France - Brittany

Friday 2nd June

Rappel - limit

We set the car's GPS to Mohon in Brittany and took to the highways with 130kms speed limit. Some of them are tollways but the good thing here is everyone who uses them overtakes in the fast lane so you don't have to keep checking over your right hand shoulder as well. Remember we are driving on the right hand side of the road, luckily Glenn and Eric do. 

We drove through green countryside almost all the way with the occasional chateau. The further south we went the more wind turbines we saw. About 4 hours after leaving Vernon in Normandy we stopped for lunch at a lovely restaurant overlooking the river in Josselin, in the Morbihan district of central Brittany. It specialized in pancakes which were lovely. Sitting in the sunshine on the terrace we enjoyed a view of the canal and along to the castle.

 

10 kms later we pulled up in Mohon and were welcomed by Philippa and Allen who live in one end of the large stone cottage that was once a home and barn but they have since I converted. The cottage is estimated to be about 300 yrs old and dark and snug inside. Glenn needs to duck his head to avoid banging it on the huge timber beams as he climbs the stairs to their bedroom on the first floor. Ours is under the roof and was quite hot when we first arrived but soon cooled down once we opened the skylight windows. I like the way they have solved the problem of fitting a door to both bedroom and ensuite.

 

Once we were settled, we returned to Josselin for supplies to stock the pantry and fridge then relaxed until we joined our hosts for a bbq dinner next door. There is quite an active ex-pat community living here and we met some UK citizens who either live or regularly holiday here as well as a couple who are here as volunteers on the workaway.info website. As it happens they lived and worked in Clunes, Vic for 3 years and know Talbot well. Eric's hometown! Who would have thought we would be here, talking to someone who has been to the Talbot Farmers's Market on a regular basis? One of the big advantages of house exchange is that you invariably get to meet the owners who are generous people and share not just their homes but local knowledge and insights. We have learnt that the local golf courses are expensive to play but that the pro shop closes at 6pm so if you go after that you can play for free. Since the sun doesn't go down until much later than that, we can easily fit in 9 holes. Allan has 3 sets of golf clubs we can borrow. They also have bikes we can use to ride along the tow path beside the local canal system. Tomorrow night one of the 2 local bars holds a trivia night in English and Tuesday night is the night most of the Englsh locals head to the other local bar so we have been told to go along if we want to meet up again. Brexit and the UK election this weekend could have a huge impact on many people sitting around the table so all in all it was a very interesting night. 

Saturday 3rd June

Poulet roti - roast chicken

We all slept well and late, the weather looked gloomy so a nice morning for lazing under the covers. We had agreed to follow our hosts back into Josselin at 11am to find the local Saturday market, so eventually we all descended the stairs for a late breakfast. Everywhere you look in Josselin you are struck by its medieval character and gorgeous flowers spilling over stone walls or bursting out of window boxes. The skyline is dominated by the castle and the church bell tower while the cityscape is full of 17th century half-timbered housing capped by slate tiles. 

 

The market was sprawled over the central streets of the old town and was bustling with everything from cheese and specialty sausages to leather goods and clothing. All the vegetables looked fantastic. Eric and I climbed the bell tower of the Basilica Notre Dame du Roncier for great views and, with perfect timing, descended just before the bells tolled to announce midday. This was followed by the very loud air raid siren that announces to all and sundry that the market is to be packed up and the streets cleared for traffic. We bought poultry roti and some baguettes for lunch then walked beyond the castle on the banks of the river Oust to have a picnic on a pontoon near one of the locks. Overlooking the Oust Valley, Josselin’s castle has been in the Rohan family on and off for centuries. In fact, the town is named after the son of the viscount who built it. 

 

The river Oust was incorporated into the Canal de Nantes à Brest, a canal which links the two cities of Nantes and Brest through inland Brittany. It was built during the 19th century by Napoleon to create a safe inland link between his two largest military ports  with a total length of almost 400 kms and 238 locks from coast to coast. Later it served as a very important trade route. Today it seems to be mostly used by people holidaying in riverboats.

Eric cooked dinner while the rest of us took a short stroll around the village of Mohon. It is very quiet with just a church, town hall, library, bakery and bar/tabac. All the French locals sell their old family stone cottages and live in modern homes and the Brits have been buying up the vacant properties to either live in, or for holidays. Everyone seems happy with the arrangement. 

 

Sunday 4th June

Jardins - gardens

After a large breakfast and early morning tea (I found the Mohon bakery was open when I went in search of milk and bread) we returned to Josselin to walk around the castle gardens. It was very peaceful with vast lawns, low hedges as well as a rose garden with many different species, all white and shades of pink which looked lovely against the dry stone walls. In need of attention though, perhaps I have been spoiled by the gardens of Giverny. 

 
 

The chateau itself had a very detailed facade with fabulous water pipes and elaborate gargoyles for spouts. On the lower lawns there were pop up stalls selling plants, garden ornaments and local produce. We tried the apple cider and brought some home as our contribution. Lunchtime already! How quickly the time passed between meals today. We chose a restaurant beside the basilica and ate in the weak sunshine as we watched the people pass by. There are quite a few cyclists among them as this is a long weekend. 

Back home, Eric and I went exploring with our binoculars. Despite finding a few tracks off into the fields we had a very poor count when we returned. We see more birds in our own backyard than we saw today. We have passed up the opportunity to join the trivia evening in favour of staying home and working our way through the boot load of supplies we bought yesterday in preparation for the long weekend when shops might be closed. No one thought of the bread and milk though!

 

Returning home we walked into the kitchen which smelt sweetly of Glen's curry. We watched the French Open while we waited for it to finish.

Monday 5th June

Saucisse- sausage 

Today we drove the almost 2 hours to Mont Saint Michael on the coast just over the Normandy side of the regional border. This island is known as 'The wonder of the mount', 'The Bastille of the seas', 'An abbey between earth, sea and sky'.....and the accolades go on. It was first built as a sanctuary in 708 by a bishop, at the request of the Archangel Michael, who visited him while he slept. The Romanesque abbey was built 3 centuries later by innovative architects who managed the feat on a rocky offshore outcrop. 2 centuries later, now in the 13th century, fire destroyed it but the King of France fully funded a Gothic-style reconstruction. In the 14th century its strategic position led to additional fortification structures and the monks were able to defend the abbey against the English invader, thus it became a symbol of resistance. In the 15th century a part of it was turned into a prison and prisoners were held there until it was finally closed in the 1800's. The site has been honoured with double UNESCO World Heritage status since 1979.

 

John and Yve who have ridden extensively all over this part of France told us it was there No.1 pick of places to see and we are very happy that we did. Approaching it across the endlessly flat reclaimed countryside, it stands like a sentinel and can be seen from a great distance. Once we had parked the car we chose to walk the 2.5kms which finishes with a new causeway which these days allows almost continual access despite the constant tidal fluctuations. Things would have been very different back in the years it was being built or used as a prison.

 

There were many tourists there, filling the restaurants, so we bought a bagette and water then went straight up to the ramparts and then up the many, many steps to the abbey. What a marvel, built on so many levels as the designers managed the uneven foundations. At some points you had panoramic views across the seabed at low tide. We were struck by the number of people walking across the sandy bay. The enormous wooden wheel was installed while it was a prison to haul up supplies. 

 

 

Once our self guided tour was over we returned through the 15th century houses and shops to the main gate area for coffee and to meet up with Jenni and Glenn. The wind was strong in our faces and the weather was looking grim but we chose to walk back to the car rather than wait impatiently for the free shuttle bus. Luckily we stayed dry. By the time we arrived home it was spitting with rain. We all raided the fridge and cupboards for nibbles and came up with figs, garlic crackers and then Beaufort goats cheese, kangaroo saucisson and olives from the Josselin market.  Then the boys decided to light the wood fire.

Tuesday 6th June

Boulangerie and patisserie - bakery and pastry shop

Cold wind, grey skies outside so we stayed under the covers again. 14deg outside, that's cold for a Territorian. When we ventured downstairs we found Jenni and Glenn had been to get the milk and returned with pastries for brunch. The sun managed to breakthrough so by 1pm we headed off to Foret de Broceliande. This forest of Brocéliande is apparently home to the legend of King Arthur, and on our walk we expect to encounter a wonderful world populated by the fairy Viviane, Merlin the enchanter or the knight Lancelot and sister of King Arthur, the fairy Morgan. The drive took us through Mauron and Trehorenteuc where we found a tourist information centre with a map to follow. The 4 km walk was called Boucles Val sans Retour et Arbre d'or (The valley without return and the golden tree).

Legend tells us that this mysterious valley, located a stone's throw from the village of Tréhorenteuc, was the domain of the fairy Morgan, betrayed by her lover, she would have cast a spell over this valley: all men infidels by gesture and thought will now remain prisoners. It is hoped we all return but if not I am confident Eric has life insurance. 

Between the trees we were protected from the wind so it was quite pleasant if you kept moving. The first landmark we came to was the Arbre d'or (Tree of gold), which stands between blackened trunks, all set amongst many shards of rock as protection. In 1990 a huge fire burnt 400 hectares of the forest, severely effecting this valley. The artist, Francois Davin, wrapped up a charred chestnut with gold paper as a symbol of the forest's vulnerability and the renewal of nature. The remaining charred oaks mark the courage of the fireman. 

Nearby is the Miroir aux Fees (Mirror lake of the fairies). A long time ago the fairies decided to make a pact to hide from the eyes of humans. They chose hideouts close to lakes, wells and fountains and only came out after nightfall so they could admire their beauty in the lake, hence the name. 

We followed the valley floor beside a babbling brook to a crossing then climbed up to the Cretes (crest) and on down to the carpark. 

 

Along the way we kept bumping into groups of schoolchildren in groups where the leader/teacher appeared to be sharing the fairytails and many of the faces appeared entranced. Of course there were also the few boys who were going to have none of it. We had to shelter from a light shower at one point but really we were pretty lucky with the weather. 

 

Driving home, we (yes, all 4 of us - men must be princes they tell us) stopped off for supplies then Jenni got a stew going for dinner. Great night to be sitting by the fire tucking into a stew.