Treguier

The Michelin descriptions of Treguier were not enticing, and we had pretty much decided to drive right through and on to our next stop...

But then we looked out the window into the marina parking
lot, and a merry-go-round and a bunch old men playing boulles--
someone please explain to me why one never, ever, sees women
playing boulles--and a whole bunch of rocks and the brown
cultural sign that tell us this is the stone circle of Tossen Keler,
underlying a tumulus some miles away and reassembled,
faithfully, here, in the park; probably to make way for a Leclerc
parking lot; anyway, we get out and inspect the circle, which
is like the things one sees in the UK of GB, but not in Brittany

And then I notice, across the highway, one of the grandest
calvaires I have seen in Brittany, ever

A really impressive and young one; a sign says only that it is
there to mark the "Protests of 1903"--read on, read on...

And then Vicki looks up the street and sees
this interesting old tower

And then, up that street, block after block of
half-timbered beauties; another city of them; we
are hooked

As we climbed up the hill to the centre villa, we stimulate
the local economy; despite being miles from Normandy, we're
still in StripeyLand; they have a very linear, level-headed
outlook here; they really look good on thin people

"Kouign Amann" is Breton for "food of Satan"

Family home of the great Biblical scholar, philologist, philosopher,
social critic, Ernest Renan, born in Treguier, and a son of the place

Not a good son of the Church; the calvaire down
the hill marked, instantiated, the ire of
Ultramontane (and other) Catholics, their rage,
when the city decided to erect this monument,
in the square right by the cathedral, of Athena
crowning Renan, the former seminarian turned
critic of religious and other dogma

More halfies

And some nice stone buildings to keep the halfies from falling
over

We visited the city's very interesting cathedral (next post) and
then walked back down the hill past this remarkably disguised
loo, actually a stone lean-to on an old city wall

When we got back to the camper, the men were still doing what
men must do

Just down the hill from the cathedral was one of the prettiest
aires we have stayed at yet, right on the tidal river, the Bois
du Poete

Thus; don't miss Treguier!

Dancing Macabre At The Chapel In Kermaria-An-Iskuit

Kermaria-an-Iskuit's chapel had its origins in the 13th century, with an assortment of additions in subsequent centuries, creating a sort of L-shaped church, with Gothic accents here and there. Its most famous feature is the 15th century Danse Macabre painted in fresco on its interior walls. The Danse Macabre--corpses leading the living in a dance toward death--is a well-known scene but not something one often sees. It is a reminder that in death we are all equal, no matter our station in life. (Really of little comfort, if you ask me). Kermaria's is an early example. Some of the people first viewing it might well have had at least indirect memories of the Black Death of the mid-14th century, and its numerous after-shocks, when a third of Europe died. ("My uncle Francois said the Black Death really sucked'). But there was much else in this old chapel to admire and appreciate.

The chapel at Kernaria-an-Iskuit

The porch

Polychrome sculptures on the porch

Other side; like everything here, very old-looking

Weathered gargoyle

Inside, part of the Danse Macabre

Other side

Key to the players, their various roles, occupations...

Locations of other Danses Macabres in Europe

Interior figure

Just one funny face

Said to be a 12th century Mary and Child

OK, another funny face

Barrel vaulting

Staircase to...

Skull box; what? your church doesn't have a skull box?

Old-looking stuff all over

The vaulting cross-beams all had these toothy supports

Fascinating place

Fort La Latte

Further down the coast was another cape, Cape Frehal, and before it, the 14th-16th century Fort La Latte, where I'd hope to get a decent cup of coffee.

A menhir, on the hike from the carpark down to
the fort

Fort La Latte

Looking back east

A really gusty day...you can see the wind on the water below

These people were feeling it

Hiking toward Cape Frehal

And another look at Latte; there was no no Starbucks, so we
proceeded on

Allee Couverte #2

So we were driving along somewhere between Cancale and Cape Frehal, and there was a sign that said "Allee Couverte" and we made an impromptu U-turn and found a place in the miniscule parking lot. We need to get a bumper sticker that says, in French, "this vehicle stops for megaliths." (Also cathedrals, museums, battlefields, scenic wonders, but that's probably a bit much). Actually, it was not a wonderful allee courverte, in need of some trimming, but still well worth the stop. If not the aftermath.

The sign; we never identified it further

Kind of tumbled-down, but recognizable

Thus

And thus

Running the length of the overgrowth, perhaps 60 feet; did I
mentioned the berries and plums on the hike in?

Some miles down the road, a fixer-upper chateau; we also stop
for those

Cancale, 2015

An all-day rain, and wind, abbreviated our stay in old friend Cancale, but I got out our first night there for a few pix. We've always stopped at Cancale, often camped and eaten there.

The church, town square; we didn't even know
there was a town until stopping in 2009; we'd
always stuck to the harbor; and the restaurants;
and thought that was it

A bit of the harbor, low tide

Ditto

Le Narval, a favorite place

Part of the restaurant row along the harbor front

Oyster farms

Thus; one would often see pick-up trucks out there, harvesting,
rotating...

Neat place...but then the weather turned ugly