My Brittany Vacation Near The Gulf Of Morbihan

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By time we walked back to the apartment we had walked about 12km so we decided to hit the beach and relax for the rest of the day.







We slept late the next day and didn't hit the road until almost 1:00 in the afternoon. Our destination was inland to the old town of Josselin. We were going to hit some other small towns today but due to our late start we just headed for Josselin, stopping at a couple of megalith sites and small towns along the way.

Here's the Dolmen de Mein Goreac on the road D778. There was a sign on the road pointing to its location.







A few kilometers further along was a menhir. There was no sign and only MM's sharp eyes caught it off to our left while driving by.

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While driving through the town of Guéhenno we noticed a triangular symbol on our map showing something called a Calvaire. A Calvaire (as I later learned) is a representation of Jesus's crucifixion on Mount Calvary. They are surrounded by sculptures of Mary/apostles/saints. They can be very simple or extremely elaborate, such as the one we saw, which dates from the 16th century. Hence, the reason it was shown on the map.









Here are a few photos of Guéhenno.

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The château is the first thing we glimpsed on our approach to Josselin.



Josselin has roots that go further back than medieval times but it is about this time when it first becomes noteworthy. It was long a residence of the Dukes of Rohan, an important family of nobles in the area. The château was constructed of wood around 1000A.D. and Henry II destroyed it in 1168. It was almost completely destroyed again by Cardinal Richelieu in 1629 who famously said to the château owner Henri de Rohan ''Sir, I have scattered your skittles.'' Restoration of the châtau was started around 1860 by a student Viollet le Duc, who re-did it in a neo-gothic style. Much of the decor inside is of this style and from this period with older more authentic furnishings as well. Today it is a private château still owned by the Rohan family.

Josselin is classified as a ''Petite Cité de Caractère'' (small city of character) and a 3 star ''Ville Fleuri'' (flowered town) and is certainly worthy of these designations. It has lots of half timbered housing going back to the 16th century and an upper and lower town (across the river from the château). Both the upper and lower towns are charming and I recommend it as a place worth visiting.

We walked around for a few minutes before visiting the château.

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This is the view from the outdoor table at our restaurant, where we had yet another tasty galette from a tourisy looking restaurant.



We also had a pretty good view of the tourists, including this couple who were clearly in the running for the title of ''Best Tourist Outfit''.



You may not be able to notice it but the orange hair bands holding the gentleman's pigtails in place were obviously carefully selected to match his elegant foot attire.



I don't know why he is typing his pigtails together in this picture. Perhaps he is going to a fancy restaurant and wants to look a little more presentable.

Off to go visit the château.





The castle can only be visited if you take a tour. Our tour was in French but I believe at least once a day they have an English tour.

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After visiting the château we continued our tour around town.











Finished up in Josselin and headed home, with the usual stop at a megalithic site on the way.

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The next day we went to explore the nearby peninsula of Locmariaquer. I've been here several times before so I didn't go back to some previously visited sites. One site that is worth visiting is called ''Le site des megalithes de Locamariaquer'' (The site of the megaliths of Locmariaquer). There are some remarkable features here including a restored cairn with some fantastic artwork and what was one of the world's tallest menhirs, which now lies broken in pieces on the ground. When standing it measured 25 meters in height and weighed between 280 and 300 tons. Some theories suggest it was knocked down intentionally after its construction. I imagine the architect lying underneath it whose last words were ''Hold it right there, that's perfect!'' There are excellent tours here and a museum as well.

I started with a visit to the Dolmen du Mané Réthual.





What is most remarkable about this dolmen is the size and weight of the capstone, which is now broken in three pieces. It has a volume of 27 cubic meters and weighs a whopping 72.5 tons. Just how did those people move these things? What was the motivation? I must admit I am really fascinated by these people that we know very little about.

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Next we headed to the town of Locmariaquer, which I have visted before but which I still enjoy. It is quite cute.

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Random dolmen.



Some unusual ornamentation on a garage.



Next we went to visit a famous dolmen called Pierres Plates, which has a menhir near its entrance. This dolmen sits about 50 or 60 feet from a public beach. It has some renowned engraved artwork inside. I find it remarkable that this monument is open 24/7 365 days a year and suffers no vandalism. Most of the dolmens I visited did not have graffiti or other signs of modern destruction, other than beer bottles and trash.

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There were acres of beach to picnic on but this family decided to picnic on the most photographed object in the vicinity. It would have been one thing if they looked happy but they were the most miserable looking family I have ever seen. They couldn't have tried any harder to ruin pictures for everyone.



We went back into town to have lunch. Today we decided to have lunch at a place that looked a bit more upscale as opposed to the usual touristy looking places we had been eating at. Well, the food was just OK. The moral of the story (which I already knew) is don't judge a book by its cover. Here's our lunch time view. Notice the gulf in the background, where it is low tide and the lack of water is evident.



Decided to visit a few more dolmens after lunch.







We could have done more sightseeing today but as I have mentioned already, we were on vacation and wanted to relax. I know if you come from a long distance to visit France you want to see as much as possible. The French, however, like to go on vacation to do nothing since they live here already. Off to the beach we went.

View to the right.



View straight ahead.



View to the left.



The above photo would have been perfect if it hadn't been spoiled by that girl in the purple bikini. Yuck! She's ugly!

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The next day we decided to visit the nearby peninsula of Quiberon. Driving onto the peninsula the landscape reminded me of Cape Cod scenery, as I am from Massachusetts. Here is what you see to the right driving down the peninsula.



This picture proves, once again, that not every bit of touristy coastline in France is necessarily jam packed with tourists. Pick a spot with no beach services and it's relatively people free.



More scenery seen from the car.



There is one road leading down the peninsula. If you don't arrive early enough you will be stuck in a long line of trafic. We got stuck for about 10 or 15 minutes. I suspect a good deal of the traffic has to do with the fact that the ferry for the nearby island of Belle Île leaves from Quiberon. We didn't get here on this trip but plan to in the future. MM has been here before and assures me that it is quite beautiful (as the name suggests) and worthy of a visit if you just want to relax for a day on a beautiful island.

Here is the Fort de Penthièvre. It was constructed in 1747 in response to an English raid. In 1795 it was raided and captured by the English who were expelled a short time later by the French. In 1917 it was used as a prison for German soldiers. During WWII the Germans incorporated it into the Atlantic wall of defense. In July 1944 several members of the resistance were tortured and buried alive here. It now serves as a training base for the army.



Our next destination was Saint Pierre Quiberon, a cute little town.

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And guess who found an alignment of menhirs here?







Nearby was a cromlech, which is a circular or semi-circular arrangement of menhirs.



We found a restaurant and had some lunch. Can't remember what we had for lunch but we had a pleasant view.



I remember dessert though, and it sure was good. Yes, those are chocolate palm trees and seagulls.



Next we headed for the town of Quiberon, the main town on the peninsula which had most of the stores, services and amenities. I found it rather bland and uninteresting and a tad overdeveloped. But I suppose the residents are happy to have all the services and stores. It seemed to attract the most amount of tourists of all places on the peninsula. Just goes to prove that if you provide the services the tourists will come.

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Here's the main tourist beach.



Here's a menhir which has been toppled and a poor attempt at raising it was made.



Quiberon has not forgotten about the bathroom needs of our furry four pawed friends.



Having finished up in Quiberon we decided to explore its western coastline, known as the Côte Sauvage (Wild Coast). It's a rocky stretch of coastline known for the ferocity of the ocean crashing against the low cliffs. I've been to parts of western Brittany before and have seen the power of the ocean during/after a storm and it is awesome. I grew up in a coastal New England town so I know about the ocean and it is mighty impressive in Brittany. On this day, however, it was showing its gentler side with calm waters and no threat of storminess in the skies. If you come to Quiberon, this is what you should come for. It is undeveloped in the area adjacent to the coast here and I didn't see much in the way of beachside services. Parking was fine up and down the coast while I was there but I can imagine it would get tight on a really sunny, hot day.



This is what I mean by undeveloped. It's what you see when you look in the opposite direction from the coast.



Typical views of the coast.





One of the stretches of sandy beach you find occasionally nestled between the cliffs.



We headed back to our apartment and had a bite to eat before heading out to see a tumulus and then going to La Trinité sur Mer, where we had seen a Fest Noz (I'll explain in a minute) advertised for this evening.

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The Tumulus de Kercado is one of the better known sites in the area. I think there is an admission booth but I was only looking at my map to try to locate it. I found a place to park and then started walking up a dirt road and took a trail into the woods that I thought would lead us there. My instinct paid off and after 2-3 minutes we arrived. I wasn't trying to avoid paying an admission, I just didn't know anything about it and simply stumbled across it by dumb luck. I'm not the kind of person who would dodge an admission fee to a public historic monument.

Not knowing where I was going in the woods, twisting and turning on the narrow trail with the late day fading sunlight sifting through the trees and illuminating the greenery, and then suddenly seeing this mysterious mound, topped with a menhir and surrounded by a ring of menhirs (cromlech) was somewhat sublime. Here's what I saw as I approached.



Here's a view of a portion of the cromlech. There's no way to fit the whole cromlech in one photo. Nor can you combine in one photo all of the individual elements that comprise this site so my photos only capture part of its essence.



And some other views.







There is a light at the entrance of the chamber so you can see it illuminated inside should you forget your flashlight, which I know you will all remember to bring with you now that I have made you expert ''stupid rock'' hunters.

Time to leave the tumulus and head to Fest Noz. Here's a view along the country road leading away from the tumulus.

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Before we go to Fest Noz let's have a little look around La Trinité sur Mer. It's about as cute as a little Breton village could be. I gather it's a posh place which probably has something to do with its charming appearance, but hey, I wanna see a cute Breton village and this one captures the image. You'll find the small old district just behind the stores that line the harborfront. It seems to be a favored spot for mooring yachts and other pleasure craft. I apologize for the somewhat blurry quality of the images. It was twilight and I had to use a flash with only an average quality camera. Better than no pictures at all. Have a look.

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Time for Fest Noz. Fest Noz are the festivals held all over Brittany year round but they are more visible to tourists in the summer months. They celebrate Breton culture with traditional music and dance. They have also spread to other parts of France. I remember a great one I saw a few summers ago that featured a very popular Breton band called Startijenn, which means ''full of energy'' in Breton. The group was comprised of the younger members of the Breton generation and blended traditional music and instruments with modern drums and amplified guitar. The village men, women and children dressed in traditional clothes and a crowd of a few thousand gathered to join in the dancing and celebration. It was a lot of fun. Many of the dances are circular arrangements of people locking their pinkies together and skipping back and forth accompanied with little kicks and footsteps, which caused all the ''two left feet'' newbies like me to almost rip off the pinkies of the ladyfolk with whom they had interlocked digits. Yes, I danced. Badly too, I might add. MM has it all on film but don't kid yourselves into thinking I am going humiliate myself by showing it to you. A few too many cidres sometimes makes you think you are a better dancer than a sober reality would prove otherwise. Although I was sober in 6th grade when a girl from the 8th grade asked me to the prom. I was about 5'1'' and she was about 5'10'' with braces and glasses. She spun me around on the dance floor and in an inspired disco type manoeuver I did a split, causing my polyester Sears slacks to rip at the crotch. I tied my jacket around my waist and more or less danced a shuffle step the rest of the evening, keeping my legs together. I swear to God I'm not making this up. Being cool comes with a price tag. Tonights Fest Noz was a much smaller affair of maybe a few hundred people. Here are all the party people.



A lovely sunset sky.







Tonight's music was provided by a one man band who played music and sang. Here's a video so you can join in all the fun.



Alright, that was really a sad little performance that paled in comparison to the last Fest Noz I attended. It was worse in person since the guy doing the one man band only knew one song, which you just heard. He tried to add some variety by changing the lyrics each time but it was still sung to the same melody.

To make up for that underwhelming Fest Noz performance here's a clip from the band Startijenn performing in Morlaix.

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It was Saturday morning so we had to leave our rental but we decided we wanted to try and avoid the traffic going back into Paris that is common on a Saturday in July and August, since everyone's rental ends on Saturday. The plan was to spend Saturday night in a cheap roadside motel just off the autoroute outside Rennes and see some sights during the day on our way there. I had researched some towns on our route that looked interesting and came up with four possibilities. Since I had some other sights I wanted to see there was only enough time to see the two towns which best coincided with our planned route. The two towns I selected were Rochefort en Terre and Malestroit.

Rochefort en Terre has earned the designations of a 4 star ''Village Fleuri'' (flowered village), a ''Petite Cité de Caractère'' (small city of character) and ''L'un des Plus Beaux Villages de France'' (one of the most beautiful villages in France). With such credentials it seemed like a can't miss village and I must highly concur with its worthiness of having been assigned such honors. The cute just never stops here. MM and I have seen several well known places which have received one or a combination of these designations and I think this one beat all the others. This is strictly a personal opinion and therefore subjective. But if you decide to visit I guarantee you will not be disappointed. If you are I am not offering a money back guarantee, but I don't think that will be necessary.

To sum up its history, a bunch of stuff happened from medieval times to the 20th century. Rochefort en Terre gained notoriety in the early 20th century when a wealthy French born American painter named Alfred Klotz bought the old 12th century château (which was destroyed during the revolution) and had it rebuilt. He encouraged residents to beautify their homes by decorating them with geraniums, a tradition which continues. It has many homes dating from the 16th century through the rennaisance period. It is today apparently one of the most visited villages in Brittany. So much for discovering an unknown gem.

We parked just outside the village (don't drive in as pedestrians rule the streets here) and here is the view on our approach to the village.



I don't have too much else to say that pictures can't so here are a whole bunch of pictures that will make you say ''Awwww''.

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Road signs in the area are often bilingual.







Here's the crêperie where we ate lunch. It had numerous recommendation postings outside and it was pretty cheap so we gave it a go.





I had the Galette Fruits de Mer (plus a sweet crêpe for dessert).

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After lunch we continued strolling around.





Rochefort en Terre is in the region of the Forêt de Brocéliande, which is associated with the Merlin mythology of Arthurian legends. There is no shortage of places where you can purchase fairy accessories.



We thought we had seen everything in the village and headed back to the car but then noticed a street on our right previously unseen by us. More cuteness.









If it were possible for cuteness to cause a heart attack then Rochefort en Terre would be inhabited by wealthy cardiologists.

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We left for our next destination of Malestroit and drove through some very pretty countryside along the way. Here are a couple of photos from our moving car.





MM was feeling a bit tired when we arrived at Malestroit and since it paled in comparison after just having come from Rochefort en Terre she stayed in the car and took a little nap while I made the obligatory 20 minute tourist visit to get the required tourist photos. Malestroit has a history very similar to Rochefort en Terre from medieval times through the 20th century. The next significant event in its history was my arrival.

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Our final destination for the day was the Forêt de Brocéliande to try and find Merlin (or at least buy a wizard's hat), but as usual, I had some stupid rocks I wanted to see that were right on our route. The site I wanted to visit is known as Les Pierres Droites (The Straight Stones). This site was only discovered in 1989 after a forest fire revealed what at first appeared to be just a bunch of large stones lying on their sides and embedded in the earth, easily confused with a geologic location characterized by the presence of exposed ledge. Three menhirs were still standing and it was soon learned that what at first appeared to be natural formations were actually toppled menhirs. Over time a search of the nearby area revealed over 400 such menhirs.

Since 1997, 42 menhirs have been restored to their original upright positions. Apparently the menhirs were toppled and the site purposely vandalized around the year 1000A.D. No explanation was given for this destructive act but such practice was common among Christians seeking to destroy what they perceived as pagan temples. In other places these features were part of deep local lore and legendry and their continued existence and protection was the result of beliefs and traditions among the local populace. Megalithic sites often have local legends which characterize them as the residences of fairies or ghosts and places of supernatural occurrences.

What is unique about this site is that it literally lies right next to a main road, less than 100 meters. In the region where this site is located are a number of walking trails through woods and fields and there are maps available that designate the various locations of the region's megaliths, should this type of hiking interest you. The fact that this and a few other sites have only been discovered in recent years gives me the hope that I will still be able to find my own undiscovered megalithic site on some future stupid rock excursion.

Les Pierres Droites has a small recreated neolithic village and there are workshops and demonstrations for kids and adults alike, as well as guided tours of the site. These activities require reservations.









MM and I decided to take a little walk on one of the megalith trails to stretch our legs and find a few rocks. Here is one of the signs you will see that marks the ''Circuit des Megalithes''.



Along the trail.