Le Quatorze Juillet.....

......or Bastille Day .........or Fete Nationale , no matter which name you use, today is a very special day in French history !

Every city, town & village will be holding their own celebrations throughout the day, from the official ceremonial parades in Paris to letting off a few fireworks in the smaller villages!

Our local celebrations consist of a parade through the town at midday, followed by friends & families gathering for a loonngg lunch, then a little siesta (!) before setting out to the village hall for the 'Bal Populaire' this evening !

After a couple of hours of energetic dancing, ranging from traditional folk dances to disco gyrations, enjoyed by everyone from 8 - 80, we'll all pour out onto the sports ground to watch the superb fireworks display put on by the local 'Pompiers' (Fire Brigade). Each year the display gets more ambitious and is thoroughly enjoyed & appreciated judging by all the 'Oooh's and Aaah's' that ripple through the audience ... and so ends a lovely day !


BONNE FETE !!

Armistice Day

Armistice Day this year marks the 90th anniversary since the end of World War I, the war to end all wars.

November 11 is a National Holiday France, which allows everyone and anyone to attend the Remembrance Services held across the country to mark this day - if they so wish.

Our local village was no exception, and this was the scene this morning outside the church after the service.

Just a single wreath of fresh flowers, but where it is speaks volumes .


Brittany has reason to remember WWII as it suffered greatly not only throughout the occupation, but also through intense bombing by the Allies. St Malo,Rennes, Nantes, Brest, St Nazaire & Lorient were the main targets, the last 3 being occupied ports and/or shipyards which suffered greatly.

Talking to our older neighbours can sometimes be like re-living history . Just last week out on my walk past one of the nearby farms I stopped to talk to Monsieur (82) & Madame (81) and after catching up with the general gossip we got to the subject of the influx of British residents in the area ,always a favourite topic ( incidentally we are known locally as 'OUR English ') - Monsieur told me that the first time he heard spoken English was when he was 18 years old and the American liberation forces drove past the farm just a few feet from where we were standing !

I am too young ( just!!) to remember WWII, but I can remember my Dad , who was in the RAF, sharing his memory of being caught in the London Blitz and being buried in the rubble for 2 days , and I can't help but wonder what kind of memories our elderly neighbours must have of this most terrible time .

Lest We Forget ................

....And Another Abbey !!

Because of the restrictions placed on my normal way of life recently, I am trying to keep occupied without making too much of an effort and this is why we've been running around the countryside a little more than usual and also why I am now blogging about another Abbey !

Abbaye de Bon Repos - Founded in 1184, uninhabited and a virtual ruin, is as different to Timadeac as you can possibly imagine .

It is situated some 3 miles upstream from le Lac de Guerledan on the banks of the River Blavet ,

.....next to the site of a once Roman bridge, (which gives you some idea of the history in the area)

....an extensive renovation programme has been in place for some 20 years and there is still a great deal more to do as the photos show !

Renovated Cloisters

Original kitchen - fancy cooking lunch here !

Three stories high but not many floorboards left (!)

...just a few new windows and roof timbers!

The remains of the original abbey church are still to be seen, and the proposed renovation of this area alone is formidable !

Like Timadeuc, the atmosphere was peaceful and calm

...... until we came across this !

Son et Lumiere !! A Light & Sound display, usually historically based, and something that is very well done throughout France and well worth seeing if you have the opportunity. There is no language barrier at these shows, so don't worry about not understanding the commentary, the story is so well told through the acting, lighting and sound effects that you'll understand every word !!

The grounds around the Abbey had been staged as a medieval village.

and I am just sorry that we couldn't go back on Saturday night to see the show, but it is down in the diary for next year !!!

Another Fete Day !

Yesterday, as I mentioned, was a National Holiday here in France and as the weather did turn out reasonably fine, off we went with our picnic to Lac de Guerledan .

The largest lake in Brittany, stretching some 7 miles down the Blavet Valley to where a hydro-electric dam has been built across the river, it is also the reason why the Nantes-Brest canal is no longer navigable from end to end !

In an idyllic setting surrounded by the Quenecan Forest, the lake is a very popular spot for tourist and locals alike, and the whole place was filled with people from most of Europe judging by the accents !

Boating and water-skiing are obviously the most popular past times, but there is also some fishing as demonstrated by these 2 little German girls !

Swimming for the 4 and 2 legged varieties !

and even a Golden Wedding Anniversary celebration!

Phew!! After a good walk along the lake and all the other excitement, time for lunch, a few pages of my current novel (The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell - an amazing book !) and a quick snooze for DH, it was off to the second Abbey in 2 days - but I will post later about that!!

Traditional Breton Dancing

I am not going describe these photos, they are able to speak for themselves. I would like to mention a couple of facts though before your feast your eyes.

Each area of Brittany has its own destinctive lace cap for the ladies and they range from the simple to extremely elaborate - these caps are relatively simple. All the lace is handmade as are their lace gloves, and Brittany lace is quite famous in Europe.

Costumes also vary from region to region, but all the ladies wear black dresses under their aprons. In fact, wedding dresses used to be black and the wealth of the bride's family was determined by the amount and quality of the (black) embroidery it carried. I have seen wedding dresses so encrusted with embroidery and beads I don't know how the bride managed to make it to the altar ! Just imagine what that must have done to their eyes !

One of the nicest things about the Bretons keeping alive their Celtic traditions is, as you will see, that support comes from both sexes and all ages, shapes and sizes !

So, if you'd like to come along next August and try it for yourselves.....

....this is the village B & B

.......and I am sure the flags will all be out again to say 'Bienvenue' !!