Saturday, June 17, 2017

Chapter 19teen: Brittany the Northwest

Brittany: The Northwest


We drove over a very new bridge to get to a very old place: our destinations were between medieval Brittany and medieval Brittany. 

Pont de Térénez (2011), crossing the River Aulne in Finistère


To be sure, we are here partly to learn about our history, to experience some of the old world of Europe, but also to see how our fellow world citizens are dealing with the here and now.  

There are frequently surprises as we travel around in France. Often it is the technology; for example, this bridge. One gets so used to the old road bridges, some of which have served for centuries, then all of a sudden, zing: the Térénez bridge.

We were meandering through the hills and valleys from the old village of Crozon to the peninsula for Pointe de Pen-Hir.  The bridge twists and turns just like the road on either side of the gorge that it spans. The cables are like silk, gossamer webs. And, like so much that we find to be characteristically French, it is built for people, e.g., not just cars and trucks: there are lanes on each side of the bridge, purpose-built for walkers and cyclists. The Térénez bridge has won a number of awards for its unique design.




When we were in the southwest of France we reserved a few Chambres d'Hôtes for our days in Brittany. One never knows for sure what accommodations are going to be like, but we have always been very satisfied. 

We left Crozon, and headed north to Saint-Pol-de-LéonDinan (See Chapter 15), and La Grande Sauvagerie - a 16th C manor house near the agricultural town of Saint-Pierre de Plesguen.


14 Century Kreisker Chapel has tallest spire in Brittany (80 m)


Saint-Pol-de-Léon, is a small city on the Northwest Brittany coast. We only did an overnight in the town, but it was memorable and absolutely worthy of a return for further exploration.


Le Clos St. Yves, in Saint-Pol-de-Léon

Le Clos St. Yves was a gem, though it was really hard to find, tucked right into the maze of medieval streets in the centre of the old town. Neither the GPS in the dash of the Peugeot, nor our trusty old mobile TOMTOM GPS (which we always have with us) took us to the door. 

DID YOU KNOW that smart phones record a lot of metadata with every photo taken?  Here are the coordinates for Le Clos St. Yves48º 41' 8" N and 3º 59' 13" W.

Believe me: if you are in the area, be sure to reserve a room here; or even make this a destination for a few days. There is much to see and do in the area, within easy driving distance.















The family-operated Chambres d'Hôtes is in a brilliantly restored 16th Century home. Our spacious room looked out into a large enclosed garden.

And La Pomme d'Api, a very highly rated restaurant, also owned by our hosts, Jennifer and Jerime, is just a short walk down the street.



We easily found our way down the street to the restaurant in the fading light at the end of the day, then back again in the darkness illuminated by different kinds of glow.



Jerime (spelling?) is the Chef. Jessica is the Maitre D, server, and more. She is very charming and bi-lingual (Eng.)

We always say that service and friendliness really make a difference. Is there such a thing as a 10 out of 10 score?



Dinner that night was probably the best we have ever had in France, or maybe even anywhere. And breakfast in the morning was as good as it gets.




Roscoff today is a busy stop for car ferries between France, Ireland, and the UK. It is a city of unique architecture, much of it built by marine industry moguls hundreds of years ago. There is much history here and this is a city worth exploring for those who want to meander around the old stones streets


 Our Lady of Croaz Batz - The Renaissance spire (1576)































Roscoff is also an active fisher port. 
Everything to do with the sea is a magnet for my camera.





JEALOUS





















Morlaix is a neighbouring port in a bay to the east.

Had we known more about this region of Brittany we would have planned to stay much longer. 




See the printing on the awning. That's not French. It's Breton.






















Last observation in this chapter - some words of warning: beware the Glutton. Get too close and your handbag, your flipflop or your low slung camera could get sucked in. Hah! Another great innovation by the French.




Dinner Recommendation: La Pomme d'Api, Saint-Pol-de-Léon.








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1 comment:

  1. I would have love to be with you in that fabulous restaurant. I can only imagine how we would have enjoyed the food.

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