Brittany and its culture
Historically, Brittany consisted of five départements, or counties. The modern Finistère, Côte D’Armor, Ille et Vilaine, Morbihan, and Loire Atlantique covered the ancient Breton lands. Central government "restructuring" during the last century meant the Region of Brittany lost the Loire Atlantique département to the Region of the Pays de Loire. Paris, we have reliably been informed, can call them what it wants! Although being part of France for nearly 500 years, the Bretons, racially, are Celts, not Franks. So they tend to regard themselves as Bretons first and French second. And, despite fiddling in Paris, they know where the boundaries really lie.

Like all deeply rural communities, the major activity was, and still is, farming. Add Brittany's rugged coastline and the (then) plentiful Channel and Atlantic fishing waters. Mix in strong Celtic roots and you have the recipe for a tough, brave culture tempered with music and dance. Breton sailors were considered amongst the finest in the world and Breton farmers today still produce something like 85% of France's food.

The small, strong and sturdy Breton horse, like the ones seen below at a recent show, were specially bred for farm work. Unfortunately, like the carthorses in England, their numbers have seriously dwindled since the advent of the tractor.

The Bretons now have their own Flag ( the Gwenn-ha-Du), their own traditional style of furniture and a hugely varied traditional costume. Each village, almost, has its own variations and there are gradations within those. Lace-making, unfortunately is no longer economically viable - imagine the cost of the piece shown here which took our friend Gabriel Onno 8,000 hours to make - but the faïence pottery is still made at Quimper. Look out for locally produced cider, fruit, vegetables and goats cheese sold at farm gates and Breton produce, including butter and cheese, cakes and biscuits, galettes and crêpes and, for the brave, andouille de Gueméné, on sale in the shops (look for the lighthouse symbol).

Just as the traditional art forms of music, dance, lace and costume making are thriving, so are modern artists. In our commune alone, we have the sculptures of Yannick Servel, the drawings of Daniel Kerjean, the metal scuptures of Rol, the glazed pottery of Michel Laurent and the stained glass of Clare Morris.

Previous guests have commented on just how much there is to see and do. Much, but certainly not all of it, is connected with the Breton way of life, past and present. This slide show will give you a few ideas.

1 The Son et Lumiere at Bon Repos in mid August is a late night spectacle not to be missed.

2 Other spectator sports include Auto-cross

3 Or the Tour de France

4 If you are young (at heart) then playing around in treetops will probably appeal to you.

5 On a less strenuous note, then a visit to the ville de mille ans (village of a thousand years) is a gentle way to spend a morning or afternoon.

6 Poul-Fétan has proven to be a favourite with many of our guests. And if you are there at lunchtime, the restaurant serves excellent food at a very reasonable price.

7 You won't go far in Brittany before you come across celebrations of its history and culture. Displays of Breton dancing in traditional costume can be found all over during the summer. This particular one was at Guingamp in August.

8 Join in with a Breton dance at a Fest Daiz (daytime dance with live music)

9 Or at a Fest Noz (an evening do). This particular photo comes from our own Cleguérec (Kleg) festival of music and dance in May.

10 Music is a central part of Breton culture. This photo was taken during the mediaeval fayres held every August at either Moncontour (even years) or Dinan (odd years).

Most of the "slide show" depicts outside activities. Which are greatly influenced by the weather. So this would seem an ideal place to mention .....

..... A Bit About The Weather.

Very few people come to Brittany looking for wall to wall sunshine. The vast majority come because of the beautiful countryside, the stunning coastline and because they can explore part of another country and another culture in a familiar climate which isn’t going to knock them for six.

So, rather like the UK, there is no guarantee of sunshine. Although there is a greater chance of it in the summer months than in the UK. If a summary will do, then we are a degree or two warmer than the UK with wetter winter months and drier summer ones. If you are interested in more detail, please click on each of the graphs below to enlarge them.