I would be remiss if I didn't mention "our fort". It is a reminder of Fouras' early history as it dates back to the early 1300's. The huge dungeon was added later and it now houses a tiny museum.
What's unique about the Fort, is that you can enter for free! (A rarity in France) From the ramparts there are wonderful views of the sea, the carrelets the beaches and much of the town. The Fort is well preserved and there is even free parking just next to it (another rarity). There are two small gift shops within the fort and they offer locally handmade gift items - pottery, jewelry, scarves, etc. that are very pricey but quite nice.
It's part of our daily morning walk on our way to the bakery. The round trip is about 2 miles. We also check out the beach weather. In general, the French are not early risers when on vacation. So, beach parking is easy to find if one arrives prior to 10 a. m. But, what a difference 30 minutes makes! The hordes begin arriving. By noon, our street will be filled with cars parking on the sidewalks making it all most impossible for cars or people to pass (tiny street)
Another interesting observation is that the French think nothing of going to the beach at 4 p. m. The sun is still very strong. So, you can definitely get color.
Of course, they eat later and it doesn't get dark until 10 p.m.
