At Home in Brittany

Internet Shopping in France

2010-02-28T13:06:24+00:00

Despite having a fairly robust and widespread access to the Internet in France the marketing possibilities have not been fully grasped by the commercial world. To a casual observer this would appear strange as on the face of it France has a large rural populace who you would imagine would benefit from access to goods without having to leave their home. However these have historically been the very same people who have been very self sufficient and in many cases only require occasional trips to the shops to replenish those staple items which they are unable to produce.

However over the past ten years the population of the rural areas and the small towns have seen changes with more young people taking advantage of the cheaper housing and of course more Europeans choosing to retire to the French countryside. These changes coupled with the increased demand for the variety and competitive prices offered by Internet sales has encouraged more and more French companies to utilise the net platform.

For those who are new to France or thinking of moving here I therefore give a brief summary of the sort of Internet Shopping which it is possible to access in France.

Clothes

The French consumer has for some years used catalogue shopping as a main source of clothes for the family. Up until the last 5 years the catalogues were mainly sourced from newspaper shops or by post, however the majority of the catalogue companies now provide sales access via the web. It is interesting to note that to reduce costs these companies use reception centres in local shops where the customer retrieves the order, as opposed to home deliveries.

La Redoute and 3 Suisse are the most popular of these catalogue shopping companies on the web.

There are also some French high street clothing stores that have now started selling their goods via the net such as Caroll and Petits Bateaux who sell good quality French designs.

But the biggest change for the ex-pats has been the extension of the UK retailers internet sales into France. The big names such as Marks & Spencer, Next and Littlewoods have made a big difference for those seeking to obtain better quality clothes and reasonable prices. Unfortunately a lot of the cheaper French clothing is sourced from China and other Asiatic countries and the quality is poor. After living in France for a few years you soon discover that it is difficult to find good quality clothing at moderate prices.

Just one word of warning some UK companies have a different pricing policy for Europe, check the UK site pricing before deciding on a purchase you could be surprised at the hidden surcharge.

Books & Electrical Goods

Obviously the biggest Internet presence in this area is Amazon although Waterstones also deliver to France, but some reason not WH Smith. If you enter the Amazon in France you will be presented with the French site and in general you can purchase most things via this site even English language books. If on the other hand you enter the UK Amazon you will be unable to purchase some electrical goods, I presume this must have something to do with returns or perhaps electrical connections.

When it comes to buying electrical goods it is preferable to buy from a French online store to ensure that your rights under the warranty are protected and of course the connections to the electricity comply with French standards. It also makes dealing with faults so much easier in the event of a defect. Connexion and Darty are the biggest of the online retailers

Food

Until recently low cost Internet food shopping has been difficult in France, but during the last year Intermarché has started to increase the availability of home delivery services. For some reason the large supermarkets have been reluctant to enter the online shopping market which is surprising when you look at the geography of France. Intermarché, internet site is not immediately user friendly but once you get used to it you can complete an average shop in about 15 minutes. The first delivery is free and the following 4 euros, which is considerably cheaper than car travel and the loss of time. Payment is on delivery rather than online.

Carrefour also provides internet shopping facilities for food as well as other goods but as yet the availability is limited to areas around their main stores.

Frozen food is available online via companies like Toupargel or in some areas Picard, but the areas of delivery are limited and we are outside the delivery scope of both companies much to our frustration. It appears it is very much down to the local franchise mangers as to whether they offer these services.

Ebay

I could not write a post about Internet shopping without mentioning Ebay which of course is accessible in France. When you search for Ebay and insert UK you are immediately asked if you want to enter the French site, my view is don,t bother! For some reason the French do not utilise Ebay in the same way the English do,e.g. they are reluctant to insert private sales on the web. Most of the French sellers are companies and entrepreneurs trying to market goods through Ebay often offering a fixed priced rather than bidding ability.

As a result most expats shop via the UK site although there are sometimes difficulties getting the sellers to agree to accept a bid from outside the UK.

Conclusion

As a French consumer you will not find access to the same range of goods and prices when shopping on the net as you did in the UK, but the situation is slowly getting better and sooner or later the large stores will wake up to the potential the changing French consumer offers. In the mean time at least we can still get our Marks & Spencer's underclothes!

The Bureaucratic Nightmare that is France

2009-09-16T21:39:23+01:00

On arrival in France it is not long before you become consumed in the bureaucracy that is embedded in the fabric of life, in a society that demands every transaction and communication is recorded in paper format. Despite having a high level of Internet access and computer literacy the French authorities require citizens to retain a paper copy of every household and personnel transaction they undertake.

Every office, private, local administrative, regional or central government, maintain manual records in the old manila files, sometimes from floor to ceiling. Visit any office to commence a transaction and immediately, somewhere in the background a small but perfectly formed administrative clerk will start a paper file.

Yes but surely they use computers, you ask? Oh yes they have computers and they will record your details on the PC and will use it to complete any associated documentation. Once entered on the system the very same document will be printed out, one copy for your paper file at home and one for their paper file in the office. A good example is a visit to the insurance brokers where you ask for an amendment of your policy. The agent first proceeds to the racks of paper files and pulls out your file with name emblazoned on the spine. Having checked the contents the agent starts to obtain a quote on the computer for the amended insurance required. Having mutually agreed the policy amendment the agent then prints out the policy in duplicate, both copies are signed and you go away to file your copy at home and another tree is added to our file in the office.

I asked the agent why do you maintain paper files when you have the same documents on the PC and presumably backed up onto a server? " Yes we do have them on computer but the Government legislation requires us to maintain paper copies regardless "

It is very strange that this is the same government which is introducing a Carbon Tax and yet every day in France tons of paper is being used to duplicate the processes recorded on computer networks.

The other day I visited the bank to ask the manager if I could stop the paper statements being sent to my home as I accessed the account on PC regularly and found the statements surplus to requirements. Shock and Horror! But you must retain the paper statements they may be required by the 'Tax de Impot' (Inland Revenue). Yes but I can print some off when they are needed. "NO,NO, you must retain the hard-copy in the special file we gave you".

Yes reader, this is the 21st century but clearly someone has forgotten to tell the French Bureaucrats that computers can be very reliable especially when information is backed up!

Those expats who have lived in France for a few years will no doubt have resigned themselves to the paper chase and have draws full of photocopies of every personal document they have ever owned. Why you may ask? well every time you have to renew an official French document or complete an annual registration you will be asked for hard copîes of everything that you gave them the previous year. Perhaps their filing system doesn,t work? or they imagine that we are all going to change our names each year, move house, get married again or have a sex change.

Sorry, can you tell that the bureaucracy's is starting to annoy me!

In truth I think that France is suffering from the Us and Them politics of central government versus the local regions with no one having the will or the bravery to take this issue on board. An enormous number of people are employed in national, local and regional government and if you were to attempt to stop the bureaucracy jobs would inevitably be at risk. One might say the savings from a review of administration can only be good for the economics of the country. In reality any attempt to streamline the administration, especially in this recession, would be met with an outcry from the French unions.

So I am going to have to keep repeating, 'ça c'est la vie' and taking another glass of wine until eventually I no longer care how many trees have been felled on my behalf.

Highs & Lows of Garden Maintenance in Brittany

2009-09-09T21:21:28+01:00

When we decided to come to France we were determined to buy a house with some land, not something that many can afford in the UK. Not surprisingly; land is something there is plenty of on this side of the Channel and most rural houses come with a good size plot in which to develop your own version of the English estate in France.

The whole idea of being able to wander at leisure around your domain without any restrictions or observation by close neighbours, presents the ideal home location for those wishing to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life. Furthest from the mind of many prospective purchasers is the consideration of just what is involved in maintaining these rolling square kilometres. This is particularly relevant if the purchaser is looking for the ideal haven in which to relax in their well earned retirement.

In the UK most people have their front lawn and that small area of privacy, the back garden, where all the pent up emotions of work, travel and British life are unleashed by way of the flower borders, lawn and if your lucky; a small area for growing your own vegetables. This little haven keeps you busy on the few days of good weather and is easily maintained with the minimum of tools and equipment. On this basis something a little bigger and more private would be ideal in our retirement and we could expand our gardening prowess and who knows perhaps a few chicken or a goat!

And so it transpires that we all end up buying a house in France with vast square kilometres in which to run amok. It does not take long before we start to realise just what is involved in maintaining all this land and ensuring that you don't wake up one morning and find that the weeds and undergrowth have taken over.

Our little haven is just about manageable by two determined individuals although there are times when I have to call on reinforcements to tackle some of the more difficult tasks. There is no shortage of volunteers for the lawn mowing, the younger visitors seem to enjoy plugging in their MP3 and charging around on the mini tractor mower. Despite my comments above I do enjoy maintaining the garden, but there is one task which is becoming my nemesis, cutting the hedges! No this is not your small privet hedge that we are used to in the UK, these are monster hedges, 3.5 metres in height, running for hundreds of metres around the garden.

To tackle these monsters you have to have a mobile tower, motorised hedge trimmers, a ladder, an assistant for safety and courage! Once a year I cut each of the monsters in turn with my safety assistant securing my tower with her lightweight frame. Unfortunately her mind wanders sometimes and she forgets the importance of her task and wanders off (could it be the insurance she is after).

I have suggested on many occasions that the hedges would be easier to maintain if they were smaller, but I am reliable informed by my wife that we need them to maintain our privacy. At this point I should point out we are in the middle of the countryside and the only thing that would be able to look over the hedge would be the occasional cow or perhaps Antoine on his passing tractor. My only hope is that eventually she will have pity on me and appreciate that in my advancing years the only way I could undertake the task is with a good dose of Viagra!

Fortunately the Breton framers are extremely good at maintaining their own field boundaries and cut the Talus (boundary mounds) regularly keeping the edges of the garden under control. I am very fortunate to have a great farming neighbour who helps out by cutting the rear of the hedges and trimming back trees on the boundary.

I have met a lot of ex-pats who have been overpowered by their gardens and ended up letting some land to adjoining farmers who utilise the area for additional crops. I think it is important to remember that maintaining these large estates can be enjoyable when you first retire, but you only need an illness or incapacity to stop you working in the garden and in a very short time the dream can become a nightmare.

Large gardens can be manageable providing you keep the planting to a minimum and include plenty of shrubs, which can bring in plenty of colour but require little maintenance. It is also important to think about watering and only have borders and plants needing liquid refreshment close to the house. Despite the rumours Brittany can be very dry in the summer and you could spend hours and litres of water trying to keep plants alive. In the summer you should not cut the grass too short or you will have a brown lawn for the best part of July and August. Plant plenty of the favourite flower of Brittany, the Hortensia's (Hydrangea), great colour and ground cover

If you are going to plant trees, be wary of the popular which grows very rapidly in the rich soil of Brittany, these in the photo are only 8 years old. If you are near the coast you will need to watch out for mould forming on the tree bark, treat early with a white liquid moss killer available from most garden stores.

Of course the best part of having a large garden is you can always find a hidden corner on a nice hot day to enjoy your glass of red wine and a baguette.....Santé

Le Yaudet - The Site of a Roman Fort

2009-09-03T19:51:58+01:00

Le Yaudet is situated at the mouth of the river Léguer which winds its way into the ancient port of Lannion on the North Coast of Brittany. It is a small hamlet built around a granite promontory which commands views across the the centre of the Pink Granite Coastal approaches. It is not surprising therefore that the Romans built a fort at le Yaudet where they could defend the access to one of their most important strongholds on this coast.

Today there is little evidence of the structure other than several level plateaux surrounded by the remains of stone walls and earthworks however it is still possible to stand on the fort site and admire the surrounding coastal vista. In the 50's and 60's several excavations were carried out on the site resulting in several finds of Roman coins and other indications of Roman occupation.

A new programme of research excavations began in 1991 and continued annually until 2002. The work was a Franco-British collaboration involving the Institute of Archaeology, University of Oxford and the Centre de recherche bretonne et celtique, Université de Bretagne. Excavations uncovered evidence of Iron Age occupation and it appeared the romans had built much of their fortifications on the original defence platforms. Due to the location of the fort several Roman villas were built in the surrounding countryside many of which may still remain undiscovered.

The original village developed around the fort and some of the houses in occupation today are said to date from the 16th century. Le Yaudet is now a popular tourist site and provides a pleasant location for a weekend walk along one of its many paths leading from and to the two small beaches nestled at the foot of the promontory.

The main beach can be reached by a steep road descending from the village down to a small inlet surrounded by small houses clinging to the surrounding slopes. This is one of the many beautiful areas to explore on this stretch of the coast.

Strange Bugs in the Garden

2009-08-26T21:13:22+01:00

At this time of year all sorts of bugs appear in the gardens of Brittany sending us scurrying for the reference books to look up the species. It is possibly due to the large number of shrubs and flowers in the garden. In the UK we were used to seeing moths of various types, especially at dusk. In Brittany the months seem to be subject to a growth hormone which appears to double their size making them easily visible 24 hours a day. In our garden we get quite a variety but the most spectacular is the Spotted moths of which there are many, a picture of one specimen is shown here. I think this one was Platyprepia virginalis - Ranchman's Tiger Moth although I think exact identification is best left to the experts as the similarity between species can be deceptive. According to the reference books I consulted this moth should be in North America, must have been some strong winds lately! Just to make matters worse they apparently feed on herbaceous plants.

By now you will have determined that I am not an expert on bugs, but I do enjoy seeing the various types passing through the garden, passing being the operative word. Our house sits on a hill bordered on both sides by two streams flowing through ancient woodland. This seems to ensure a ready supply of dragon flies passing through the garden some of which are spectacular. It is difficult to comprehend that the colours of some of them can exist in nature. As a novice in the area of bugs it came as a surprise to me that dragon flies come in two main groups, those with four wings and those with two. Examples of both types passed through recently and I managed to get the photos seen here.

Until I came to France I had never seen a glow-worm but in the summer months they seem to love the granite at the front of the house. They absorb all

the heat from the wall during the day and glow vividly at night; they must have incredible solar panels! I have tried to take photos of them at night without success, but I am determined to persivere

Where Have all the Tourists Gone?

2009-08-02T15:23:23+01:00

Is it the weather? Is it the strong Euro, or is it that dammed Pimpernel, No sorry I mean recession.

No one can doubt that 2009 is going to be a record low year for tourism in France, the official records already showing a 30% drop over the average for the previous 5 years. As a Gite owner I can confirm that the bookings have been well down on last year, although it does appear that the cheaper basic accommodation is holding its own.

If you believe the news coverage both in France and the UK a combination of the recession and the risk of catching Swine Flue are the main reasons for people deciding to forgo their annual holiday. Whatever the reason there is no doubt that some of the businesses that are reliant on summer tourism for their survival are going to be in trouble. Many French restaurants and tourist shops only open for the tourist season and rely on the income to fund the winter closure.

Fortunately there are the hardy Germans who travel Europe in their Camper vans and ignore any signs of pending doom and appear to love Brittany, possibly because of the freely available roadside camping areas. These stalwarts of the camping scene appear to be impervious to the weather and are just as happy in a torrential downpour as a sun soaked beach.

Many of our French friends provide holiday accommodation targeted at the French, Dutch and Belgians who relish a holiday in rural Brittany. These holidaymakers spend little time in their Gite preferring to explore the countryside on their Bikes or in their canoes. This type of holiday is usually well within budget and often leaves sufficient funds for the second annual holiday; skiing in the French Alps in February.

Britany is one of the holiday destinations which benefits from late bookings, often a last minute decision is made to visit ‘Little Britain’ rather than risk the airport chaos. The ferry costs are a big disincentive to the prospective Brittany tourist coupled with the extensive travel time from the UK ports. Increased charges during the summer months encourage many to drive to Brittany from the cheaper ferry crossings at Dieppe or Calais or utilise the channel tunnel, culminating in a punishing 7 – 8 hour tour down the north coast of France.

Whilst there is a choice of budget airlines serving Brittany they are of little value to the average English tourist due to the severe luggage restrictions which prevent you from carrying anything but the basics for a short break. To enjoy your holiday in Brittany you would then have to hire a car and it is not long before the additional costs make the choice unviable.

There is no doubt the best way to enjoy a holiday in Brittany is to take advantage of the cheaper ferry fares before June and after August. Accommodation is cheaper and if the last few years are anything to go by the weather is far better than the summer. The only downside is the majority of the Breton traditional Fetes and entertainment is targeted towards the traditional tourist season, but if you do your homework you will still find a lot of interesting activities off the beaten track. Of course the wonderful Breton characters and the scenery are available all year round; at no extra cost.

There is little doubt that the biggest disadvantage for the British tourist is the incredibly low value of the pound which in a matter of 8 months has gone from 1.46 euro per pound to 1.16 euro per pound. As an observer in France it is fascinating to see how good the UK press and politicians are at talking the country down to a point that the rest of Europe believes the UK is heading for the dark ages! The rest of Europe has been hit just as hard as the UK despite what you see in the press, companies are failing left, right and centre and the unemployment rate is at an all time high. The difference appears to be an acceptance that we have been here before and we will climb back so why depress everyone and make it worse than it is, clearly a huge cultural difference.

On the positive side there are still the determined Francophiles who love France and keep coming here to enjoy the change of pace, good food and of course the wine. Accommodation prices have remained fairly stable together with food and drink. A majority of the beauty of Brittany can be enjoyed at no extra cost and you can be assured of a friendly welcome by the locals.

America to Brittany - The Challenges

2009-07-18T16:29:34+01:00

We have recently been asked about some of the challenges which may face a family who are considering moving from America to Brittany. So Katrina and family this ones for you!We can obviously give a broad outline of some of the issues a family may have to face but I would recommend continuing your research in depth before making any decisions.

Firstly it is important to emphasise that France has not escaped the recession despite the lack of news coverage worldwide. Many companies have had to close resulting in large increases in unemployment and industrial unrest which takes on a whole new meaning in France. Recently a spate of companies closing due to the recession have been held to ransom by occupations and even threats of bombing in demand of increased payouts.

Employment is therefore an issue at this time and I would recommend anyone moving to France to have a job offer before making any moves. Self employment is an option and if you have transferable skills then there are opportunities for entrepreneurs who can identify a gap in the market. Katrina mentions driving as a possible transferable skill, unfortunately driving related businesses are suffering due to the lack of production at the moment, but this may be short lived if the recession starts to lift.

One of the problems faced by a lot of people coming to France is the transferability of qualifications. France in common with a lot of European countries places a lot of barriers in the way of straightforward qualification acceptance, despite member states of the European Union having an agreement in place to accept common qualifications obtained in another member state. In the case of American qualifications I would anticipate a similar bureaucratic minefield to be crossed.

Clearly the ability to speak French is a high priority in the current job market and any additional language skills would be a bonus.

When considering employment it is worth spending some time researching the availability, location and average wage for perspective jobs as some areas of Brittany have limited scope for professionals seeking high incomes. The majority of the higher paid employment is centred around the large cities such as Rennes, St Brieuc and Brest. Lannion is an exception to the rule as it has a large number of telecommunications companies with a higher than average skills base.

Having given you some of the negatives I am pleased to move on to the many positives such as living in one of the most beautiful areas of France. It is still unspoilt and the pace of life is such that people still have the time and the inclination to stop and enjoy conversation. The crime levels are extremely low and you can feel safe at any time of day or night. Doors are often left unlocked and neighbours can be relied upon to help out in any emergency without thought of recompense. Sound idyllic! Well it can be depending on where you choose to live. (Have a look at our post ‘Finding that Dream Home’)

We have not been directly involved in finding school vacancies for children but from the little we know the education system in France appears to be very good. The most important aspect is the close link between schooling and employment which ensures that children move seamlessly from one to the other. Once again it is worth researching academic achievements by area as they differ considerably. One thing that is very noticeable is the behaviour of children who are included in all adult activity, resulting in a well rounded individual who has no problem socialising with all age groups.

Apart from commuting times the roads in Brittany are very quiet and driving is still enjoyable. Car sharing is very popular in Brittany and car parks are often located adjacent to auto route junctions to facilitate this shared transport philosophy. Transport is good from main towns although small villages have limited public transport. (School buses are provided)

It is not possible to cover all the issues surrounding a move to Brittany in this one post but I hope I have covered some of the important ones raised. A very good source of information can be found at:

http://brittany.angloinfo.com/

This site identifies all the key issues surrounding life in Brittany and gives you all the links to official web sites for detailed information.

In Praise of “Le Vélo”

2009-07-12T16:48:04+01:00

A recent visit by two extremely fit, health conscious and more importantly; young members of our family suddenly made my husband and I very aware of our lack of energy. They highlighted our deficiency in the “get-up-and-go” department; our desire to swim, play tennis and leap on our bikes was still there but our bodies needed more convincing.

How could this happen when we are lucky enough to live in the heart of the country surrounded by sea, inviting places to walk and empty roads to cruise along on our bikes? The question had to be addressed and this was the couple more than capable of dealing with it and the answer was simple; our problem was evidently laziness! A lazy lifestyle and too may trips to the boulangerie. (By car!)

The first appraisal of our stamina was observed during what is usually a gentle but pleasurable cruise into our nearest village to purchase the obligatory baguette; which on that day would also serve as a way of putting into practice the French phrases of our guests. From the outset my husband and I realised we would not score high marks for our efforts; lack of road awareness, unsuitable old badly maintained bone-shaker bikes, meandering in the middle of roads to gaze at cows, far too slow and just downright dangerous riders. Whereas the language exercises of our young erudite trainers was impressive. I believe the habitual “afternoon aperitif break” at our friendly neighbours on the return journey may have reduced our score; although the homemade cider got the thumbs-up from everyone.

Walking of course is a pleasure in Brittany especially in summer and especially along the coasts which holds; in every direction you care to look stunning views. After clambering over rocks and studying the exterior and interior of old ruins we returned home to an evening (no, not to a comfortable game of cards) but a vigorous game of tennis in the garden. My husband was very quiet for the rest of that evening as exhaustion seemed to settle in and it had an adverse effect on his vocal chords but strangely did little to improve his snoring!

Another day and another invitation to go cycling, this was nimbly averted by the suggestion to swim in the sea. An appropriate beach was chosen and coupled with glorious sunshine our young companions expended their energy while my husband floated on his back and I (enrobed in full body armour of the rubbery kind) splashed in waves and seaweed.

Our trainers are formidable bikers, road and racing bikes their passion and we followed the start of the “Tour de France” each day; in French at our neighbours and English at ours. So it was inevitable that there had to be one last more challenging (for my husband and I that is) ride before their departure.

The weather was perfect, the bikes were tuned and the muscles toned. The route was planned and the water bottles filled and after saying farewell to our worried looking little dog we set off.

“Les chemins” all around us are a sheer delight to explore on a bike in summer. The crops in the fields are ripening, there are the sounds of crickets and bees in the hedgerows, sparrow hawks hovering above you; and you would be forgiven for thinking it is England twenty years ago. But there is no letting-up as we head off to a place we have never cycled before, it is full steam ahead.

It was going well until the very deceivingly long steep rise to one of the villages en route. For some reason unbeknown to me at the time, my bike became increasingly difficult to pedal. My personal trainers did not give up on me, positioning themselves expertly one on either side, they made encouraging noises (which were audible above the wheezing of my lungs) and I managed to remain in the saddle to the village church. My husband cruising gently and with dignity brought up the rear. It was great!

At that moment I realised bikes are liberating, without an engine, without pollution I could work off pent up energy and discover more of the pleasures of the great outdoors.

One of my trainers offered me her rather expensive bike to ride home on, I quickly handed her my more modest mode of transport and I sped off. It was then I had my second revelation of the day, as riding the red shiny bike without a scratch on it, was a completely different experience to riding mine. It was ‘a real bike’ equipped with gears that work, large bulky tyres that are built to repel landslides and a suspension that protects your tender areas from unexpected impacts. My trainer was having a quite different experience on a very unsafe bike. On closer inspection by my husband a few days later it was revealed to be due to the back wheel being lodged tightly within the mudguard, the friction could have caused it to explode.

Sadly our guests have departed, but their legacy lives on in the lives of two; thanks to them, not so unfit fifty-something’s. Lycra may not be complimentary to everyone’s physique, but enhancing your enjoyment of life is as easy as riding a bike.

History in Stone - Barnenez

2009-07-03T09:41:31+01:00

What I find so remarkable is that the history we spend so much time looking for and digging for in the UK is so readily on view here in Brittany. Scratch the surface of any field et voila your almost guaranteed to find evidence of a bygone time in the shape of a roof tile, a piece of pottery or even Roman tesserai.

My dog and my husband often while away the time studying various corners of fields, their patience is sometimes rewarded. My dog is very successful at spotting old bones (mainly deposited circa two days ago by the farmer’s dog) but more often than not it is my husband who returns with a find!

These bits and bobs abandoned by communities living on this soil centuries ago are a handy nudge; because we can become too immersed in the ‘here and now’ and fail to reflect on how we got here. But for a really loud wake-up call there is a place that positively shouts at you from 5000 years BC!

Ten kilometres from Morlaix at the top of a headland overlooking the sea rises the Barnenez mausoleum; the oldest ancient monument built by man on the Armorican peninsula. This funeral complex is 87 meters long by 20 meters wide and no less than 8 meters in height. The exterior is built of dry stone and constructed in two phases, the second being established two or three hundred years after the first.

No literary description can do justice to such a mysterious and titanic work and the interior is no less impressive. There are corridors lined with dolmen, vaulted ceilings supported by corbels and a floor garnished with stones which leads to a rectangular inner chamber. The purpose of this room is not clear but the general hypothesis suggested by archaeologists is that it would have served as a sanctuary; a place where funerary rites would have been performed on the deceased before being placed in the other dolmen serving as their graves.

The intrigue does not stop at the inner sanctum and following the nose of our dog leads us to notice certain stones are engraved. Amongst many there is one displayed on a flat stone slab, a rectangular shape of the female form purportedly to be the goddess who looked after the dead. Following our intrepid four footed friend who seems to be on the trail of an historic scent, we spot the curious sign of the ‘U’ whereupon the link is made to other megalithic monuments; suggesting perhaps a pre-Christian conspiracy!

It is difficult to comprehend the vast gulf in time that stretches between the 21^st century and 5000-BC, but it might not be here today if some entrepreneurs in 1954 had had their way. Barnenez was provided as a source of stones to be used in the construction of roads and only the pugnacious-ness of archaeologists stopped the complete destruction of this piece of history. Unfortunately some serious damage was done before the archaeologist’s complaints were heard and it was many years before the cairn of Barnenez was fully restored.

So alone or with a four-footed companion, remember as you approach this mysterious structure of stones to spare a thought to the builders. The meaning of their exploit is lost in time but the gravity of this structure and the man-power that must have been employed, refuses to be ignored.

The English Tourist in Brittany

2009-06-23T09:29:16+01:00

A lot has been written about the English tourist and their unusual traits which come to the fore when they are on holiday. As someone who provides holiday accommodation in Brittany it never ceases to amaze me how we the ‘ Brits’ are transformed from normal logical human beings into strange aliens that have suddenly found themselves on a mysterious planet. Until the last few years France was a holiday destination of the hardened Francophile who came for the culture, history and of course the food and wine. More recently we have seen an increase in tourists who would normally have gone to one of the many package holiday destinations but due to the continual travel agency failures and airline price increases have decided to try the French experience.

Upon arrival in this strange land the first thing is unload all the English food we brought with us, after all we don,t want to risk upset stomachs trying all that strange French food. Evidently it is necessary to bring lots of toilet rolls to France; I presume the French toilet paper is below par? (In fact English toilet paper is excellent for blocking the septic tank)

“Can you tell me where the nearest takeaway is as we did not have time to get something on the way” Well actually the French are not really into takeaways so the only one we know is a McDonald’s some distance away. There is a really good Crêperie in the village why not try that. “But that’s just pancakes isn’t it?” No, they have a varied menu at most crêperies but I am afraid they do not do takeaway.

I saw them the following day, how did you get on at the crêperie, “Oh yes that was great, the lady cooked the meal for us and let us take the plates away with us, we are going to drop them back today.” OK, I thought, so perhaps we do have a takeaway in the village!

It is apparent that a lot of our guests live in towns in the UK as they clearly do not like wildlife and are very scared of the dark. When the sun sets the shutters come down and there are no signs of life until long after dawn. Our gîte is in a rural location so it is not surprising that we see a variety of wildlife and through experience know that at certain times, e.g. harvest time you must keep your doors closed when unattended or you will have unexpected visitors. Unfortunately we Brits tend to take advice like this with a pinch of salt.

So it is not unexpected when you are summoned at all hours to remove la souris (Mouse) from the kitchen were he has apparently set up home. “Oh please don’t hurt him”. No don’t worry I will just ask him to leave!

Clearly there is a misconception that whilst visiting France it is necessary to consume as much wine as possible as I am reliably informed by our visitors that “the French drink it like water”. In response I bravely explain that the French water is actually some of the best in the world, but they are not convinced when they see the French buying huge quantities of bottled water. At the end of the season I take the huge quantity of empty bottles to the bottle bank, mostly at dusk so as to not give away the fact that we Brits actually buy the cheap wine at the supermarkets.

It is important for the Brits on holiday that they do not completely loose touch with reality, so one of the first questions I am asked is can we get “Corrie” on the television. Sighs of relief when I explain we can maintain this essential input, but they will have to remember it is an hour later in France.

During the holiday season it is normal to have to book a table at restaurants so we usually volunteer our services to overcome the language barrier. After debating at length the individual desires and speciality of known restaurants we eventually get to the timing of the meal. “Six or six thirty will be fine” well no actually the French don’t usually sit down to eat until eight to eight thirty. “Oh but that’s much too late!” well no not in France.

Without doubt, the most popular pastime of the Brits on holiday in Brittany is the beaches and they are the reason that many return year after year. In fact I often think that with the quantity of sand I recover from the Gîte at the end of the season I could develop my own beach in the garden.

Despite all their idiosyncrasies, the Brits on holiday keep us amused and generally we find they look after the property well and keep us up to date on events in the homeland. Despite the recession I am pleased to say they keep on coming to Brittany and enjoy their holidays in the Côte d’Armor.