copenhagen
A bicycle visit to the city of Copenhagen.
Normandy
Granville
In Granville, the sunset makes spots on the harbour jetty and they have a special way of mooring dinghies.
From the Channel islands to Le Havre
I’ve sailed from Brest to Le Havre on the pilot cutter Marie-Fernand, meeting a bottlenose dolphin close to the Channel Islands.
We went through the Race of Alderney and its currents, sailed along the northern coast of Cotentin and enjoyed a rainy sunset.
After a nice night sailing, we arrived early in Le Havre and walked on the quays before leaving.
From Le Havre to the Channel islands
A year later, we left Le Havre to get to Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue then go through raz Blanchard and get to the Channel Islands.
Medes islands
In L’estartit, on the Costa Brava, the Medes islands are a marine reserve.
The archipelago includes seven rocky islands of various sizes and 511 ha of protected marine area.
Scilly islands
Each year the scow Notre-Dame de Rumengol goes to the Scilly islands. After passing Wolf Rock lighthouse, we moor off St Martin’s island.
The next day, we moor between Tresco & Bryher and fish for shrimp, we go for a walk on Bryher then get back at sunset.
On the third day, after having explored Tresco or swum, we leave the Scilly in the evening and sail back to Aber Wrac’h on the next day at noon.
During another visit to the islands, we enjoy a sunset in St Mary’s. Then we sail to St Agnes and get back to St Mary’s at sunrise.
London
Kew Bridge Steam Museum
Next to Kew Gardens, the Kew Bridge Steam Museum is located along the Thames, in a pumping station on that used to supply water to the London drinking water network.
The museum includes its original two huge Cornish beam engines with 90″ and 100″ cylinders and fascinating control mechanisms. One of them is in working order. More steam engines of various types have been added to the display.
The Easton & Amos engine and the Waddon engine have huge flywheels. The triple expansion engine has a very nice control panel.
The Kew Bridge Steam Museum is a steampunk paradise, a must-see if you visit London and love steam. On most week-ends the rotative engines are steaming and you can ride the steam train; from time to time the Cornish beam engine is steaming, check out the calendar for more info.
Along the Thames
A trip on the Thames, starting from Westminster Palace, in front of the London Eye; you go along the Tate Modern and the City Hall.
After going under Tower Bridge, and along the docklands, you get to Greenwich.
Ireland
After sailing in the Scilly, we crossed to Ireland and went up the river Bandon to Kinsale, a small town with coloured facades.
We then sailed to Rabbit island. On the next day, we went around Fastnet rock and arrived in Crookhaven. We met guillemots on a very quiet day.
Then we left via Sherkin island…
Charente islands
A week-end aboard an old gaffer called Lola of Skagen.
Boarding in Saint-Denis-d’Oléron, we sail towards the Chauveau lighthouse and Ré island. I find a rusty crane in Saint-Martin-de-Ré harbour. We leave Ré at sunrise to get back to Oléron.
From Oléron to Belle-Île-en-Mer
The first leg of a trip from Oléron to Douarnenez aboard Lola of Skagen.
On the first day we left Oléron island, passed under the Île de Ré bridge, and reached Les Sables-d’Olonne.
The second day, we left Les Sables-d’Olonne before sunrise, and sailed by Yeu island.
The next part of the trip takes place in Brittany.