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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 15, 2010 1:10:41 GMT
This looks wonderful, FMT. I'm starting my reply here so I can add to it as I go through this very full and fascinating thread.
The belfry in Fougères looks so much like a lighthouse, which must have always been a crucial item on the Brittany coast. It didn't prepare me for the sight of the rest of the town, which so resembles my mental image of England. I guess given the history, of the region, that is not surprising. The beautiful formal garden is quintessentially French, though.
Thanks for the bagpipe video! It took me back to seeing bagpipers in Galicia when I was child. And of course the Galicians and those from Brittany spring from the same stock.
Love the castle fortress -- it looks so right. How wonderful to be able to walk around such a well-preserved site.
Humph! I think anyone who likes to sing to himself must have innate talent and whoever squelched it when you were in the 4th grade was probably a person of yawningly mundane sensibilities.
When you go into a dolmen, are you able to "read" its meaning or original use, whether from known indicators or from a sixth sense about it?
That catamaran experiment is interesting, but rather unlikely to be fruitful, don't you think?
And I'll follow that by saying how much I appreciate the background you provide before going into Gavrinis. How do they determine that it stopped being used @3000 bc?
Oh my goodness -- the hydrangeas in Baden! *swoon*
I thoroughly enjoyed your telling about how you became fascinated by the stony evidence of prehistoric peoples. You really make it come alive.
Love all the pictures that follow, but .............. the alignments!!!! Words fail.
The Château of Suscinio is very fine and all that, but it pales in comparison to the Cairn du Petit Mont, for my taste. What is the mound next to the tree, last picture, #14?
Plage du Kerver ~~ beautiful!
That photo of the Dolmen de Mein Goreac setting right on the horizon is stellar -- deserves to be framed.
I would have assumed the calvaire statues in the 3rd photo of #21 to be contemporary if you'd not pointed out otherwise.
#28 ;D ;D
We are lucky that you stumbled upon the cromlech of the Tumulus de Kercado the way you did. Those first photos have a really mythical Puck of Pook's Hill feeling about them.
No one could argue with your assessment of Rochefort en Terre as being totally adorable. AND it had more and better hydrangeas!
You know, how many people can simply and sincerely say this at the end of a vacation? At some point in the middle of my 7 course dessert I began to think about what a good vacation it had been.
The happy curiosity and ability to find the fun and interest in anything with which you and MM are blessed really comes across in your narrative. Thank you so much for sharing it.
And not to end on a sad note, but all of us who've had a faithful car carry us through long formative portions of our lives are shedding a tear along with you for the dear little Renault 5. I'm happy to hear that Clio is already winning a place in your hearts.
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Aug 15, 2010 1:56:23 GMT
Oh Bixa, your comments are so wonderful. So insightful and so right on to what is going on in my mind and what I'm trying convey in my reports. I'm off to bed but I will respond more fully tomorrow. Merci beaucoup!
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Aug 15, 2010 21:20:43 GMT
Actually, Fougères is an inland location so no ships to warn around there. But several places I visited in Brittany do fit an image I have in my mind of England, even though I have never been there. Well, I never pursued singing but I am somewhat musically inclined, having played trombone from around the age of 8 to age 14 and then dropping that in favor of the guitar, which I still pay but only as a hobby. And an amplified guitar is much louder than my voice so when people tell me to turn it down I can't hear them. Different megalithic sites give me different impressions but I think it is mostly due to me interpreting the landscape in which a feature is located more than from any sixth sense. I don't know that I can interpret what a site means but I often get an impression as to why a site may have been chosen. The list of these reasons is numerous but one of them sort of does have a sixth sense element to it. When I was the research director for the organization where people always saw phallus's and vulvas in everything these same people were always talking about "energy". They could just "feel" the energy. Well, I believe there is some truth to that but I don't know that the explanation has anything to do with the supernatural. Birds and fish seem to use this "energy" to migrate without use of a map. And people in rural and especially dry environments often employ the assistance of a dowser when they want to drill a well. I feel in the past people were probably a lot more in tune with this concept and I feel some ancient sites were probably selected because these people felt "energy". That's incredibly non-scientific talk but it's an easy way to relay the concept at least. Yes, I believe the catamaran experiment is somewhat pointless. The weight of that stone pales in comparison with the 72 ton capstone at Mané Réthual and the 300 ton toppled menhir at Locmariaquer. If you want to see something interesting go to this website www.theforgottentechnology.com. And there is a pretty amazing little place in Florida called The Coral Castle, which I visited, that is worth checking into. Check out this website coralcastle.com/. I don't know the exact specifics about how they determined the final period of use at Gavrinis but there are a couple of standard ways to date sites. One would be analysis of any organic matter in the soil (such as carbon 14 testing). Another would be checking the types of artifacts found at one site against similar types of artifacts from other sites where dates have been established. It's obviously far more complicated than I make it sound but I think this gives you an idea. At the Petit Mont there was no info given about that mound but I'm sure it has something to do with the cairn. Perhaps a burial mound or perhaps something which related to other features which were once at the site but have been destroyed/looted/vandalized over time. At many of these sites in their original states there were probably a great many more features than what exists today. I think the link you sent me about the recent findings at Stone Henge is a good example of this. I had never heard of Puck of Pook's Hill so I just did the obligatory wiki search and it looks quite interesting. That is just the kind of fictional reading I like. I generally read non-fiction about history and science (although I am embarrassed to say I don't read enough) but anything with an element of the mystical/eternal/cosmic will get my attention. I should say, however, that I have read some Arthur Clark and I enjoy well written science fiction. You noticed my subtle reference to my 7 course dessert. Needless to say I do not think I make an ideal dinner guest. Thank you for your condolences on the passing of dear little Renault 5. We miss her but you are correct in your assessment that Clio is helping to ease the loss. Bixa, thank you for taking the time to write such detailed responses to my report. It means a lot to me that you take the effort to really absorb what I've written and give such poignant commentary. You know I am looking around at many of the things that are posted here on AnyPort. I don't respond much because I spend several hours a day answering questions on travel forums which leaves me so tired that I don't have the brainpower to write responses that are commensurate with the level of intellect that is being expressed. I guess I just don't want to look stupid. But then I guess my trip reports have stripped away the notion that I am otherwise.
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 17, 2010 6:13:00 GMT
Starting from the bottom, consider that I just gave you a rather hard shove in the arm over that "looking stupid" comment. Everyone who is privileged to see your wonderful trip reports probably wishes that on some level they were you! I love the um, generatively minded people who badgered you with their "discoveries". ;D On a more serious note ~~ Birds and fish seem to use this "energy" to migrate without use of a map. And people in rural and especially dry environments often employ the assistance of a dowser when they want to drill a well. I feel in the past people were probably a lot more in tune with this concept and I feel some ancient sites were probably selected because these people felt "energy". Have you seen the discussion going on in Where Words Collide about "language makes us see differently"? The part about people's language using geographic indicators and the correlation with their always being oriented in space is quite intriguing and you have to wonder if it might not have a bearing on "energy". Gosh -- I looked at those links and all I can say is .... gosh! With the Coral Castle guy, I had to force my mind away from going in "Chariots of the Gods" directions. The other guy seems on the level, but it's very hard to accept that no one else throughout the ages has figured out these logical laws of physics which he claims he uses. Thanks so much for the clear answers to my questions about dating a site and about what features the sites might have contained. You say you don't read "enough", but you've obviously amassed a great fund of knowledge about neolithic archeology and many other things besides. I do hope you get to read Puck one day. After reading your response above, I went to see what Wiki said about. That lead me to the Online Reader and I found myself immediately getting pulled into the book again! It's funny, but even though I read it more than once as a child, the part that remains the most vivid to me is the Hadrian's Wall story. Well, let me just say thank you for once again sharing great pictures and fascinating information with everyone in such a lively, readable way.
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Post by Jazz on Aug 17, 2010 22:01:30 GMT
Mon dieu, French Mystique, your essay is exceptional! I agree with #43, (Kerouac is also a magnificent poster), so this is a great compliment. Kerouac:---"FMT, I am obliged to say that this is the most magnificent and complete report that I have ever seen posted, not only on this site but anywhere else. Unfortunately, I am left speechless at the moment, but I will get back with more comments later."--- I love it all… your great and individual writing style, your beautiful photos, the history, your wit and how you integrate it all together so well. Only because of you can I now drop into conversation, ‘megoliths and dolmens’. Then, great demand causes me to forward links to your threads. There is such a wealth of information here that I will limit myself to a few comments. I share your love of rocks, but on a much more limited scale. Today, I think that most people have moved too far away from their beauty and their ritual significance. How can you possibly apologize for the ‘bland quality’ of your photos! They are great and fit perfectly into your story. I loved the sound of the Breton bagad...was fascinated by how the stone used in the megalithic sites was transported great distances. Your phrase, that Gavrinis was ‘the Sistine chapel of Megolithic Art’ is apt. The interior artwork is incredible. Your photo of the beautiful house in #8, I love it, we would have a bidding war! Interesting about your personal evolution…From living with your sister in ‘bland and tedious’ Italy ;D to your development with respect to archeology. I have always been fascinated by First Nation cultures, the Anasazi in the US, the Mayan, Inca and Aztec, and our own First Nation tribes in Canada. Rocks were treasured by the First Nation peoples. The menhirs are austerely beautiful and mysterious. Sadly, I bid adieu to your faithful Renault 5, RIP. Happily, this thread is magnificent. Merci.
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Aug 18, 2010 23:24:59 GMT
Bixa - <<I love the um, generatively minded people who badgered you with their "discoveries".>> Well put. I need to look at the AnyPort post to which you referred in regards to language. Been busy with odds and ends the last few days but I'll check it out when I've got time. The Coral Castle guy certainly was a bit looney tunes but when you consider that he did this by himself (he was about 5'3" and couldn't have weighed more than 120lbs soaking wet) and that supposedly no one observed him doing this (and that he took it down and moved it from its original site) it makes one wonder. He had two books/pamphlets he published, one of which was full of his helpful little life lessons and observations (Be good to your mother!) and the other which dealt with his theories of electromagnetism and electricity. I lack the scientific knowledge to know if any of these theories holds water but I do consider this guy to have been somewhat of an eccentric genius, even if his energy theories were incorrect. And the whole story about how this place came to be is really a personal and touching human story. Your original post about the Puck stories caught my imagination. After doing a little google search on the topic I think at some future time I am going to look into this, regardless of whether or not it is childrens literature (I'm just an overgrown child anyway). Thanks for commenting. Jazz - I am truly humbled and feel unworthy of the praise which you have bestowed unto me. As a struggling entrepreneur I have my moments of doubt and such words of encouragement give me the inspiration I need to push forward through the tough times. Ritual is lost in modern society (although many lame attempts are made to re-enact it) and I certainly never found much inspiration in the many church masses I endured in my childhood. Maybe ancient ritual was just a stage during the infancy of the evolution of human thought and we can't go back there but I sure have fun imagining. On a lighter note, let me share with you a few photos of my "bland and tedious" abode in Italy. I took these photos when I visited my sister back in March. Here are a couple of views out the front door. Here I am in action earning my keep. The near finished product. The house. A small portion of the yard. Wall project number two, still earning my keep. The walls were just rough and quickly built as they didn't require precision so it's not my best work. If anyone is interested, the apartment upstairs will be available for rent starting next summer. They will also be offering dinners to their guests (as well as starting to operate a 'black market' restaurant) with local products and food from their garden.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2010 5:52:02 GMT
I don't understand why you keep building walls when you could be aligning dolmens. (very pleasant Italian house and surroundings!)
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Aug 19, 2010 12:58:35 GMT
To be an official dolmen it needs to have burials. Know where I can get some bodies?
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Post by gertie on Aug 22, 2010 5:13:09 GMT
<.< >.> well...but then I would have to make you the next one. Seriously, though, what a wonderful trip report! Better than being on vacation with you as no mosquito bites, tired feet, rocks in my shoe, but hm did miss out on the crepes and the Chinese food, so perhaps you had the last revenge. Your report kept me laughing and I so enjoyed the pictures. Many grateful thank you's!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2010 15:41:01 GMT
FMT, first of all it is fantastic that your landlord let you have the place at a discount, as it the fact that it was available at all during the heart of the peak season. As for the décor, who cares? You clearly did not spend most of your vacation sitting inside looking at the sad clown (and I must take you to task for omitting this essential illustration from your photo report). The tourist shops of Carnac Plage are certainly like the same shops everywhere on French coastal towns. It amuses me no end that those places sell Buddhist statues and African carvings now instead of the seashells and snow globes of my youth. It probably gives the local apartment owners a lot of decorating ideas. The ambience of gawking tourist throngs were perfectly captured in your photos. As for the real purpose of your visit, I am particularly impressed by the designs engraved into the stones at Locmariquer, even if you couldn’t take those photos yourself (reply #6). They bear remarkable similarities to Australian aboriginal designs. Of course, just like everybody else, I love huge alignments of menhirs, but the isolated ones in the woods have their own charm. They really make you want to improvise pagan ceremonies at midnight on moonless nights. I know that I am all alone in my aversion to the coastline of Brittany (except for a few exceptional places like the Pointe du Raz). It’s not actually an aversion, but just my own personal feeling of “is this it?” I thought it was funny when you compared the lovely coast of Brittany at one point to Cape Cod, because I feel the same about Cape Cod! Different strokes… Nevertheless, your photos of the coast do it full justice, and I know that there is just something wrong with me. I live in total panic of the ocean in any case, so I much prefer standing on cliffs where it can’t get me. Meanwhile, the photos of all of the perfect villages confirms that problem that France has: the villages are totally empty throughout the entire country at least 98% of the time. Thank god for the tourists that put a little life into some of the villages during the summer months. And because of the sign of life, this is my absolute favorite photo of village life from your report: The other sign of life that I liked were the streams passing through some of the places. And as for dolmens, I am in love with Mein Goreac (in reply #20). My thanks for centuries of farmers who thought it was too much trouble to get rid of it. And even more thanks to you again, French Mystique Tours, for making this incredible report.
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Aug 22, 2010 18:39:20 GMT
Actually, there was no sad faced clown portrait, I merely used that as an example to illustrate a point. Instead we had a day glo painting in caraciture of two very large African women surrounded by copious amounts of fruit. Which hung in opposition next to another portrait of a camel caravan of bedouins trekking across the most barren stretch of sand I've ever seen. I wanted a drink of water every time I looked at it. I'm quite sure he must have purchased these at the buddha store down the street.
I too have noticed the similarities in design and motif of aboriginal and neolithic art. Those swirling motifs and wavy lines can be found among many indigenous cultures. I'm sure they must have different interpretations but it amazes me that the same pattern is repeated by cultures which in all likelihood had no direct interaction with one another. I can't help but think how some of those designs somewhat resemble human fingerprints.
You hit the nail on the head with the menhir photos. My favorite menhir on this vacation was the smallest menhir I saw. You probably know the photo I'm talking about, the one that sat in the middle of an overgrowth of forest and vegetation. It wasn't marked on the map and I just stumbled on it walking on a wooded trail. I don't know what else to say about it except that it had presence.
I don't think there is anything wrong with you for not liking the Breton coastline or even not having that much interest in Brittany. Variety is the spice of life and one persons spice is another persons cod liver oil.
I took another bike ride yesterday through the countryside (trip report coming soon) and I am convinced that no one actually lives in most of the small rural villages and that the French government has a secret program responsible for the maintenance of all the buildings in these towns, occasionally paying people just to walk around them to give the appearance of normality. I think the kid on the bike in the above photo is really just there to get a paycheck.
In my time spent exploring the history of Native American ceremonial sites in New England I heard many stories about farmers who knew they had something unusual on their land (without understanding its exact nature) but made sure that these sites were not just plowed under (although many other farmers did just that). The story typically goes like this: The farmer says to his son, "Son, when you move the cows from one pasture to another, make sure to keep them away from the stone piles". And that son would tell his son and so forth and so on.
I too like the way the dolmen Mein Goreac just sits there on the horizon linking the earth to the sky. I've found several other dolmens just sitting in the middle of what are now enormous, flat and featureless fields and although the fields weren't there when these places were built I often wonder just why such a location was chosen. I've got some ideas about the relationship between sacred sites and landscape features. One of these days when I have more time to devote to esoteric writing I promise to start a thread here about my stupid rocks and I'll discuss all my wacky theories.
Thanks for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful and thorough reply. That means a lot to me (and to Mrs. Mystique as well).
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Post by lola on Aug 27, 2010 15:45:41 GMT
Amazing and beautiful, fmt. It requires coming back at least a few more times. Really fine and mysterious.
But: Why and How? There would need to be an enormous Why to motivate the How, unless of course it was magic levitation, which seems as reasonable an explanation as any.
Forgive me if some of this has already been addressed: I love the megaliths, petroglyphs, dolmens; I guess you find some of these by Michelin type maps?
Wouldn't the alignements be cemetery tombstones? at least maybe?
Randomly and briefly, because I crashed my computer three times last night trying to comment on the thread: Your masonry is superb. Charming photo of Mme M peeking over the standing stone. I'm drawn to the unhappy family's perversely blighting the visual landscape. The blue water next to solid stone is too beautiful.
I spent a summer camped by myself in the entrance of a cave, so am the closest thing to a cave women many people have met.
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Aug 29, 2010 8:24:11 GMT
Thanks for the compliments, lola.
Re. Why? - I bet it had to do with ancestor worship and unifying the relationship between the dead (with terrestrial constructions ) and the deities in the cosmos ( sun, moon, planets, stars, etc. ).
Re. How? - This period marks the beginning in human history of highly organized societies and I believe massive amounts of manpower went into the construction of these features. Quite possibly animal (oxen) power as well, since this is also the beginning of sedentary communities which relied on agriculture and animal husbandry for subsistence.
Check the legend in your Michelin map and you will notice they have assigned an icon to megalithic sites. Megaliths can be found throughout much of France (and Europe) but only a minority of them are shown on the maps.
The dolmens are essentially burial chambers but the alignments of menhirs do not have burials beneath them. Their true purpose remains unknown and has only been guessed at.
I take pride in my masonry skill and your admiration is most appreciated. MM is part fairy and her presence is a compliment to any megalithic feature. In legend they are, after all, believed to have been homes of fairies and other supernatural beings.
Ah, the unhappy family. Your description adequately captures their photographic impact. Thankfully, they were not there to blight the beauty of blue water against stone.
Spent a whole summer in a cave, did you? Are you perhaps related to the gentleman who wasted his life meditating in the drainage culvert? Or maybe we share a common caveperson ancestry.
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Post by BigIain on Oct 7, 2010 16:02:55 GMT
What a fantastic thread. Also happens to be one of my fave places in France too. A quick word on Belle Isle en Mer... Getting a car across there is very difficult, but there are several vehicle rental offices available right on the quayside. I have been lucky enough to visit there twice but have had to park up and then travel as a foot passanger to the island... there then follows a full-on footrace from the boat to the rentals offices. From my very poor memory, the best rentals were available at Les Voitures Bleu (or possibly verts)
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Post by cigalechanta on Oct 8, 2010 3:45:36 GMT
did you visit Rotheneuf, just outside the eastern end of St Malo'd limits as the D201 winds towards Cancale, there are the Sculptured rocks that a hermit priest spent 25 years from 1870 carving these boulders into forms of dragons,giants and assorted sea creatures high above the waterline. now they are weathered and look like they may not survive.
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Oct 8, 2010 5:21:45 GMT
BigIain - Thanks for reading. Yes, I am aware of the problems of getting a car to Belle Île. If you must use a car it makes sense to reserve ahead and get one on the island. I haven't done the math but I'm pretty sure that it is probably cheaper to rent a car there than it is to pay the charge to bring your own car to the island. The island is not that big and there is bus service that runs around the island so I bet it probably makes more sense just to use the bus, or, rent a bike. I haven't been there but my wife has been a few times and I am looking forward to going someday and just relaxing and enjoying the beauty of the place.
cigalechanta - No, we didn't get to Saint-Malo on this trip but we have been before. I hadn't heard of Rotheneuf but being a stone mason that sounds like just the kind of place I would enjoy. Next time I'm in the area I definitely plan on checking that out. Thanks for the tip. Sorry you won't be at the OurParis GTG tonight but we'll raise a toast in your honor and for those others who can only be there in spirit.
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Post by Carroll on Jan 24, 2011 1:04:50 GMT
I just wanted to thank you for such a great report. I was in Dinan two years ago for two days and loved it. Hoped to come back some day. I have been considering spending a week in Brittany this September. After reading your report, I am sold! This will be very helpful in planning our days. Thanks so much!
p.s. Loved the story about the dance.
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Jan 24, 2011 14:13:28 GMT
Carroll - Glad you enjoyed the report. Feel free to send me a message if you need some tips.
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Post by Carroll on Jan 26, 2011 3:20:23 GMT
Thanks so much. I appreciate the offer. I will probably take you up on it when I get to the nitty gritty planning.
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2011 10:33:46 GMT
I haven't been keeping track, but this might be the most appreciated of all of the FMT reports, considering the number of views. Bravo, FMT!
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on May 2, 2011 18:39:28 GMT
Thanks kerouac. I've been busy with getting the business up and running so I have more than a few trip reports on the back burner that need to be written. At some point in the next month or two I will be doing a report on the 20th arrondissement. I've been biking there extensively for the past few weeks seeking out good routes and interesting material. If you've got any good tips on hidden or unusual places there that I should know about I'm all ears.
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Post by tod2 on Jul 28, 2011 17:39:46 GMT
I don't know how I missed this.....oh yes, I was in Canada! I hope you don't mind a late congratulatory message! What a beautiful collection of photographs on a subject (Dolmens) which is close to my heart. I must say the ones you photographed make nonsense of the ones I saw in Ireland the year before. Oh my, Oh my, chalk and cheese.
Thank you so very much for this wonderful holiday essay in photos - and lots of good tips and advice!
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Post by nycgirl on Aug 2, 2011 2:00:49 GMT
Amazing photos! The sunset you shot is breathtakingly beautiful. And I love the photos of the flower-bedecked villages and the haystacks and the cairns and everything else. Great work.
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Aug 3, 2011 11:37:27 GMT
Thanks for your comments tod and nycgirl.
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Post by Carroll on Aug 6, 2011 22:26:50 GMT
It is now six weeks until we leave for France. We are spending the first week in the southern part of Brittany. I thought I'd have lots of questions for you, but your report was so detailed, I actually don't. It was definitely the best thing I found to plan our activities. I just wanted to thank you again.
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Aug 6, 2011 23:54:03 GMT
Hi Carroll. That's great you found such useful info in my report. Certainly I didn't cover everything the region has to offer but I covered most of the major sites around the Gulf of Morbihan with the notable exceptions of the small medieval city of Vannes and the old town section of Auray. Depending on where you are based and what you want to do I might be able to give you some more suggestions so let me know if you have any other questions and I'll be happy to answer. I might be a few days in responding as I'm on a two week vacation in the Alps near Annecy right now so I'm only occasionally on the internet but I am still checking in.
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Post by Carroll on Aug 7, 2011 1:58:46 GMT
We are staying in a small hamlet near Baud, which is, I think, about 30 km from Auray. If you have any suggestions for things to do in Auray or Vannes, I would love to hear them. But take your time and enjoy your time in the Alps. It must be great living near so many wonderful vacation destinations. Anyway, we leave September 17. Thanks so much!
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Post by mich64 on Aug 7, 2011 2:45:11 GMT
FMT please tell me you are going to be doing a report of your current trip? Have fun! Cheers! Mich
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Aug 7, 2011 19:27:21 GMT
Mich64 - Actually I think I am taking a vacation from trip report writing on this vacation. I am taking plenty of pics so maybe I'll do a photo montage type report but I need to relax so any reporting I do will be devoid of research or any type of historical tidbits. But if you just want to see some pics I think I'll have something for you. Carroll - I don't have any specific ideas for you as to what to do in Vannes or Auray other than just wander around and enjoy the ambiance. Generally when I vacation I may visit a museum or two but mostly I just like to wander around and see pretty things and relax. Let me give you some tips to help you prepare for your vacation. These tips can be applied to any place you may want to visit in France. I have a whole word document full of standard responses that I use to answer questions on the travel forum so I can merely cut and paste responses to FAQ's. Here we go: Get your hands on the Michelin maps (scale of 1:200,000) for whatever regions you visit. The Michelin maps have icons for all kinds of historically/touristically interesting things such as châteaux, ruins, churches, abbeys, scenic view points, caves, Roman sites, megaliths, designated scenic roads and many other things. Usually when I'm exploring various regions in France I just look at the map and I am able to plan interesting and scenic drives just reading the map. For instance, I usually look for a designated scenic road, which are highlighted in green, and I especially look for towns with the historic church and/or château icon. I also try to make sure the route goes through as many small villages as possible. Usually putting all these things together I find interesting and scenic drives without even knowing where I am going and with no assistance from a guide book. Often these places are never mentioned in guidebooks and remain completely unknown to many tourists. I would also suggest getting a good guidebook or two. I like the Michelin Green Guides. In addition to the Michelin Green Guides if you need restaurant info then get The Michelin Red Guides, which cover restaurants. You can buy the Michelin maps from their website and here is a link to the page that shows all of the maps of France: tinyurl.com/4bt96evAnd speaking of Michelin, you can go to the website viamichelin.com and get info on drive times and distances, toll and fuel costs and suggested routes (i.e. scenic routes). The drive times given do not consider stops (fuel, food, bathrooms) nor do they consider bad weather and traffic. You should google some of the town/tourist office websites for any towns you may want to visit. You will find loads of info on these websites including hotel/accommodation and restaurant info as well as what to see and do in the area. Occasionally the websites have English versions. In doing a google search enter the name of your town followed by the words "site officiel" or "office de tourisme" and this will bring the town to the top of your search. Another thing I like to do to see if a town may be worth visiting is enter the town name in a google search followed by the word "photos". Sometimes I visit a town if I find it looks charming/interesting in photos. So the preceeding few paragraphs are standard responses of mine. Let me give you a few more tips specific to your trip and where you are staying. I've got my Michelin atlas with me and I've located Baud. I actually wanted to explore near there on my last trip but didn't have time, although I did briefly drive through Baud and thought it was sort of a nice place. You'll notice on the Michelin map that near Baud and further north towards Pontivy there are several designated scenic roads. You might enjoy getting lost and wandering around on some of these roads. I also wanted to visit Pontivy and if you've got time you might give it a visit. A few places west of Baud that I haven't visited but I know are popular with others are Pont-Aven and Concarneau and to a lesser extent Hennebont. Use the tips I gave you and google the tourist office websites of these places and look for some photos too. If you feel like heading west to the Finistère region (near Concarneau) you could visit the small, medieval city of Quimper or some of the other notable nearby towns such as Bénodet, Douarnenez and Locronan. You'll notice these towns all have the historic church icon I had mentioned in my earlier standard response. I'm only pointing this out to emphasize that if you learn how to use my tips to read Michelin maps you'll probably find lots of unknown places that no one has ever heard of that are probably charming/interesting. I think with what I've just told you and with my report you've got enough info to keep you busy for a week. I hope you also spend a little time just getting lost so maybe you can tell us all about some places we've never heard of. Of course this means you'll have to post a trip report here and tell us all about your vacation but only if you want to. If you happen to be in Paris and feel like doing a bike tour into the countryside outside Paris let me know, since that is my job. You can see my tours at www.frenchmystiquetours.com but don't feel obligated to look. However, you can tell all your friends visiting Paris who might be interested. Hope you have a fun trip and let me know if you need any more help.
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Post by mich64 on Aug 8, 2011 0:11:20 GMT
Pictures will suffice FMT! Enjoy! Cheers, Mich
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