Combourg And The Menhir Champ Dolent

After a few days we took Rebecca to Rennes to catch the train to Paris for a few days' visit and shopping. On the way back, the grandparents and grand-daughter stopped by the village of Combourg and it chateau and then the Menhir Champ Dolent.

Combourg and the chateau

The big name in Combourg is Chateaubriand, father of
Romanticism in France, writer, poet, historian, diplomat;
yes, Chateaubriand steak (and sauce) is named for him;
seriously

Street scene

The chateau

Across the lake

If you're going to see just one megalith in Brittany, make it a
big one; Champ Dolent is 9 meters tall; Brittany's largest

Like farmers and ranchers in central Montana, Breton farmers also practice
sculpture in hay; "what the hay?" it's called in Montana

Domaine Des Ormes

After Josselin, Jeremy returned the rental car to Rennes, then took the train to Paris, and then the plane back to San Francisco. Plane, train, and automobile. After a day of packing and washing, the four of us, Rebecca, Penelope, Vicki, and I, drove in Le Duc to the Domaine des Ormes, in the direction of Mt. St. Michel. En route we spent several pleasant hours at Dinan. The Domaine des Ormes is a 5 star family camping resort Rebecca found, with abundant outdoor activities, plus a weekday kids' club where P could practice her French.

It's a huge complex, old chateau, golf course, massive indoor and outdoor
aquatic facilities (wave pool, many slides, etc.), equestrian activities, zip
lines and ropes courses everywhere, athletics fields, plus housing to suit
most any taste; people in RVs comprised 5-10%; the place was full during
the six nights we were there; https://www.lesormes.com/en

Playing en Francaise

Tree houses

On a field trip, meeting with a forest hermit

More tree houses, all rentals

Thus

Further on the field trip, swordplay between knights

And then instruction for the kiddies

Practice with a friend

Our encampment overlooking the soccer fields

Chateau De Josselin

It had been more than a week since Penelope's last castle, so we decided to visit Josselin and its very old and historic chateau. This was August 2nd.

Josselin street scene

We had an hour's wait before the Anglais tour of the chateau, so
we visited the town church, the Chapelle Notre-Dame du Roncier
(Our Lady of the Brambles) 

Tomb of Olivier de Clisson and of his wife, Marguerite de Rohan;
Clisson was High Constable of France in the 14th century; and
chiefly responsible for the fortress of Josselin

Detail; the dog was an important symbol of fidelity in the
Middle Anges

Anyhow, the church has two halls (naves?), one Romanesque,
one Gothic; here's the Romanesque

Looking from Romanesque to Gothic

Thus

Exterior

Clisson's 14th century fortress had a keep, a curtain, and seven
towers; in 17th century, the Clisson-Rohans were Calvinists,
and thus Cardinal Richelieu had the chateau more than a
little "slighted"; it was largely rebuilt in the 19th century 

The "isolated" tower, across from the chateau

Nice grounds

View of the chateau, overlooking the Oust valley and part of
the town

Down river, or possibly up river

Frontal view of chateau; the tour indeed was in English; P, as
usual, listened intently, or at least acted that way; alas, however,
there is a no fotos policy

Nice down spout

After the tour we walked back through the old town to the carpark

Even in modest half-timbereds, there can be interesting carving

Thus

And thus

Another beautiful town and historic chateau

Quimper

And another day, August 1st, we visited Quimper, another of Brittany's larger towns, and capital of the department of Finistere.

Main square

Another half-timbered heaven

A main interest for me, Quimper's Cathedral, St. Corentin

Mainly because of its interesting curvature

The nave and the chancel are headed in slightly different directions...

Nice old windows

Some carving of interest

Wall of the cathedral precinct

Buttressing

But the main interest of the day was the carousel

Note stripey coordinates

Not just any carousel; Jules Verne was from Nantes, the largest city in traditional
Brittany (now in the Loire-Atlantique department)

Around the world in 80 days...

The Nautilus

Pretty town, Quimper