Bons Moments in Brittany

Hello, friends. If you read my last blog post, you know that I am back in my beloved Brittany. I arrived in Paris on June 14th and in Brittany the 15th. I can’t express how happy I was when I got off the train in Rennes and was reunited with my dear friends. A short time later, I was back in my apartment, looking out the window, content to see the granite houses with their grey slate roofs and colorful wooden shutters. Such homes are found throughout this region and I find them simply charming. The next day I spent a good few hours walking, breathing in the crisp air that I missed so much. I can only describe it as the smell of damp earth with a hint of salt from the sea. To me, it is heaven.

Over the course of the last few weeks, I have reunited with friends and spent much time just getting reacquainted with my town. While it has rained almost incessantly, I have still managed to get my 10,000 steps in. It’s quite easy to do when there is such beauty everywhere …

… and it allows me to not feel guilty partaking in the cheese, salted butter, galettes, and crepes that Brittany is known for (truth be told, I have somehow managed to only eat 2 crepes thus far).

Settling back in has been relatively easy as I have always felt at home here. The days are slower, the nights longer, and the world just seems a little softer here. As with any place that we spend a fair amount of time, there have been a few challenges. Having been gone for 19 months meant washing down everything that had been sitting in drawers and cupboards, laundering clothes and linens, etc. Without a car, it takes a good 25 minutes to walk – uphill – into town to buy groceries (which means, of course, carrying them back and downhill), one has to schedule the day according to the shorter hours (by American standards) as to when businesses are open, remembering which businesses are closed during the lunch hour, and just the general differences in cultural norms and language. It is certainly something I have grown accustomed to in my years of visiting this region and, without a doubt, am happy to contend with.

Thursday is market day here, and it has been wonderful to see the town square full once again with vendors selling fresh fruits and vegetables, soaps, sausages, clothing, various boissons, and more. I love seeing the pride on the faces of those whose time is spent growing food. I appreciate the time they take explaining why and how you should drink gingembre, which cheeses would best compliment the planned meal, and the long and thoughtful process it takes to make speciality soaps.

There is a quiet rhythm here that feels different than anywhere else I have been. The weather and the moon are so closely related; microclimates mean that the weather can – and does -change rather significantly within a quarter hour. There is something rather special being so close to the sea and spending one’s time under the moon’s spell. Of course, we all do to some extent and no matter where we live, but it is here that we feel her pull the strongest.

The weather is often a topic of conversation here, as so much is dependent on it. When the weather is warm and sunny, tourists often head to the beach leaving the towns rather empty. If the skies are rather grey, the commercants find their shops busier, and rain tends to keep the tourists at bay. It has been a hard year for businesses everywhere, and shopowners hope that this summer brings with it some relief. The bi-annual sales have started and streets are more full these days. It has been wonderful to see the streets more lively this last week or so than when I arrived.

About a week after my return, I visited Moëlan-sur-Mer, a small town located in the Finistère department of Brittany. I was there to visit with Christine Todd both for pleasure and an interview for MyFrenchLife magazine (I will post the article below when it comes out). We had a lovely time and the area in which she lives was simply exquisite. If I wasn’t already enamored with the Cotes d’armor department, the Finistère would be my second choice in which to relocate. There is a rugged beauty there that I find incredibly alluring. Already home to my favorite forest, Huelgoat, I found the coastline equally appealing.

Moëlan-sur-Mer is located between Quimper and Lorient in Southern Brittany. Long-time readers will recall articles on Quimper and Locronan last year in which I raved about the area, so it was a pleasure to return to this part of Brittany. There are three ports in Moëlan-sur-Mer: Bélon, Brigneau, and Merrien. All all equally beautiful in their own way. We visited them when the tide was out and while Christine said that their true beauty is revealed at high tide, I still felt inspired by the sheer magnitude and beauty of the Atlantic Ocean. With such close proximity to the water comes ample opportunity for tasting regional delights …

Moëlan-sur-Mer has fewer than 10,000 inhabitants and is known primarily for its ancient churches, dolmans, and menhirs. There is an interesting and strong energetic presence there. If you happen to visit, I would strongly suggest heading out into the forest and finding what treasures lie waiting for you …

I look forward to sharing more stories of my time here but for now I’m relishing in some much needed downtime. I have worked in the education and training world for decades, and truth be told this is the first summer that I have taken completely off (well, as “off” as we educators are). I am very grateful to have a job that allows me this time to just “be”, breathe, walk, eat good food, and visit with special people. It is in this less hurried pace that one finds not only peace, but clarity, and I hope that everyone can be blessed with a little time for such reflection.

As always, thank you for your time. I hope you enjoyed this brief post and look forward to sharing more with you soon. Until then, take good care and stay well.

Information on Christine’s program Cooking With Words: http://www.cookingwithwords.com

Amy, from Tales from Brittany