h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm just back from a trip to Brittany with my two eldest children.

We stayed near Lorient in a B&B - not to be advised given the restrictions on movement and the limitations put on the kids (the house was full of antiques). Unfortunately we could not rent a holiday home because it was a mid-week to mid-week holiday.

We travelled quite a bit around the Brittany and environs:
* Vannes: a fantastically picturesque town, full of small streets and charming shops, plus a small aquarium that the kids absolutely loved.
* The Gulf of Morbihan: a large bay surrounding Vannes, replete with small islands. A French Clew Bay, in other words. Nice beaches nearby too.
* Carnac: The site of the oldest continually occupied town in Europe apparently. It contains an impressive network of megaliths - 6000 years old and quite extraordinary. They extend for 4km and are believed to have religious and astronomical significance. The beach nearby is one of the top beaches in Brittany, full of Irish and British holiday makers. It also contains one of the best ice cream shops I have ever seen - Roquefort flavoured ice cream anyone?
* Pont Scorff: a zoo close to Lorient that has a wide range of beasties. The sea lions put on a show for us that was somewhat quaint yet fascinating for the little-uns.
* Mont St Michel - More Normandy than southern Brittany, but what a place! The inspiration for Minas Tirith in the Lord of the Rings. Packed with tourists but not a rip off, and the views are just stunning. Why o why can't we have a place like this in Ireland? Anyone up for developing one of the Skelligs and putting a monastery on top? Pretty please?
* Utah beach - one of the two main landing beaches for the Americans in WWII. The barbed wire and the gun batteries are still in place. A chilling reminder of less happier times.

I'll put some photographs up on my blog when I get a chance.

Sounds like a great trip. At least it did, down as far as this bit:

"...full of Irish and British holiday makers." The cat fleas of Europe. A minor irritant which spreads like once the kid next to you has them.

The roquefort ice cream is an interesting one. Unusual ice cream flavours seem to be getting very popular - I've read of lots of different ones. Basil, bacon, chilli among others.

I went for plain vanilla, although I wouldn't have minded a spearmint Rennie flavour one..

I managed to speak quite a bit of French there too - somehow the language managed to get dredged up from the depths of my unconsciousness... Une Chef Sauce glace s'il vous plait..

How could you see roquefort ice cream and not try it?

French is next on my list of languages to learn. I learned a bit at school but didn't really get a feel for it - I had to think things out before I said them rather than thinking in French.

I never had the courage to attempt to speak French in France...Good for you...Once I was forced to order Savignon Blanc...Unfortunately, that can't be done in English...Total incomprehension, followed by shocked silence and a language lesson...

I'm feeling mildly encouraged by the amount of French I was able to speak. Even more, I was able to make out what other people were saying to me. The landlady and I were capable of communicating quite well even though she didn't have a word of English. With just a bit more study or immersion I might be able to speak relatively easily. Conversational French (as opposed to transactional French) is still some way beyond my grasp.

They didn't have Tayto Crisp flavoured Ice Cream either. I am dreadfully disappointed.

oooh Tayto crips flavoured ice cream has to be invented!

Mont St Michel is rather spectacular. We have a free weekend coming up in September, and were investigating the possibilities of flying to Nantes... but even with Easyjet it's a bit pricey for a weekend, so we might just head off into West Ireland on the motorbikes - could do worse!

Oh, I love Brittany. I've stayed in Beg Meil a couple of times (near Concarneau) and really enjoyed it. They have wonderful festivals and I love the statuey things they have - big monuments with lots of people in them in the village centres.

I'm looking forward to seeing the photos.

No problem ZSF! I left my camera in my mum's last week, so hopefully this weekend I'll be able to retrieve it.