The French Journal

NYT Day: Preserving France's lighthouses

There have been lots of stories in the New York Times over the last few days about France, so I going to play catch up. First, today's paper has an interesting look at French lighthouses, a lovely aspect of the patrimoine, but one that is literally in danger of crumbling. In particular danger are those lighthouses which are off-shore and run remotely; given that GPS units have made their functionality almost irrelevant, not a lot of money will be directed to their upkeep any longer, since they are essentially inaccessible. Still, the article notes that the buildings have a special romantic place in the French imagination; lighthouse keepers are lionized. And the fact of the lighthouses' deterioration may eventually bring attention to the need for preservation of some of the of the dozens of land-based edifices that still exist.

Truc: A salty story of Bretagne

How about a quick appreciation of Brittany through a prism of salt? The Manchester Evening News celebrates the region by focusing on the famous local product and how it livens up other foods, ranging from sea food to butter to crepes. ("It's claimed that here the climate and clay-tinged sands give the condiment a richness and delicate perfume unsurpassed anywhere else in the world.") Oh, yeah, there are other things in Brittany, too, like Mont-Saint-Michel, but for this traveler, magnificent cathedrals take a back seat to a condiment. (Is salt a condiment? Since I'm signing off for the rest of the day, perhaps you can use that question to have a lively discussion with a friend or colleague and report back to me on your findings.)

Two views of Brittany

A traveler from The Hartford Courant spent a week visiting Brittany, and the sense of a perfect vacation seeps into his text. A New Englander, perhaps he was seduced by the ruggedness of the terrain and the coastlines, and it's difficult for him to shake comparisons to home. That's not to say that Brittany comes off as a poor substitute. He moves from Rennes (the region's capital and a university town, replete with cafes and cobblestone streets), to Mont-St-Michel to Cancal, where the "day's catch is heaped in bins at restaurants along the quay." There are resorts, medieval hilltowns like Dinan, and an excursion into prehistory via the menhirs of Carnac. The tastes come through: scallops and moules frites and butter flavored with the locally harvested sea salt and galettes "stuffed with ham or andouiettes or Emmanthal cheese." Maybe one regret:

"There is more, much more, to see and do in Brittany: We haven't even touched on the far west, where Breton culture flourishes the strongest; or the music, with bagpipes, bombarde, accordion and Celtic harp; or the colorful pottery of Quimper, the seabird rookeries, remote islands and sea-battered lighthouses. "

Another recent visitor to Dinan was a painter named Richard Oversmith, who lived there for six months. A "plein-air" artist, his work graces this post. You can see more at the artist's site.

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Why I'll never be a Breton

The Christian Science Monitor uses a Sea Shanty Festival in Paimpol (a.k.a. Festival du Chant de Marin) as a pretext for examining the pride of Bretons in their local culture. There's a tenacious desire in the area's citizens to remember regional traditions and legends, to celebrate a connection to the sea, and to recall a time when Brittany was not part of France.

"(Brittany) abounds with legends of sorcerers, wind spirits, and fairies from the days when English kings controlled the region...the region has its own Celtic language, Breton – or Brezhoneg in the vernacular – which now appears on street signs along with the French names of towns...Throughout much of France, toll roads crisscross the countryside in a vast network leading, usually, to Paris. Not in Brittany...If you want to drive to Paris, you need a map. There are no signs on Breton highways indicating the way to the capital – as if no one would really want to go there. The first sign for Paris appears when you enter Normandy, the next region over to the east."

The video at the head of this post is a news report on the festival. It's in French, but there's a healthy dose of music.

Oh, and why won't I ever be a Breton? Because I don't think I'd qualify. Susan Sachs, the writer of the article and someone with family connections to the area, notes that even their Breton credentials are under question because of boundaries redrawn during World War II. Another local says, "I've lived in Brittany for 40 years. It's only with the passage of many years that I've been accepted."

Doesn't mean I don't want to visit. I think I'd have a good time.

Something's fishy in northwest France

Two articles highlight traditional -- and perhaps endangered -- activities in Brittany and in the Loire Valley.

First, Joe Ray has stepped up for The Boston Globe again with a story about fishing for "les grises" (small shrimp) off the coast of Brittany in the town of Cherrueix. Joe-Ray accompanies a troup of acquaintances as they wade and scoop up the delicacies, which are then boiled and served on open-faced French bread with dobs of the local butter. It's an inviting story, taking you into the customs of a local family, customs that you probably hadn't heard of before.

Second, down the coast a ways, the New York Time/IHT duet tells of "anchovy wars" happening in the town of La Turballe at the mouth of the Loire. Local fisherman are battling on several fronts over what they perceive as aggressive Spanish claims on the territory. At the moment, both countries are on the sidelines, as international agents have declared the seas to be over-harvested and have forbidden any fishing until next year. Meanwhile, the small French fleets are getting smaller, and those who try to hang on sense doom in the air. And they're angry.

How to restore a home in Bretagne

Hiding behind the dream of owning that precious little farmhouse in France is a hard reality: it takes work to restore these things. As someone who can't get adhesive tape out of a dispenser without mashing it up, I recognize this ambition as being somewhat beyond my abilities, but for those who are up to the challenge, there's help. A story from AFP, by way of The Kuwait Times, tells of a builder named Herve Even who has taken as his mission the teaching of restoration techniques to be used on the homes in Bretagne. "Aside from the lime plastering that Even is demonstrating today, the group also runs weekend courses that, among other things, teach people how to make beaten earth walls, lay terra cotta floors without using cement-based mortars, or even how to build a traditional bread oven."  The restoration craze is now going strong, and Herve's classes are often overbooked, so if you want "beaten earth walls" in your future, you should get in line soon.

Lots more from The Independent: Bretagne, Marseille, and the Queyras Alps

The Queyras Alps

The U.K.'s Independent had a special France section this weekend, so in addition to the Angélique Kidjo article below, you can graze on the following tidbits:

• A travel writer stacks up a visit to Brittany against a trip to Devon in the U.K.. The subtext is that food is really important to this guy, and the crepes in Brittany win the contest. Buried among his gastronomic tales is a mention of the beach resort of  Le Pouldu.
• Marseille is due for a upswing. A report on the city includes bouillabaisse, a tour of the old town, and a health dose of gangster lore. Will the Francophiles come? Or, as the writer puts it, "Marseille may have withstood Hitler, Jacky le Mat and Francis le Belge, but a prolonged onslaught by British hen parties could bring the place to its knees." (Note to British readers:  Please don't blame me for this stuff. I'm quoting the home grown papers.)
  • A sidebar suggests a 24-hour itinerary for a visit to France's second city.
• A review of the Villa Louise in Bourgogne makes the hotel sound like an affordable alternative for a visit to wine country.
• There's a laundry list of what's new for travelers: hotels, tours, villa rentals, etc.

• Another article offers a walking tour in a rarely mentioned part of France: The Queyras Alps, located in the southeast.  The hike is a rigorous workout, but the author notes that even in the summer the area is relatively uncrowded and breathtakingly beautiful.

Christmas Meals in France

Fellow blogster Alain at French Virtual Cafe has written a wonderful entry about Christmas meals and culinary traditions in France. There are notes on feasts in Alsace, Brittany, Provence (extensive), his family meals in Reims in Champagne-Ardenne, and other national and local options -- and he even makes wine recommendations. Since Alain shares the blog with his son, to whom the entry is addressed, the facts are blanketed in the warmth of Alain's memories of French Christmases past. And be sure to check out some of the other entries: Alain is a oenophile and generous with his expertise, and one post will tell you everything you always wanted to know about Camembert. So Joyeux Noel and bon appetit! 

Regions of France - Bretagne (Brittany)

My visions of Bretagne are all from the movies: harsh, rocky landscapes; violent waves crashing against steep cliffs; women in head dresses that could take them aflight. All of which is great reason for me this week to further investigate Bretagne, the next region of France on my alphabetical list, so that I can wash the cliches out of my brain.

Here are some facts about the region of Bretagne (a.k.a Brittany).