Now heading east en route in the direction of Le Mont Saint Michel, an hour's drive from Saint-Mathieu took us to the city of Morlaix. We came here to see one thing only, its famous viaduct, although as we drive, we realise a lot of valleys are crossed by spectacular viaducts. It was a wet drive, and at Morlaix we had to face the reality that regular rain squalls would cross our path.
The viaduct as seen from Place Allende.
Our hotel in Morlaix was the Hotel de l'Europe and, depending on how you look at it, is the only one we have stayed at right in the centre of a historical downtown. From that read, nowhere to park. We unloaded by driving up onto the footpath, and found parking, like everyone else, but driving around. Everyone's goal is to avoid pay parking, and our most reliable spot was at a supermarket about 500m away. The hotel itself is a "grand old dame", occupying almost a full block next to the hotel de ville. Its common rooms were opulent with period fixtures and furnishings and very high ceilings. Our room was much the same, with a juliet balcony overlooking a twon square (really a car park). The Europe claims a distinguished past with construction before 1792. It became a hotel in 1816. Famous guests include the Queen of Portugal (1831), Duke & Duchess of Nemours (1843), Napoleon Bonaparte's brother (1880), dowager Queen of Italy (1908), and the visitors book shows a visit by Charles de Gaulle. Who knows who has slept in our bedroom?
The grand old lady of the Hotel d'Europe.
Soggy view from our hotel room across the Place de Viarmes.
The staff at Europe were so friendly and helpful, and delighted to hear that we were from Australia. The booking.com system apparently doesn't tell them. They spoke excellent English, and the manager was quite familiar with Australian politics. He thought that it was time we ousted our climate denying prime minister who is an embarrassment to the country and a danger to the world.
Another view of the cross-town viaduct.
The viaduct is not a Roman creation as we first suspected, but is much more contemporary, being built in 1863 to accommodate the new steam railway. Its location across downtown was rejected by the city council but ignored by the railway company. We've heard that story before! But in a massive tactical blunder in WW2, the British air command sent US bombers to destroy the viaduct - only one bomb slightly damaged the stategic railway link, the other 42 bombs missed it but killed 80 inhabitants including 39 children at school. To add insult to injury, another railway viaduct far away from any innocent village could have been but was not the target. The Germans repaired the damage to the viaduct within "hours". We loved the viaduct - not only is it so photogenic, it provides great views over the town and gives it much character.
The reason the viaduct is there, a speeding TGV leaving Morlaix station.
Little wonder the council opposed the viaduct, which goes almost right over the cathedral.
The lower way on the viaduct is a pedestrian path.
Morlaix Town Hall. When we first arrived, that square contained a weekly market which attracted lots of people.
Old town Morlaix is very walkable, even though we had to dodge occasional rain and watch out on slippery, steep cobblestoned streets. We saw a produce market in the Place des Otages, under the viaduct, and not far away, around the Place Allende, there are some notable elderly buildings, most particularly the 1520 Duchess Anne’s house, now a museum, but so named because Duchesse Anne of Brittany is said to have visited it during a pilgrimage, but this is an urban myth - she died before 1520. The town's interesting buildings include the Hotel de Ville, a grand theatre, and the Post and Telecommunications office.
The 1520 Duchess Anne’s house.
In the Place Allende, the Ty Cos said to be the oldest hotel in Morlaix.
External house wall in Morlaix old town.
The Riviere de Morlaix runs past the supermarket where we found a parking spot, goes under buildings and roads and indeed the viaduct for maybe 500m, then pops out in a huge marina which is extraordinary because it's a long way from anywhere navigable. Its water is held by a lock gate, and at low tide, the river is a muddy swamp for maybe 10km. We can't imagine the hundreds of yachts there motoring down the river at high tide for a day's sailing, so maybe they just all park up here for the winter, and moor downriver in summer?
The top end of the large Morlaix marina, seen from the viaduct.
Looking upstream from the Morlaix marina. A lock keeps water in during low tides.
The Riviere de Morlais is almost dry at low tide.
A panorama of the bay at the end of the Riveiere de Morlaix with the light of Ile Louet in the foreground, yet another fort on the right!
At the eventual outlet to the river, we found a bay full of rocky outcrops, tiny islands, navigation lights, a fully fledged lighthouse, and of course another fort. Our pictures were taken from the unlikely Plage de Tahiti in the township of Carantec. We could have driven further, but the weather was miserable and a bar was calling, so we scarpered back to Morlaix.
At Carantec, this road which is fully submerged at high tide, leads to Ile de Callot. That tractor probably gets a got of work with stuck cars.
We found the La Chope a pleasant place to have a cleansing ale.
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