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2017 E5 walk, day 3: Pors Peron to Douarnenez

Section 1, Day 3
Pors Peron
4°29′8.6″W
48°5′9.3″N
Douarnenez
4°20′31.6″W
48°5′47.1″N
low 44 °F
high 61 °F
33,038 steps
12.7 miles

The trail this day was much like the previous: mostly up and down along the clifftops. At one point, however, the GR 34 trail was closed, with a detour inland on a smaller local route.1 I very briefly considered ignoring the sign and continuing, but realized that was a stupid idea. I’m glad I didn’t, not only because I didn’t fall into the sea and die, but also because the detour took me by a delightful mill, Moulin de Kériolet, and a nearby menhir.

A millhouse in good condition is mostly visible below. The waterwheel is prominently visible on the side of the house, with stone steps leading up to the other end of its axle. Looking carefully, we can see a trough to carry water from a nearby stream to pour down onto the top of the wheel, to drive it, but no water is visible — the mill is not active.
Moulin de Kériolet; the mill is either named for or gave its name to a nearby settlement. It wasn’t operating when I took this picture.
A large, smooth, angular stone rests lengthwise on a grassy mound, perhaps 12–15′ long. To the left is a narrow trail; behind are some bare trees.
A menhir couché (“reclining menhir”). This was said to be the boat in which Saint Conogan sailed to Brittany — big if true.

Otherwise, the day was much like the previous: up and down along the clifftops, gorse, and the remains of rock walls around fields.

Across a ravine is a trail cut into the hillside, winding up and down over the terrain. Sea-rounded rocks line what we can see of the floor of the ravine, and a rocky outcropping makes up part of the far face. The remains of a stone wall are sketch a field on the slope above the trail.
Looking at the far side of another stream crossing; the stream bed is more visible here.

My destination was relatively close: Douarnenez, the largest town on this side of the peninsula. Even though it was a relatively short day, I was tired when I finally arrived: I hadn’t packed enough food, so had subsisted on fruit, nuts, and some bread. It would have been enough on a normal day back home, but my metabolism was already in high gear. I learned my lesson; this was my first and last undernourished day.

I stayed in Chambres d’hôtes du Golven, roughly equivalent to a small B&B (once I found it — Apple Maps led me to the wrong place again, and was banished to second-tier status for the rest of the walk). The owner insisted on doing my laundry when I asked about laundromats, so instead I went to the Crêperie du Quai in the main plaza and had a lovely meal of crêpes and a boule (small bowl) of cider.

Behind a low stone wall topped by a tall hedge, part of a two-story house is visible, with a peaked roof and dormers, painted pale yellow. An open blue gate in the wall matches the blue door on the house.
Chambres d’hôtes du Golven, super-charming.
A petite cat peers into the room from an open doorway. The floor is parquayed.
My room had an inspector.

Reaching Douarnenez felt like a milestone: It was the fourth day of walking (third “official” day of the long walk), and I’d made it from the tip of the peninsula to the base. I slept well that night.

Map of the day’s route.

  1. I didn’t figure out at the time why it was closed; the sign didn’t give any explanation. The sign was dated March 7, though, and that lines up with Tempête Zeus (“Storm Zeus”!), which I would learn about later. ↩︎