Brittany

Our trip to Brittany was full of wonderful surprises and beautiful sights. This was what we called out trip of Chambre d'Hotes, Picque-Nicques, Flowers and Surprises.

CHAMBRE d'HOTES - Every night except the last 2, we stayed in wonderful B&B's where we met great hosts and ate wonderful breakfasts, most of them homemade. Each was different, and yet each was a wonderful adventure. We also met interesting fellow travelers at several of these B&B's. The only two nights that we prearranged were the 1st two. Otherwise each and every day around 5:00 pm the search for accomodations would begin. The searches led us down lanes and paths we would not have traversed had we prearranged our accomodations. There are many stories to tell about the arranging itself. Some are fun, others are wonderful stories of help from the locals, only one was not acceptable and we left that one in a hurry only to find a lovely one not far away.

PICQUE-NICQUES - Every day of our trip we had a picque-nicque, albeit the last day we had it in the car because of the rain that would start and stop and start again. We had picnics on oceansides, on beaches, in towns, parks, meadows, and even church yards. We had local cheese, fresh bread of many forms and shapes, delicious crisp apples, rotisserie chicken with roasted potatoes and small bottles of wine or big bottles of cider. Sometimes, but not often we had a dessert.

Picnic was borrowed from French piquenique, a word which seems to have originated around the end of the 17th century. It is not clear where it came from, but one theory is that it was based on the verb piquer `pick, peck' (source of English pick), with the rhyming nique perhaps added in half reminiscence of the obsolete nique `trifle.' Originally the word denoted a sort of party to which everyone brought along some food; the notion of an `outdoor meal' did not emerge until the 19th century.

FLOWERS - Every day of our trip was filled with backdrops of flower gardens. Flowers on houses, flowers along the road, along the coast, inside church closes. The flower for the area was the hydraengia. They were all over the place. Some were bright blue, others had begun to fade and wore beautiful fall colors. Bright red, blazing blue and brilliant yellow flowers were everywhere.

SURPRISES - We were surprised by the weather and the climate. We took raincoats well expecting to wear them each and every day. They were never removed from our suitcases. We took sweaters and warm things. By noon we were stripping things off because of the warmth of the sun. The landscape surprised us. We expected barrenness being that it's close to the channel and to the sea. It only gets so when really close to the water. Otherwise it's lush and full and woods abound and fields of crops fill the landscape from east to west. What a wonderful part of this country.

Many people ask us if this area is as beautiful as the village of Lourmarin in the south and its surrounding area. What we say is this ... when comparing two regions, one familiar, the other new, it's difficult to disassociate oneself from the familiar things like people and relationships that have been built over ten years. Once you are able to disassociate those feelings of friendship and familiarity, then you can begin to compare the two regions. Both are beautiful in their own way. One is not more beautiful than the other. There are beautiful scenes in both areas, wonderful hiking in each, markets abound in both and the French people are wonderfully engaging from either region.

Brittany is obviously very tied to the sea. The foods, the coast line, the boats and harbors all provide for a wonderful experience. Apple and pear laden trees, exquisite farms, beautiful rolling hills, the celtic influence. The small harbor villages are certainly a draw. They are cozy and very picturesque. There is this cozy element that is not present in Provence.

Provence has color, mountains and a much different geographic experience than what we are used to. The vineyards are beautiful and the houses with clay tile roofs provide for a wonderful backdrop. The Mediterranean is obviously there, but they are not tied to the sea like the people in Brittany. It's just different.

Map of Brittany

The map is completely maneuverable, i.e. if you "click" on the map itself, the map will enlarge and red arrows will appear that allow for repositioning of the map. Notice the five areas that make up the province of Brittany ... Ille et Vilaine, Cotes du Nord, Finistere, Morbihan and Loire-Atlantique. Have fun.

24 September 2009

Our first day was not actually in Brittany. It was actually in Normandy near the town of Livarot. We stayed in a lovely Chambre d'Hotes in the countryside. Our hosts, Didier and Roselyne, were most gracious welcoming us with a bottle of cidre and discussions of our trip and our presence in this place.

You need to appreciate the fact that the setting was rural. The bull in the picture just above was positioned next to the small drive leading us to our chambre. The countryside was dotted with farms, the lanes and roads hemmed in with beautiful hedgerows, flowers blooming everywhere and fruit trees laden with autumn abundance.

When we were'nt visiting the surrounding area, Arthur (pronounced AR TOUR) was a faithful companion. I think he actually operated the chambre d'hotes while we were away. The chambre d'hotes was located in the large region region known as D'Auge. The most beautiful part of Normandy is located in the area, filled with rolling hills and a profusion of fruit trees. It's also home to the Route du Cidre, a trip we took that led us through this beautiful area.

26 September Saturday

Marlene is shown seated on the veranda in back of the farmhouse where we stayed. It overlooked a large open field with grazing horses and provided us with a beautiful view of the village nearby.

Earlier today we bid farewell to Didier and Roselyne. Oh, not to forget Arthur. We headed north with the city of Honfleur in mind. What a beautiful city on the coast immediately across from the large port city of LeHavre.

The harbor is encircled with beautiful half timbered houses and we arrived on market day. The center of the village is blessed with small streets that circle up and away from the port providing us with beautiful shops and lovely stands of fruit and provisions for our daily picque-nicque. Every day that we were on our trip we enjoyed a picnic. The weather was warm and the countryside was rife with places to lay out our small cloth and our luncheon provisions.

We enjoyed our lunch in a coastal town beyond Honfleur and continued our journey through a most beautiful area of homes and farms, all intertwined along the way. Corn on the coast you say ... it could'nt be more true. Our intention was to place ourselves in close proximity to Mt Saint Michael.

We found a small farmhouse near a village within viewsight of Mt Saint Michael. We had leftovers for dinner in the backyard patio. After that we visited the nearby town and scaled the castle walls and watched the sun go down over Mt Saint Michael.

27 September 2009

Today we rose to a wonderful breakfast and talks with two young women who were headed to a special service at the top of Mt Saint Michael, something that occurs at the same time every year. Once we heard this, we quickly packed our "large" suitcases and headed for Mt Saint Michael. The day started out with the landscape shrouded in fog and mist. The closer we got to Mt Saint Michael, the larger it loomed up and through the mist perched on its towering peak making the surrounding tide flats look barren and desolate. We parked the car and started the ascent. The service was being televised because of its importance. We entered the back just before the service started. We felt quite fortunate to be part of the pomp and all the festivity. What an extraordinary experience!

What is amazing is how the builders of this cathedral made there way up the hillside as day after day the whole structure emerged from the earth and soil.

After the service, the entire entourage exited the back onto an outside balconey. Marlene walked over to the bishop, introduced herself and began speaking to him.

28 September 2009

We left Mont Saint Michael and picknicked just outside of town beneath a large windmill. We wended our way along the coast till we arrived in Cancale, a coastal village that specializes in seafood. Found a wonderful B&B and headed for the harbor where we feasted on moules frittes and watched the moon rise over the small port. The next day (we stayed here 2 days) we headed for a village to the south (Combourg) where there was a market. We purchased picnic provisions and headed for a hike along a canal further to the south. We walked the trail that was sight to 11 locks and lockhouses. Marlene is standing in front of the PetiteMadeline, the second and most beautiful lock house in the entire group of eleven.

After hiking the lock trail, we headed for Cap Frehal and enjoyed the fresh air and wonderful sights of the sea. We again visited the harbor where we feasted on crepes, a specialty of the region.

Next Day

We spent the night again in Cancale and rose to a homemade breakfast (most of them were). Talked with madam and bid her a fond farewell with thoughts of Ile de Brehat in our heads. Followed the coastal road and arrived in the small town of Binic. Found lodging upstairs again (such a joy with large suitcases) and headed for town. Ate in an Italian restaurant and had lasagna and wonderful salad.

During breakfast we had a good discussion about politics (in French with some French tourists who were staying here as well) and headed north for Ile de Brehat. On the way we stopped in a village at their market for luncheon provisions. Chicken, cheese, cidre, apples, bread ... umm.

Arrived at the island ferry just before the boat left at 11:30. A ten minute ride brought us there and we proceed to visit the entire southern portion of the island. Many beautiful things. Wonderful smells, texures, sounds and sights. Had lunch overlooking a wide expanse of ocean. Finished the tour on several beaches gathering sea glass.

Anyway, we arrived back on land at 5:30 and proceeded to go for Perros-Guirec. After lots of interesting occurances we found a lovely B&B where we would sleep that evening. Headed for the port and for a good dinner. I think we split a pizza and salad.

A new Day

After a good nights sleep we said au revoir and headed west, as we were wont to do for the first half of the trip. Picked up lunch provisions at the very large market in Lannion. We feasted on chicken, potatoes, fruit, bread and exploding cider. Never did find the cork. Went through two small villages, one where a funeral started up while we were in the courtyard (the close). Visited several different sights along the way. We finally ended our day outside LeFaou where went spent the night on a bee farm. What a wonderful little spot ... sheep, vegetable gardens, walks along the river. Went into the small town for dinner and came back for a good nights sleep.

Destination - Camaret-sur-Mer

Today we have our first encounter with the Atlantic Ocean. Up until now we were exploring the French side of The English Channel. Arrived in Camaret-sur-Mer and loaded up on picnic provisions at the local SuperU. Visited the harbor where they were working on ships. The small church had a distinct marine flair ... above the aisle leading to the front were several small ships suspended from the ceiling and crossed oars and life preservers bracketted the altar. We headed for Pointe de Penhir for our oceanview picnic. A gull anxiously awaited for the finish of the meal when he was recipient of a small crust of bread.

Beach walks were in order. We also came upon some monoliths as well as the ruins of a villa built by the French poet Saint-Pol-Roux who lived from 1861 until 1940. I caught Marlene reading Proust in the ruins. The seaside was extraordinary. The tide was slowly approaching so the picture above was quickly taken and I had to scramble on rocks to retrieve my original position on sandy soil.

The beach offered up little or no seaglass. The clean, sandy beach stretched itself up to the base of the cliffs where it terminated in about a 6 foot stretch of small smooth tennis-ball sized stones. Very beautiful and very unusual. We packed up our belongings and headed towards the east, the first time on the trip. We were headed for Locronan, a small picturesque village that Marlene had on her "must see" list. The village was very quaint and well visited. We found a local artist that Marlene had first admired in the Office du Turisme' in Camaret-sur-Mer. We talked and bought some cards and a poster. We asked her for a recommendation for a B&B. She said the only one she knew about was Trezervan, some 10 or 15 minutes to the southeast. We looked at some indistinct mapping of the area. Toured the village and packed up with Trezervan in mind. Sometime you will need to hear the story of our search for the B&B. All of the farms have names, in this case Trezervan. What a gorgeous spot. And the accomodations were marvelous. We stayed three nights. When we return we will stay for a week. You can visit their website at http://www.trezervan.com/ and look for our room, Gwinnili. Most marvelous. After unpacking, we headed for Plogonnec where we visited the local creperie. There were locals there. There were some farmers at one table, well dressed folks at another, a small family in the corner. Delicious food and wonderful green salad.

Quimper and Pointe du Raz

Our day began with a delicious homemade breakfast and some talk with our host Thierry. We headed for Quimper and their market. One part is enclosed, the other out of doors. What wonderful stalls of fish and seafood, fruits, vegetables, meats and cheeses, clothing of all kinds, and wonderful locals buying their provisions for the next few days, and us buying our provisions for today.

After purchasing a lunch centered around chicken, we headed for HB Henriot, the premiere faience producer of Quimper. While we were inside, we heard some commotion outside. People were readying themselves for a wedding. There were Breton costumed dancers and bagpipe players. Once the newlyweds emerged from the chapel the fun began. Dancing, music, flower petals and family members. What a sight! Made some faience purchases and headed for Pointe du Raz on the Atlantic coast.

What a beautiful spot for a lunch. Looking out over the Atlantic then hiking to the pointe itself. The experience was amazing, the sights were spectacular.

We packed up and headed back for Locronan and the small restaurant that Thierry had recommended. Wonderful meal. Our table overlooked the coast, far, far away and was a good vantage for watching the sunset. What a great day. Headed back to Trezervan.

Visiting Pont-Aven

Today we planned a trip to Pont-Aven, a small picturesque village on the Aven River. We had provisions for another picnic and after visiting a few shops in the village we positioned ourselves on the opposite bank and watched the goings-on.

Visited a few more shops, a couple of beaches and then headed for Concarneau. Stopped into an antique place that reminded us of The Emporium. Lots of dressers, wardrobes, tables, statues, art, all kinds of lovely things. Left and ended up at the Concarneau harbor, directly across from the old part of the village positioned on an island. Beautiful harbor, beautiful old walled city, beautiful shops inside the walled city. Had two express and headed for Trezervan. Had dinner again in Plogonnec at the creperie. Delicious meal.

On to Carnac

We left Trezervan and headed for the Carnac area, a center for thousands of monoliths. First visited St Cado, a small village on Marlene's "must see" list. It's located on a small island and hosts a very special chapel, one named for the patron saint of hearing. Marlene positioned herself on the stone table where hearing miracles had been performed and waited for a miracle. After standing up I asked her if it worked and she said, "What?"

Continued on down to Quiberon at the bitter end of a long strand of penninsula. Had lunch on the ocean and left for the Quiberon beach in search of seaglass. Spent some more time hiking by the ocean and decided to head out for lodging. Arrived in Aurey. Left and found a suitable B&B in LeBono. Unpacked and headed back to Aurey. Went down to the old port. What a beautiful small harbor. The cobblestones glistened in the darkening sky. A building nearby boasted of being the original spot where Ben Franklin landed on the European coast. Found a lovely small restaurant and had a wonderful meal.

Finishing Up

The next day we started out for Sulniac, a small village mentioned in a book written by an American, Marjorie Price, who settled in the area at a very early age. The book, A Gift From Brittany, was an account of her experiences in the area. We found the home location (the farm was called (LaSalle) from our host for the evening where we stayed in Gorvello. Our hosts cooked dinner for us that evening. Delicious meal and great conversation.

The next day we headed for Chartres Cathedral. Got there early evening and entered the cathedral. Beautiful music from a mezzo-soprano wafted through the halls of the inside. Found out about vesper service and exited the cathedral looking for lodging. Found wonderful lodging half a block away that actually had off street parking. The effort to get there was great but worth it. Attended the vesper service with a major thunderstorm threatening. During the service the thunder and lightening rocked the cathedral. Very, very awesome. Left the service and went for dinner at a small bistro a block away. Nice evening.

Next morning we headed for Giverney and the gardens that made Monet famous. What a beautiful day we had in the gardens. Profusion of colors and textures. Headed for Paris along the north side of the Seine River. Got so far and got back on the A13 and found ourselves in a big traffic snarl when we entered the A1. Went through the airport twice and decided to turn in the car. What a good idea. A bus took us to an area of hotels. Found a reasonable one and got our room. Across the street was a grille. Halfway decent dinner. Bedded down and set the alarm for 6:00 AM.

Awoke, repacked, boarded the bus, rode the trolley to AerGare #1 and preceeded to prepare ourselves for the trip home. We were ready and even managed to squirrel away all of Marlene's seaglass collection in our suitcases. Unbeleivable.

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