Bréhat

Mileage: unchanged

As we had planned, we headed over to Bréhat. The island was car-free, and so all the visitors were traveling with backpacks or rolling luggage. The crossing took just ten minutes. At the pier, we were greeted by one of the few combustion vehicles of the archipelago, a tractor with a trailer. This took on the roles of a bus line and taxi, bringing long-term guests to their accommodations. We set off on foot along the excellently marked hiking route.

Our first stop was the old citadel. In the former military building, the island's glassblowers had made their home. Alongside a demonstration workshop and the artists' studios, there was, of course, a shop where one could purchase the art pieces.

Next, we went to the mill. This unusual “tide mill” could only be operated at low water, about six hours between the tides. The association for the preservation of the mill conducted daily grinding in the only millstone and provided access to the old technology.

We also paid a visit to the Pond ar Prad, which connected the north and south islands and was hardly ten meters long. The vegetation here on the island was quite Mediterranean, as the Gulf Stream heavily influenced the weather conditions.

Finally, we made our way to the center of island life, where the population of just 400 registered residents was now likely surpassed by ten times that number of visitors. Le Bourg was the marketplace with cafés, bars, and restaurants. There we treated ourselves to a coffee, and then it was slowly time to head home.

When we arrived at the ferry terminal, there was no sign of water where we had docked in the morning. We walked, along with all the other ferry passengers, about ten minutes to the three-meter lower dock for trips at low tide. Then we headed back to the mainland.

As Ines backed up our photos on the laptop in the evening, we realized that the first month of our trip was already over. The pictures from Schleswig-Holstein seemed as if they were from an eternity ago.