La Bretagne: Oh beautiful, rugged landscape!

Just touring in the rain.
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On Monday, August 28^th, Yves and I rented a car and hightailed it al the way to the the region called Brittany (La Bretagne). From the little yellow matchbox car in the lot, I knew it would be a fun day! As it cost extra to have a second driver, and as Yves is as much in love of control as any teacher on this planet (I know you’re reading this, but I also accept that I , too, love to be in control of situations), I was not able to drive. We played with the car at first since the doors were automatic sliders, and the interior looked like the inside of an Ikea furnished vehicle! The car is a Peugeot 1007. Here is the reference to the Peugeot website for more pics: http://www.peugeot.com/mediatheque/en/mediatheque_image.htm#design#2006#207RCup

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So, our first stop was Vannes. Even in the rain, well especially in the rain, this little port town was superb! Unfortunately, I wasn’t smart enough to write this the day after, so now everything is just “a pretty”, or “some old, cool thing.” I know, isn’t depressing?! This must be how most of the French are: immune to the beauty around them. People look at you for taking pictures of a street sign – what’s up with that?! Doesn’t everyone take pictures of bakeries, and tourist offices to show their kids back home?! Due to Celtic influences and inhabitation for many centuries, there is a lot of folklore in this region. Goblins, elves, Merlin’s forest, they are all here! It is mystical and magical land of middle world. There is also a special language called Breton. Ker = house, like the French chez, Castel = castle, Straed = street, and Merdi = museum. So why is it weird that I take pictures of the signs that are written in French and Breton? The pride, mix and politics that go along with the other language are fascinating. Some want to separate, others are happy to have the language be taught in the schools, and others just couldn’t care less. (as long as they have their regional specialty that France is famous for: CRÊPES!!!) Besides, that, this region is also well known for porcelain, butter, rock salt, caramels, and well, anything else that dietitians would never recommend to a diabetic!

this gooey mess comes with a free insulin pump!

Gee, isn't everything pretty in France?!
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Oh yeah, back to Vannes. It is a cute port town with a lot of character in its centre-ville. This just means the historic center of the city/town. What is interesting in this particular town is that the ramparts are still up, now decorated with gardens and concert space. The French love this: the mixing of the old with the modern. The juxtapositioning of history and history in the making. It sorta shows the world they don’t take themselves too seriously, and that they won’t be directed entirely by their history – every Frenchman is his own revolutionary! It is similar to the idea of turning old factories and historic buildings into new restaurants, museums and loft space. Although, as I think about it, history is such a luxury. Monuments are pretty, they keep tourism alive, they provide a backdrop for the history of a locale, but as for necessity, I still haven’t decided. I know it costs a lot of money to keep these landmarks running. They are quite important. However, when there are so many problems with a nation – why should an inanimate object have more importance than a living citizen who is need? I know that we pay to enter, but the government still subsidizes, along with funds form quite a few benevolent folks, the cost. I don’t want tourist sites and historical buildings to disappear – it’s just a thought. So for the third time, going back to Vannes, one thing that was quite interesting was the design of the buildings. Since the streets were narrow, the buildings had to maintain enough space for circulation, and expanded the floor space a little with each floor above the ground floor. The second reached out a bit, then the next floors would extend a foot or so more each.

Art with supporting sturctures (the beams)
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Next Aurray, but we went to St. Goustan (just south) because the access point was easier. This was the location where Benjamin Franklin debarked from his transatlantic journey to France. This fact and a cute bridge connecting the two towns were all that I needed from here. I could’ve easily spent a lot of money on the local pottery, but decided against dishing out my euros so easily.

Pont-Aven was the next town. It was a let down because I was expecting more from the town that Gauguin painted. Like SOHO, the money came in to make more money. Sad. Art galleries and tourist shops. No more, no less.

A sign written in Breton, the reason people look at me funny.
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Locronan was the highlight for me. A medieval city, surrounded by its walls, and grounded by its central church, it was celtic construction at its best. Yet again, it is a place to go shopping – money! I liked that Yves and I went in the late afternoon as most people were gone, and I could forget about most shops. Well, that is such a lie because I loved the store with the Breton folklore knickknacks, post cards to make a picture wall of Bretagne, and the bakery. The Kouing-Amman is the most fabulous piece of Breton cake ever! It is like a croissant that is buttered, folded, crisped, buttered, folded, crisped, and repeated many times until you have this gooey mess that comes with a free insulin pump! I need more! I am having Kouing-Amman withdrawal as I write this!

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Finally, we went to Quimper – what a funny name – pronounced kehmpair, it another gem of the region. The sparkling site here is the cathedral. The stonework is like lace. Another pretty. Unfortunately, we arrived to late to climb to the top. The view from below would be all I would have that day.

On our way out of the town, I was looking at a funny shirt about being Breton, and I ran into a pole. Not just a little act of bumping into it. I really slammed into it so hard that the pole rang and the people around me went “Oh la la!” That was it. A smashing end to the trip. Of course the ride home was tranquil, so no great news there. Sorry. What, were you expecting a red curtain to come down?