On visite l'île à vélo

L'île de Batz off Roscoff appears as an idyllic gem. An island of around 500 farming folk off the north Brittany coast, entirely swamped in summer by tourists cycling and hiking its quaint lanes, fields and beaches. On a warm bright day it was perfect. For a tourist. Through the day some local farm kids hanging about the lanes and crusty tractor drivers having to wait for a parade of bikes to pass looked entirely bewildered. To them the island must seem an unremarkable rugged low-lying piece of rock with some fennel and artichoke fields.

It was another enjoyable day of pootling around, eating Breton butter cake and falling asleep on the beach. The photo was taken from the top of the Phare, an old lighthouse on the island. We felt very sun-drenched by the end.