Bretagne aka: Brittany, Breizh

Last time my boyfriend came to America (from France) he handed me an atlas and told me to pick a place in France for our next vacation. I picked Bretagne. We spent three days there and it was amazing. The alignments of Carnac, the forest where Merlin comes from, crêpes, the ocean…

It was awesome.

don’t worry about B&B, there are plenty of choices

I lived in a tiny village called Lourmais – in Ille-Et-Villaine – for three months when I was 15. I stayed with a French family, who treated me to delicious local food, and went on weekend trips to surrounding areas. Breton dancing at the town hall every Friday night, and some festival in November (or December?) involving dancing and apple cider. Haha, my French was pretty basic for the first few months, so I didn’t always know what was going on, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

In terms of sightseeing, my highlight was definitely le Mont St Michel. Amazing. I also loved Dinan, St Malo, and Fougeres. Breton towns and countryside have this strange, almost magical air to them. Something unidentifiable – there’s nothing quite like it back here in Australia. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to return, older, wiser, and with a better camera to capture Brittany as she deserves!

Remember going here when I was about 4 or 5. We were in a caravan at one of them holiday parks. Use to go and fetch the fresh baguettes from the baker on his wagon thingy in the very early morning. Ahh memories!

I went there for three weeks of holidays. I was with my grand-parents, and I had been killing everybody for years to go visit the region. We went to Finistère, which is to me ‘the last land’ before the ocean. It’s got something special.

We went near a town called Plouescat, nice people who rent the ground floor of their house, not for a too expensive cost. And they were very kind. I know this place is said to be very rainy, but actually during the three weeks we stayed, the weather was nearly beautiful all the time ; I think it rained two or three days only. Anyway, I loved the place maybe more with the rain and the wind. I walked on the land, all along the ocean, and expected to see ghosts floating around the houses of stone. It’s very typical, and it gives a very authentic atmosphere. Everything has a special spirit there, like if even the stone was dwelled with energy. The pavements, the seashore, the houses. Natural magic spell.

We celebrated my 13th birthday there. And so I asked if we could go to a typical tavern. I wanted to feel once like a real pirat before we go back home. We ate *real ‘crêpes’, and I was allowed to drink (one glass) of ‘chouchen’ (Hydromel + calva). It tastes very sweet, and makes very happy :)

I shall go back there.

My gf lives here and she showed me so many beautiful areas!! I LOVE IT.

I couldn’t have done it without the generosity of a friend who donated some frequent flyer miles and another friend who let me stay in her family’s summer house. I stayed in a 15th-century manor home in Treguier by myself for two weeks and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I don’t normally use phrases like “soul-searching” but that’s really what I did. My French language skills probably put me at about the level of a 5-year-old, so I could go shopping and wander around town but I didn’t feel comfortable conversing with strangers in cafes. That meant I was left to keep myself company. I made this trip at a time in my life where I needed to answer some really hard questions, and it did the trick

It was not lounging around the beach but I liked the rough charm and the incredible friendliness of the people. You can go to really cool (fish) markets like Saint-Malo or take a trip to Mt Saint-Michel…I’m getting nostalgic. La Bretagne is so worth a trip – but it’s not the stereotypical holiday place.

the slow pace of life in Brittany is something else, as is the wonderfull climate. Am going back this summer with my son and my partner with my parents and sisters family – usually a recipe for disaster but in this environment i don’t think so – Surf the Cote Savage here I come!

so far as Rennes and St.Malo.

I must go back, and make it further West. So beautiful and quiet (I was there in April, before tourist season).