France Cruise: Belle-Ile-en-Mer
In this third post of a multi-part series, Bethany explores Belle-Île-en-Mer on her France Intensive Cruise on Azamara.
I got to spend my birthday on the beautiful island of Belle-Île-en-Mer, which literally translates to “Beautiful Island in the Sea”! This was a last-minute, unscheduled stop on the itinerary. We were originally supposed to spend both today and tomorrow in Nantes. However, there was word of a strike by the port workers in Nantes today, so Captain Johannes and crew decided to make this detour to avoid the strike.
France Intensive Cruise Full Itinerary
Below is the full itinerary for the trip. This post includes details about Belle-Île-en-Mer. Looking for info on other stops? Check out the ‘Links’ section at the end of this post!
- June 9 through June 11: Bordeaux, France
- June 12: La Rochelle and Île de Ré, France
- June 13: Belle-Île-en-Mer, France
- June 14: Nantes, France
- June 15: Brest and Quimper, France
- June 16: St. Peter Port, Guernsey
- June 17: Saint-Malo and Mont-Saint-Michel, France
- June 18: Cherbourg, Omaha Beach, and Sainte-Mère-Église, France
- June 19 & 20: Honfleur, Rouen, and Fécamp, France
- June 21: Oostende and Bruges, Belgium
Belle-Île-en-Mer
The ship anchored just offshore of the main port on the island, Le Palais, the morning of June 13th. My birthday started with a bit of sun and pleasant views, but only the pleasant views would remain through the day…the clouds and light rain quickly rolled in. But breakfast with a view got the day off to a good start.
The entire island of Belle-Île-en-Mer is 10.5 miles by 5.5 miles, with an area of about 32.5 square miles. It is the largest of the islands off the coast of Brittany. Year-round population is just under 5,000, but that increases to up to 35,000 in the peak tourist time of the summer.
Sauzon
Because of the last-minute itinerary change, there wasn’t much in the way of excursions offered today. I chose to do the one that was offered: transportation to another part of the island. This excursion was transportation only – a bus ride about 20 minutes north of Le Palais to a town called Sauzon.
Sauzon Harbor
This sleepy port town was very quiet on this early Thursday morning. I enjoyed walking around the town and admiring the beautiful harbor and the colorful buildings surrounding it.
Scroll through the slideshow below for pictures of Sauzon:
There really was not much to do here, just a handful of small shops and restaurants. But, like most other areas I would visit on this cruise, the flowers were in full bloom and quite beautiful! Click through the slideshow below for some shots of the beautiful blooms:
Église Saint-Nicolas de Sauzon
I visited the Église Saint-Nicolas de Sauzon (“Church of Saint Nicolas of Sauzon”). This simple church was beautiful inside and out, including a small courtyard in the back with more beautiful flowers.
Le Palais
After visiting Sauzon, we headed four miles back south to Le Palais, the most populated of the four communes of Belle-Île-en-Mer. This area is the administrative center and the main port of the island. I wandered around the town for a while. A delicious, fresh crepe made a great lunch. I was also able to find things on my ‘shopping list’ in each place I visit…something for the curio cabinet, a Christmas tree ornament, and something to hang on the wall.
Le Palais Harbor
I spent a bit of time exploring the main harbor area. The rain that was threatening all morning finally arrived, so I made my way back to the dock to catch the next tender boat back to the ship.
I got on the next tender ship and made my way back to the ship for a relaxing afternoon.
Birthday on Board
After returning to the ship, I was delighted to find my stateroom was festively decorated for my birthday! The two towel animals were so fun. I also got a nice card from the crew. My stateroom attendant, Ban, did a great job of making my room very festive.
Birthday Bubbly
Later that afternoon, I invited two friends on the ship to join me in my cabin to enjoy the wonderful bottle of champagne I got the first evening on the ship. My very kind and considerate friend, the President of Avalon Waterways, explained my situation to the new CEO of Azamara when the two met at an industry conference the weekend before the cruise…how my Avalon river cruise was cancelled, and I booked this Azamara cruise at the last minute. The two conspired to ensure I had something special for my birthday. I am forever grateful for such wonderful hospitality I always get on both lines, Avalon and Azamara.
My friends were also a pleasant surprise on this cruise. I have known one, Holly, virtually on Facebook for about two years. After I booked this cruise, I learned that she and her friend, Binka, were also on this cruise! I managed to track them down on one of the first nights on the ship, and we quickly became fast friends. It was so great to meet them both in person, and I was glad that they were able to join me in my pre-birthday-dinner celebration!
After champagne they headed out for their dinner reservation, but mine wasn’t until later that evening. So, I headed up to the Living Room to sip a Cosmo and enjoy the music performed by Musiq4Soul. They put on great performances throughout the cruise!
Birthday Dinner at Prime C
My birthday dinner was at one of two specialty restaurants on the ship, Prime C. This is the steakhouse on board. It has become tradition for me to have my birthday dinner here…this is the same restaurant where I had my 50th birthday dinner two years ago on Pursuit! This Maine girl, who ALWAYS has lobster for her birthday, got it twice!
- Amuse buche: chicken croquette
- Starter: crab and lobster cakes with pineapple papaya salsa and fennel aioli
- Soup: lobster bisque, with chunks of Maine lobster, tarragon, and Cognac
- Entree: steak Diane in a Cognac and mushroom sauce, with Pont Neuf potatoes and creamed leek and spinach
- Small plate of chocolates
- Dessert: pistachio mousse with pistachio gelato
The scenery as we slowly glide towards Nantes was also lovely. It felt like I was actually on a river cruise, we were so close to shore!
Birthday Gifts
The icing on the cake of a wonderful birthday was returning to my stateroom after dinner to find one more gift, a lovely bottle of wine from our lovely Cruise Director, Emily. I met her on my very first Azamara cruise, and she was the CD on my Carnival in Rio cruise last year. She is truly a wonderful person inside and out. I was so happy to get such a wonderful surprise!
Conclusion
While today was not planned, I ended up having a wonderful time in Belle-Île-en-Mer. The original itinerary had us scheduled to spend the day in Nantes, but a port strike forced a change of plans. The beautiful Belle-Île-en-Mer was a delightful substitute. I enjoyed exploring two different areas of this small island. It was a quiet and peaceful day, which allowed me to take time to stop and soak everything in. Cruises can be so busy, so I always appreciate opportunities to slow things down and bit and simply be in a place. Having a few friends around to help me celebrate my birthday was also wonderful. It was a great day overall, despite a few raindrops!
Links
Check the main page for this cruise to read more about my adventures:
Click the button below for more information about Azamara:
