Brittany Vacation in The Gulf of Morbihan

[French Mystique Tours]

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.

[French Mystique Tours]

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.

[French Mystique Tours]

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.

[French Mystique Tours]

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.

[French Mystique Tours]

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.

[French Mystique Tours]

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''.

[French Mystique Tours]

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).

[French Mystique Tours]

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.

[French Mystique Tours]

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.

[French Mystique Tours]

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.

[French Mystique Tours]

Here is the first megalith we encountered. More like a minilith.



They are not always spectacular but even a small site like this can reveal something interesting. The stone pictured above is a large block of quartz. Quartz is a type of stone that has been assigned sacred properties in many ancient cultures. Probably it has something to do with its translucent quality and its symbolism could be interpreted as a light to guide one into the spirit world.

Continuing along.





The next site was a dolmen of the allée couverte type which has deteriorated over time and possibly as a result of human action.



Again, not much to look at but it did have 2 interesting characteristics. The first was the fact that the largest capstone was covered with what are known as cupules. Cupules are cup shaped depressions chiseled or pecked into the surface of stones. This type of feature is a global phenomenon and is often attributed to rites of fertility. Have a look.



The second interesting feature is that the chamber corridor has a northeast/southwest orientation, indicative of a possible alignment with the winter solstice sunset. Winter was often a time of feasts and festivals of the dead in ancient societies. It is common to find megaliths with some sort of alignment with celestial features, often associated with solstice and equinox events.

Time to walk back to the car.







And back to the road.



The final stop of the day was the Forêt de Brocéliande. Entering the domain there is a small village called Les Forges. It is a village where iron was forged from the 17th to the 20th centuries. It is open for visits and looked reasonably interesting if you are looking for something to do.

[French Mystique Tours]

Moving further into the forest we arrived at the village of Paimpont. Since you know all about the history of Rochefort en Terre and Malestroit there is no need to tell you what happened in Paimpont, since it's more or less the same as those places. Let's just look, because that's really all I felt like doing.



Merlin greets all visitors entering this enchanted village.





The 13th century church and abbey.





Paimpont pretty much consists of about 3 streets so it doesn't take long to visit. We felt like exploring a bit of the Merlin legendry but still had to get to our hotel and eat dinner so there wasn't time for serious exploration. We looked at our map and decided the two places we would visit would be Merin's tomb and The Fountain of Youth. Here are some photos driving through this enchanted forest.





The forest did match the image I had in my head and looked like the kind of place where one might encounter an elf or a fairy.

If you are unfamiliar with the Arthurian legend there have been several thousands of pages written on the topic with several different variations. More than I care to recount or summarize here. We found the parking lot and followed the other tourists who seemed to be heading in the direction of the tomb and fountain. Here is Merlin's tomb.



Merlin's tomb is just the remains of a dolmen that was all but destroyed in the late 19th century by a landowner seeking mythical treasure. It only acquired the name Merlin's tomb in the early 19th century by a man who was convinced Merlin was an actual historic figure and likely an arch-druid.

Next we saw the Fountain of Youth....



….which was dry as a bone and more or less resembled a drainage culvert. I know a guy who might like to meditate here.

[French Mystique Tours]

Time to go. Here are some views from the road.





We finally reached our fine lodging establishment where we could expect to pass the last night of our vacation in opulent luxury.



Our notion of opulent luxury is a room slightly larger than a closet that has a toilet, bed and shower. But at 49 euros for a double, including breakfast, it was an affordable place to crash for a few hours, which is all we were intending. Now it was time to find a restaurant. Let's look at some of the fine dining options we had at our disposal in the immediate environs of the hotel.



Quick Burger. A piece of grilled beef between two doughy buns. A tried and true formula but not exactly what I was in the mood for.




Buffalo Grill. More beef, less bun. Still didn't capture my imagination.



Well, they were trying to capture my imagination with images of paradise. But pizza isn't much more interesting than a hamburger.




Ooooh. That fancy cursive neon lettering indicates a place of status. I might need a reservation or have to know someone to get in here. Too classy for me.




The ''buffet à volonté'' at the Chinese restaurant for 14.90 euros! I think we have a winner. As I told you at the beginning of this report, if you are the owner of a restaurant offering an all you can eat buffet be prepared to lose money when I drop by. MM and I placed our orders and the dining commenced. Most of the dishes at the buffet cart were labelled but a few weren't so I decided to try some of the unusual looking long, thin, batter fried chicken strips, along with an assortment of my usual favorites. Frog legs taste better than you think, if you've never tried them. Which I never had, until tonight. I bet they didn't label those on purpose. I guess you can make anything taste good (or not) with enough batter and frying.

But the food was decent so, frog leg experience aside, we were once again pleasantly surprised by a less than appetizing looking restaurant exceeding our expectations. MM was starting to get hypnotized by my pendulum like motion back and forth between the buffet cart and our table. She began to get sleepy and decided to go back to the room and go to bed. I decided to stay and make the owner nervous.

At some point in the middle of my 7 course dessert I began to think about what a good vacation it had been. There were still places I didn't get to but I was pretty satisfied with what we did see. I wanted to go to Belle-Île and to visit La Gacilly, Redon, Pontivy, the old section of Auray, Pont- Aven and a few other small villages but there was no way we could have seen all these places given the limited amount of time we had. I'm sure the restaurant owner breathed a sigh of relief as I walked out the door and headed back to the hotel.

The only sad part of the vacation was that it was the last trip our little 1992 Renault 5 would ever make. After 18 years of faithful service she put all her remaining energy into this one last vacation adventure. She had taken us to most regions in France, except for the northern and eastern parts, never once complaining (but occasionally groaning). Often were the times she performed above and beyond the call of duty. I'll always have fond memories of those dirt and gravel roads meant for farm equipment that she navigated so skillfully on my megalith hunting excursions, bouncing through potholes or sinking up to the floorboard in country mud (France has the most deceiving mud). And all those arguments MM and I had about whose fault it was that we were lost. She knew our secrets. And so in tribute, I say to her as I say to you all, farewell.


(Renault 5, 1992-2010)

[Jinafer]

Dear French mystique,
I am so excited to read your travel commentary and see your photos. I too am a lover of rocks! I am planning a grant to study the megaliths in France, Scotland, and Ireland. I want to use the resources gathered there to make a unit of study for my high school students that will improve their science literacy skills. Since I live in Oklahoma I also plan to make connections and comparisons to burial mounds that are located near me in Spiro, Oklahoma. I found your website through your reply to someone on tripadvisor. I would be interested in contacting you in order to get more information for my research and to learn from your findings. You can contact me at [e-mail]

Thanks again for such a thorough and enjoyable report of your travel study.