To the Lighthouse

Today is a much better day thank goodness. The trip to the boulanger involved the experimental purchase of sticky Breton patisserie which went by unpronounceable names. The jury pronounced them good. A brisk walk to the headland brought the phare du Four into view. It is two kms from the wild peninsula of Saint Laurent. It was built in 1874 on a granite rock 25 meters in diameter. Its height above the ground is 28 metres. Its granite base is known to provoke monstrous waves which can go right over the top of the lighthouse. It used to be described by its keepers as "hellish." The lighthouse dominates the Four Channel and is an important landmark to shipping. Its white light flashes every 15 seconds and is lit by a 250 W bulb. Its luminous range is 24.5 miles (about 45 kilometers). Its geographic coordinates are: 48 º 31 '26 "N 04 º 48 '21 "W It was automated in 1993. It is controlled remotely from the Ile Vierge. It does not have a keeper and can not be visited.