Saying goodbye to Auray

I can’t believe it’s been four weeks since we arrived in Auray, and now we have to say goodbye. We’ve grown very fond of our small narrow house and the Port de Saint Goustan, with its cobbled, winding streets lined with flowers and local artisans’ studios. We picked this spot because we thought it would be a quaint French town and it would be a good central location to discover the area. In the end, I’m really happy with our decision. Auray is a lively, touristy town, which means there are some crowds at times, however, it still has its charm, in large part thanks to the fact that the cars don’t drive down many of the streets here. We’re just steps from the action, but our house is so quiet and peaceful. The town is very pedestrian-friendly. There have been numerous markets, including the main weekly Monday market, but also various other, smaller markets with craft vendors, used book sellers and even a medieval market that included a street performer breathing fire. There have been live music concerts and random little activities for the kids. We kayaked down the river to the next town and even discovered a café where we could pet cats, which was a perfect activity on a hot afternoon.

We’ve gotten used to getting fresh bread at the bakery, and on our second to last day, we finally tried the oyster bar at the fish market. There are excellent restaurants and we’ve indulged in a lot of the local fare, including crêpes, galettes and sweets such as caramel au beurre salé (salted butter caramel).

Auray had also been a great jumping off point to discover various towns, beaches and islands nearby. Being here, we’ve gotten used to (sort of) shops closing at random times during the day, and showing up at the bakery or butcher only to find out that this is the day every week when they are closed. Or maybe the owners have taken off and are on vacation for the rest of the summer. Ahhh… France.

We are all sad to leave, but excited for the next leg our trip, or should I say, viaje 🇪🇸…

Here is a compilation of our time in Auray.

Comments

  1. TristanAugust 17, 2025 at 5:54 AM

    Loved the compilation video. I was curious to see if the pizza would be good. What a great idea! I have never seen that before. Everything else also looked so delicious from the crepes to the pastries in the windows. It’s making me hungry for breakfast 😋. Looks like you guys had a great time and really enjoyed what Auray had to offer! Have a safe trip to Spain and can’t wait to read all about it. ❤️

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SabAugust 18, 2025 at 2:58 AM

      Thanks! Yes, the pizza was surprisingly good!

      Delete
  2. Dad/Kevin/GrampyAugust 17, 2025 at 10:07 AM

    Your photos depict Auray and the Port as a very quaint French town with lots of character. The food looks so delicious:crepes, bakery, seafood and cheese. The video of the pizza vending machine is very funny. I think Ian would love that electronic sounding long music instrument. Are you travelling by train from Auray to Bordeaux?

    ReplyDelete
  3. SabAugust 18, 2025 at 3:00 AM

    Thanks! The instrument is called a Didgeridoo! It’s an aboriginal Australian instrument.
    Yes, we took several trains to get to Bordeaux.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Kirstin WeerdenburgAugust 18, 2025 at 5:36 PM

    You definitely sparked a desire for me to go there! Sounds like a lovely spot! Safe travels to your next destination.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Maureen BaylessAugust 21, 2025 at 12:09 PM

    Vending machine pizza! Didn't know that was possible. I vaguely remember that someone in Vancouver proposed doing that and selling stock on the VSE (a wild West market) but I thought it was a joke...maybe 40 years ago.

    ReplyDelete

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