Gavin Engelbrecht and his daughter spend a week exploring the Brittany coast

MY daughter Ruth has always enjoyed being taken for a drive – even if only for an aimless meander through the countryside.

So when the opportunity of a dad/daughter holiday presented itself, a motoring holiday was just the ticket.

And invited by European self-catering specialists Keycamp Holidays to sample one of their many parcs, a week in the Finistere region of Brittany, in France, seemed the obvious choice, with the journey there being not too far.

We set off from Newcastle at midnight, arriving at Dover at daybreak, getting the quick ferry crossing with P&O to Calais, where tired and having to remind oneself to keep on the right side of the road, we headed for an overnight stop at the municipal campsite in Fecamp, in Normandy. The facilities were basic, but we were more than compensated with a lovely view over the bay that inspired the Impressionist greats.

It was with relief we arrived the following day at Keycamp’s facilities at Les Mouettes, situated on one of the many picturesque beaches on this dramatic coastline and within easy walking distance from the sleepy town of Carantec.

We were greeted by enthusiastic and helpful staff who took us to our spacious Villigrand mobile home. It was fitted with every mod con you could hope for or need, with an outdoor deck on which many a game of Scrabble was to be played, barbecues enjoyed and bottles of wine consumed during the ensuing week.

Les Mouettes is a beautifully-kept parc with a relaxed air about it. For those with younger children there is plenty to keep them occupied, including three outdoor swimming pools patrolled by lifeguards and a very impressive waterslide as well as an indoor pool. Table tennis, snooker, volley ball, badminton, cycle hire and other games are available too.

Les Mouettes also has a pizzeria, takeaway snack bar, two bars with satellite television, a sauna and a reasonably-priced launderette. In fact, every need is catered for and one need go no further.

On a mission to see as much as we could within a day’s striking distance, we set out on day one along the road snaking along the estuary to the nearby picture-postcard town of Morlaix, which is built on steep cliffs and dominated by a towering railway viaduct.

Then on to Carhaix-Plouguer, which did not have much to offer, apart from the Maison de Senechal – a stone and wooden mansion covered with strange carvings.

We then doubled back through a series of minor roads, discovering the hamlet of Le Relecq. Well off the beaten track, it comprised a few granite houses, a ruined medieval Cistercian abbey and a church with walls bulging out under the weight of its magnificent beamed roof. The bare interior of the church exuded a sense of abandonment, but for neatly set out rows of chairs which suggested it was still used. Judging from a fascinating collection of sepia-toned photographs in a small museum, this was once a thriving community.

As with many areas of Brittany, it was a hotbed of Resistance during the Second World War and even had its own small German garrison billeted nearby.

Ambling down a tree-lined pathway alongside a pond, it was hard to imagine the tread of hobnailed jackboots disturbing this rural idyll.

From Le Relecq we took a slow drive through the forested heart of the Armorique.

The next day took us up the Pink Granite Coast – so named for the colour of rocks that form a wonderland of contorted shapes in ragged promontories jutting into bays. Running from Plestin-les-Greves to Louannec, it is at its most dramatic at Tregastal Plage and along a walk skirting the headland of Ploumanach, where towering rocks teeter impossibly on top of each other.

Further inland, we stopped off at Chapelle de Kerfons. An unprepossessing building covered in patches of lichen, it contains richlycarved rood screen dating from the 15th Century.

It is remarkably well preserved and one could not help reflecting how many similar masterpieces must have been destroyed in the bonfires of the King Henry VIII’s Reformation.

A little further down the road, we visited Tonquedec Castle, which was reduced to rubble under orders of Cardinal Richelieu, but still retains a brooding presence with its imposing towers and curtain walls.

The following day we ventured through the hills of Monts D’Arree, which form the spine of Finistere and are among the oldest geological formations in Europe. The bracken-covered summit of Montagne St Michel, capped by a wind-battered chapel, affords a stunning 360 degree view of the surrounding countryside, including the disused nuclear power station on the banks of St Michel reservoir.

The main destination was the charming city of Quimper, which had enough to see to keep us occupied for most of the day, including a stroll through the old town, its Cathedrale St- Corentin and the fine arts museum, which alone deserved an hour or two.

A visit to Finistere would be incomplete without a tour of its Cavalries and parish closes.

Going from church to church, we kept bumping into the same people, all clutching their guide books and seemingly intent on visiting every one on the map.

Well there are simply too many to absorb in one day – and it would be worth spreading visits over a few days.

Among the musts is Guimiliau, which is one of the largest calvaries, featuring over 200 figures with 15 scenes from the life of Jesus.

Dating from late 16th Century, these impressive carvings were a means of conveying the biblical story to the illiterate masses and one could see how the peasants would have been overawed by these depictions in stone.

AFTER a few more calvaries, including St Thegonnec, we headed to the Crozon peninsula, visiting Pont de Terenez, Landavennec and Pont des Espagnols.

Returning to Le Mouettes every evening was always a pleasure and one felt it was a home from home. But, unfortunately, home we eventually had to go.

Heading back to Newcastle everything conspired against us. Our ferry was delayed by the end of a hurricane and when we arrived at Dover, it took three hours before the tugs could tow us in. Already hours late, we missed one turning and then another and got hopelessly lost.

However, no discomfort on the return could detract from the quality time we had together in a Keycamp parc that comes highly recommended.

TRAVEL FACTS

KEYCAMP offers self-catering holidays to 99 top parcs across ten European countries, plus the US. Each has excellent facilities and a choice of stylish mobile home, chalet, a Supertent and even tree house accommodation.

Seven nightsfrom July 22 for two adults and up to four children staying in a two-bedroom Villanova mobile home at Keycamps Les Mouettes parc will cost from £925, including a return Dover to Calais ferry crossing.

This includes a saving of £280.

Alternative ferry crossings and flydrive packages can be arranged through Keycamp at a supplement. For the latest deals, further information or to make a booking, visit keycamp.co.uk or call 0844-406-0319.