Brittany Region in France (5)

We left Geneva via a TGV (“train a grande vitesse”), translated to a very fast train. Only in this case, it was not all that fast. The original schedule we booked was changed and added a half hour to the train ride, which, of course shortened our connecting time a half hour. That in turn, meant we missed our connecting train by minutes (if only the taxi line had been quicker or there had not been so much traffic or so many red lights!). We did manage to get our connecting ticket changed to the next train an hour later, but, between the lines at the ticket center and going through the process, we had no time to spare. We were on the train only five minutes before it started moving, but, we were happy to be on our way to Rennes where we picked up our rental car. That process went smoothly (if you don’t count all the additional costs of insurance in Europe, approximately doubling the cost of the rental).

Knowing that it was going to be an “intense” day of traveling, our reservation was that night was at the Chateau D’Apignee, which was only about 20 minutes from Rennes. We also planned to have dinner there, and, staying there and having dinner there were good decisions.

After a restful night it was “up and at em” and on our way to Quimper, with a few stops (of course!) before stopping for the night. The first stop was at Saint Anne d’Auray to see the basilica as it is the largest pilgrimage center in Brittany. The basilica and the grounds were truly impressive.

Then it was a drive through Carnac noting a field of menhirs (a very large usually rough stone used in prehistoric cultures) before driving on to Pont Aven, a resort made famous by Paul Gaugin and his school of artists who lived here in the 1890s. The village was very pretty, but, they were averse to serving lunch after 2:00 p.m., so, we had to settle for two delicious pastries. That was not all bad!

Finally on to Quimper and our hotel, the Hotel Gingko, which is located in the historic district of Locmaria. The hotel blends into the site of the Prior of Locmaria, which was the birthplace of Quimper earthenware. I am a bit embarrassed to admit that I did not visit the Faience Museum, which was almost next door. Instead we spent our time having a drink in the downtown area and then trying to find a parking space close to the restaurant we had selected, which had outstanding fish.

The next day, following a fabulous lunch at Le Prieure, we were on our way to Pointe du Raz with “one of France’s most spectacular coastal landscapes.” What was failed to be mentioned is that it is a very, very long walk to see that coastline. No surprise in that Steve opted to stay at a local cafe while I marched on.

We drove back to Quimper and were grateful that we had made the decision to have dinner at Le Prieure, where we had lunch. The restaurant was next door to the hotel, the food was absolutely delicious, the servers terrific, and, they let me use my “elementary” French graciously, even understanding me. What more could one want?! A woman was seated next to us who was a charming dinner companion. She was French but had lived in the UK and the United States so conversation flowed freely.

One last note. . .the churches are spectacular. Whenever we pass a particularly noteworthy and/or interesting one, Steve automatically stops so that I can take pictures. More on Brittany to come.