Brittany - Celtic culture, cottages and cider
Brittany occupies the peninsula of north-west France, and is one of the French provinces. Known in French as Bretagne, with plenty of dramatic coastline and the most utterly beautiful and remote villages and hamlets of highly distinctive cottages, Brittany is a wonderful holiday location for those that love unspoilt seaside resorts and the rural idyll.
On the western tip of Brittany is the port of Brest with marine and historical museums as well as fine architecture. Also on the coast is the town of Quimper with its medieval architecture and narrow streets, and also there is Vannes with its fine old stone buildings and lovely pebbled beach.
But apart from its major tourist attractions, Brittany has smaller and more out of the way places too numerous to mention. One of the ideal ways to enjoy Brittany is to rent a cottage and to explore the surroundings by car or by bicycle. Cottage rental is reasonably priced. I have spent a couple of very pleasant holidays in a the countryside not far from Pontivy. If you are going for the cottage rental option a car is a necessity not just for exploration, but for getting your groceries from the supermarket too. When you are not exploring, lovely days can be had just sitting in the garden and enjoying good food and French wine, or even a little Breton cider.
There are regular ferry services between the UK and Brittany, there is a TGV from Paris to Brest, also stopping at Rennes, St Brieuc and other stations. The main airport serving the area is the Brest Bretagne Airport, which is a few miles from Brest.
English speaking holiday makers are in abundance so there will always be someone around who speaks English, but making the effort to learn a little French before you go never comes amiss, and is much appreciated. Brittany does in fact have its own language, Breton, a Celtic language, which is still spoken in some areas, and which is in the process of being revived.
Bon voyage!
