Prehistory and history

 Plenty more rocks to see today. What with falling rain and falling acorns it wasn't the most restful of nights. Must remember not to park under oak trees in future...

We started by checking out a large tumulus (burial mound). The Christians usurped the hallowed ground by building a church on top of it. 

No information on this - a spring or just a well? And how old?

 

Then a look around some more of the standing stones.

These are a rare Breton breed of sheep that they are using to keep the gorse and weeds down

A dolmen, stripped of its mound

J trying to get in touch with her prehistoric ancestors

I love seeing the history in a building. Just this one door has had three incarnations, which I've marked with blue lines. A square opening, an archway and the current rectangle.

Carnac is on the edge of Quiberon Bay which I wanted to see for a number of reasons. The peninsula that bounds the west of the bay and where Quiberon itself is located on the tip was the eastern extreme of the Loraine pocket in 1944/45. Mostly at the base of the peninsula there were lots of lumps of German concrete still evident, including a large observation tower. However, the bay had other historic claims to fame: 

• In 1944 it was intended that it would home another artificial port like the ones at Arromanche and Omaha beaches, but it was never built as Lorient wasn't cleared and sufficient supply (just) was moved across the beachheads. 
• It was where many British and allied troops were evacuated in 1940
• In WW1 it was where the American expeditionary force was landed
• During the Seven Years War, in 1761 it was the scene of an important British naval victory that destroyed a major part of France's fleet, and dispersed much of the rest, arguably leading to France's loss of Canada. Belle Isle was captured and held for two years as a naval base, and used as a bargaining chip in the peace negotiations (being ultimately swapped for Menorca).

Not a great day for seeing anything! However, this is the view from the peninsula to Belle Isle. The British fleet followed the French into the bay through this strait, surprising the French and dealing to them severely.

Quiberon Bay from Keraude, half way up the peninsula. Shame about the poor visibility!