Monday, December 7, 2009

Plougastel

Plougastel church











Love those severe lines...











Plougastel calvaire









Crown of thorns











Adoration of the donkeys











One the three facades









Shroud of Turin depiction











Obligatory young woman going to Hell














































































We spent the night of the 28th at the aire at the Brest marina. It seemed like a very yuppie place, with cool maritime stores (I bought a jar of Maritime Coop fish soup (Vicki calls it "poison soup") and seaweed beer), until the club across the parking lot closed at 1:30AM, and then there was a lot of drunken laughing and singing and car doors slamming, etc. The next day we found the Kerloas menhir, and the golf course, and then visited the church at Plougastel; another day, another calvaire.

Kerloas

With some local assistance, en Francais, we
finally found the giant Kerloas menhir; it is
indeed a big one












Me, fooling around











Detail










Slender side-view

More Neo-Neolithic
















Part of a huge stone circle...is this a Jack Nicklaus-designed course?















4th hole, I think--is there a penalty for hitting the menhir?


While wandering around Finisterre, looking for the Kerloas menhir, largest in the world (the guidebook said), we came across more clearly neo-neolithic stuff...on the local golf course!

Guimiliau

Six miles from Thegonnec is another town with a famous church and calvaire, 
Guimiliau















Beautiful carving in interior


















Patron saint of swordsmen?


















All the beams holding up the 16th century roof appear  original, unadorned, 
except for
This one
But the most interesting aspect was the church floor-plan... a central aisle, 
two side aisles, and then an extra side aisle on the south side
Guimiliau's calvaire
Last Supper
And, the depiction of the young woman who did not fully confess her sins--
being sent to Hell

St. Thegonnec

One of the things we like in Brittany is the old parish churches--enclosures they are called--with church, ossuary, and, most importantly, the "calvaire," an outdoor sculpture thing usually depicting scenes from the life of Christ, plus other local curiosities. It was pouring rain as we visited St. Thegonnec, November 28th, but still interesting and pleasant. Gloomy grey weather is almost best for Brittany. It's a very spiritual, spooky place, with "religious" monuments here going back at least 7,000 years.
St. Thegonnec











Beautiful interior altar paintings











The Ossuary, always a fun place, but
apparently closed in the off-season












St. Thegonnec's 16th century calvaire











Up closer









Filthy, rotten, disgusting pigeons



















St. Thegonnec provides a free public campground right in
the centre ville

Dinan

As we drove west, we stopped a few hours
in the old Medieval town of Dinan and
walked around a bit; above, street scene












They have the leaning half-timbered houses
here too












Ditto; PS: Vicki asked me to note that in the
vicinity of St. Brieuc we saw many camping car
dealers and accessory stores; they appear to be
all over western France.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

St. Malo

We drove on to St. Malo and spent the night at an aire by its
ferry port and marina; above, the old, walled St. Malo (well,
old since WWII)








Ferry port and marina








The aire








Frogmen (nyuk-nyuk-nyuk)

Camping France

I am writing on December 2 (from St. Nazaire), and we have
been in France two weeks now without yet visiting a
campground or caravan park. The reason is the "aires" all
over, towns that welcome camping-cars, and even
supermarkets that designate over-night space and provide
other facilities, sometimes free, sometimes for a very modest
price, a euro or two. Walmart should be so accommodating!
Above, the Super U in Cancale











Designated over-night parking for camping cars







Dumping facilities and fresh water








Even a laundromat!

Pt. Grouin

From Cancale, we drove along the coast we have walked
many times, out to Pt. Grouin. Sorry, Rachel, the hotel and
restaurant were closed! Above, an island off Pt. Grouin








Across the Bay, Mt. St. Michel















Pt. Grouin light house







Closer-up

Cancale and Le Narval

We stopped in old-favorite Cancale, oyster capital of the world,
and had lunch at Le Narval, still going strong, where we first
dined in 1979; I had raw oysters, mussels mariniere, frites, wine,
nice chocolate dessert cake and mousse; Vicki had frites and
cake; Cancale harbor, low tide










Main street, harbor; I am not sure I have ever seen the
centre ville







Le Narval








There has been a great deal of development around Cancale
in the last 30 years (and where hasn't there been?); on the
edge of a residential suburb on the way to Pt. Grouin, we
noticed this Neo-neolthique structure; we are noticing more
and more such things and must blog about them in due
course

Bay of St. Michel

We drove on leisurely around the Bay, noting old windmills
turned into residences (I want one!), oyster and mussel
farming, etc.; in Brittany now, looking toward Cancale and
Pt. Grouin








This is all reclaimed land, hence dozens of old windmills,
now gentrified

And dozens of moule and huitre farms along the edge

Bay of St. Alligator

Sunset




Next morning









And just a couple kilometers from the Abbey...the Alligator Bay complex









Also turtles, reptiles, etc; closed, unfortunately, for the season; alligators wintering 
on the Cote d'Azur; Orlando has nothing on Mt. St. Michel!