I must go down to the sea again...

The gites at La Foucaudiere are only an hour from the nearest stretch of coast and the drive is a delight - a long straight road with rarely too much traffic and just when you start to think 'where's the sea?' ....you arrive. For most of my life a vist to the beach has always been an arduous undertaking - never an easy day trip.

Despite it's proximity, I still seem to have spent most of the summer venturing no further than the launderette for a glimpse of rushing water and frothing foam. So when an unexpected opportunity to head off to Brittany presented itself last weekend, Fudge had her ball stowed in the boot of the car without a moments hesitation.

Although our destination was the rural hinterland of Morbihan in Brittany, I decided to travel home via the coast road. It was a perfect day - brilliant blue sky and hot September sun and we were able to dip our toes, or in Fudge's case, to dive right into the sparkling water. In contrast to the broad, sandy beaches of Lower Normandy, the Northern Brittany coastline is quite wild and rocky with jutting peninsulas and sheltered coves. The views are dramatic and the coastal towns are pretty.

As the hectic holiday season has now come to an end I will make an effort to go down to the sea more often.