Menez-Bre, this is the breton name of one the highest mountains of Brittany... 302 meters high ! Yes, and I climbed it... the rise of Menez-Bre it's 18% ... of fatigue... or of great pleasure...



Menez-Bre means sacred mountain in breton language (z is sometimes pronounced sometimes not depending on the corner of Britain you live in). It is a beautiful hill where St. Hervé chapel is built.
It is located in the middle of Brittany, a bit North, and it is surrounded by three villages Louargat, Pédernec and Tréglamus.
It can be hiked up from all sides and down on the opposite. And then walk the road, that returns to your starting point.
At the top, the Chapel Saint Hervé dominates the landscape and you will guess, through an orientation table, the different points of the land ... Monts d'Arrée ? Pink granite coast ?

A legend says that Conomor, the breton Bluebeard, was judged here... And it is also there that Gwench'lan, a prophet and a bard of the 5th C, (who refused to convert to Catholicism and had therefore his eyes gouged out, who was an enemy of Christians but a lover of birds) has been buried here after the battle against St. Hervé.
Hence the chapel Saint Hervé, symbol of the winner ! Parts of the building date from the 16th, 17th and 18th C, it has often been rebuilt.



It used to be a place of an important pilgrimage - but it is now unfortunately closed most of the time.

Let me tell you ... the history of Saint Hervé and this French first name.... and its chapel.
He is one of the few saints from Brittany to be born here in Britain in the 6th C. Blind since birth, God would not let him see the deceptive appearances of the world, he became a hermit and was always moving with a wolf. He was also a very popular confessor all over Brittany. He is also a holy bard and exorcist.

A bard ... He is the patron saint of Breton musicians and singers. That is why the Breton bards gathered here all night to pray ... And exorcist …Demons... watch out ! In fact, the 18th C exorcism sessions were held here on the sacred mountain.

One episode is often reported : a priest, Guillermic climbed the hill barefoot reciting prayers... Before him, many exorcists came here to celebrate a Mass at midnight to scare away evil spirits.

Saint Hervé is used to cure anxiety, fears or even depression.
This patron has also sparked a source close to the Chapel (300 meters East) where sick children were plunged to heal.
Many believers suffering from eye diseases or scalp came also on pilgrimage ... to be cured.
Finally, he has composed a the famous breton song the Paradise (Ar Baradoz). Hervé is celebrated June 17.

The Menez-Bre is also, since the Middle Ages, renowned for its horse fairs that stopped in the 1960s.



Hike on the village Louargat... too.
First, because the stones village is nice. And because you will find other excuses to walk around : or rather the menhir Pergat a few kilometers away from downtown. It is one of the highest menhirs in Europe, 7 to 10 meters according to sources.
And another smaller is quite weard... Put your back against the great menhir (don't wear nylon), look at the small menhir, a field of lines of force is created. your hair will tend to stand on your head.

There is also a mound (not easy to find ... I have not found any info about him) is in the opposite direction.

There are also many churches and chapels (Saint Eloi, Our Lady of Snow, St. John, St. Fiacre, Saint Paul, Saint-Sylvestre ...) in this town.

Why not spend a weekend here...
You can choose between accommodation in a cottage very close to the chapel of St. Hervé, or you can pitch your tent in a campsite within the Park of the Manor of Cleuziou (15th – 18thC).
You can even decorate your dishes or salads with herbs gathered in their garden ... Fun, no !



Read this article in French : Week-end de randonnées dans les montagnes de Bretagne : escapade dans le Trégor

On the French side of my blog, I wrote a post about what it meant to be Breton in Brittany... But it is not really interesting for non French people...
So, I'll do it on my English side more worldwide : What does it mean to you being French? Lots of clichés, for sure... Same things about French manners ! How French man or lady act in society ?
Wide question !
Are you intested in learning more about the real way of life of a French or of a Breton... If you travel by car, you must cross Brittany, our small Britain. And you want to understand more about this wonderful place for sure...
By the way, as you probably know, Bretagne in French is either Britain or Brittany. Britain is for us the Great one (Grande Bretagne, Great Britain) and Brittany (Bretagne) is the French one. And Breton can be used for British and for Breton.
So, while travelling around, investigate the French way of life and the one of Brittany's people ! and compare ! French clichés for beginners ! !!!

About French table manners
French people like to remain at table for hours
If you don't sauce your dish with bread, you're out !
One hamburger is eaten while 9 baguette sandwich are tasted
365 cheeses on the French territory, one a day... with green salad !

The French way of life in the Breton cuisine
- Bretons feast in a creperie
- They buy only cauliflower "Prince of Brittany" (and produced in Brittany , not in Britain!)
- They enjoy oysters on the port of Cancale (and during good months ...)
- They only eat Plougastel strawberries ... (Plougastel is a city in the west of Brittany)

French feel French when
They speak loud
They criticize their administration
They strike all the time
The national sport : to steal tax

Bretons feel Breton when they ...
- dance in the Fest Noz! (fest noz is a breton word meaning night party where you dance to Breton music).
- swear that their grandmother wore a cap in the last century!
- punctuate every sentence with a Kenavo (thank you in breton language)!
- wear a sticker "A l'aise Breizh" on the car (means be confortable, man)

How French Parisians look at Bretons
- They wear wooden clogs
- They have discovered the frigde in the 2000's
- They're narrow minded,backward.... in short stubborn like a Breton
- Brittany, it is "province", there's nothing to do there...

How Breton look at Parisians
- Look how slow he is driving... Must be a Parisian on holydays...
- Look at those Parisians with their yellow raincoat and boots... Ah, Ah, Ah !
- Don't know how to eat pancakes : just two ingredients, more you won't taste the galette, ignorant !
- I do love Parisians ! No, no way, they're too arrogant and do not know anything about anything ...

See how the love story goes ! French unions are perfect !
I could go on (LOL) .... !!!! but I leave the pen! For Your opinion! About French manners, acting, speaking, eating...
And don't act wrongly now !

Noël en France ! Christmas in France, in Brittany!... Why not ... ? A short weekend break for Xmas ! Cold is not too fierce and tourists are not too many… It’s the best time to enjoy historical places and avoid the scuffle...
If you’re visiting the western part of France, have a look at the Christmas markets.

Even if this is not something traditionally Breton, Christmas markets are many across Britain today ...
It used to be a German tradition in the Middle Ages. One of the older one is known since the 14th C, dates in honor of San Nicolas ... the equivalent of Father Christmas.

And it is in the 90s that the idea is spreading and that those markets are becoming more common in Europe. And elsewhere ... Germans who have emigrated to the New World began to disseminate the idea in America.

Originally the market was celebrating the Christ child and began just some days before Christmas. Today it lasts several days to almost the entire month of December, according to the capacity of each municipality. By cons, it stops on Christmas Day and until December of next year.
These markets are on hold on the main square or on a few pedestrian streets and gather animations, stands of handycrafts, merchants, food ... and lots of entertainment and music.

Outdoor booths are everywhere. Have a break from Christmas shopping, enjoy vin chaud (mulled wine with cinnamon) found on all the Christmas markets or eat something very rich that will heat you up in the cold weather ... It is also the opportunity to buy another gift, but a more original, handmade by a local craftsman ... or discover specialties other French regions.

And then enjoy Christmas animations often for children. Or Santa Claus who is lost in the corner ...

In our region, Brittany, there are many Christmas markets: Rennes for example, has two, one on the Parliament Square where you can eat, you warm up with a good wine with cinnamon and Alsace specialties, another one that is not called Christmas market Place Hoche is a gathering of craftmen from here and abroad. We have a third market in Colombier.

Each department and most city hosts a market ... If you want to visit one and know its opening days and animations… try the links… The Regional Tourism Committee of Britain that centralizes the news.

For a more precise information try the website of Côtes d'Armor (North of Brittany).

The departmental committee d 'Ille et Vilaine, Brittany High will help you around Rennes.

The far West of Brittany, le Finistère…

South, the Morbihan, try it too.

Good luck. And Merry Christmas.

Read it in French : Marchés de Noel en Bretagne : Côtes d'Armor, Finistère, Ille et Vilaine, Morbihan et Loire Atlantique

... Once upon a time ... there was a time ... an usual war ... a war of succession between members of one family ... for a ducal crown ... and that, some time ago ... Middle Ages, back in the 14th century ... in Brittany
The Duke of small Britain dies without having choosen a successor ... The pretenders to the throne are two: the husband of his daughter (Charles de Blois, a nephew of the king of France) or his younger brother (Jean de Montfort) supported by the British ...

It will take more than 20 years ... 2 long decades of succession wars between Bretons ... but also between French and English to find a way out.
This Breton War of Succession (1341-1364) took place during the Hundred Years War (the war between the French and English, and ending with the death of Joan of Arc). Brittany is therefore the land of Franco-British confrontation ...



In short, many adventures will punctuate this period of struggles in Brittany in medieval times... And this tower is an episode of the story: the main protagonist is a star of the Middle Ages: the Lord Duguesclin.

Who is Duguesclin?
A Breton born near Dinan in 1380 ... He took an active part in the Franco-British confrontation, the Hundred Years War, which lasted so long... (1337-1453).

He delivered several battles and was imprisoned many times ... This Breton Lord, known to be a contemporary of Joan of Arc but unloved in Britain for supporting the French camp ...
That may be why the legend says he was short and not very beautiful (not to say ugly), greedy, pretentious ... But courageous, he was.

Duguesclin, no, Duguesclin wanted to reconquer the castle that the English had conquered ... The actual tower, we see today, is the remains of a 12th century fortress in the village of Grand Fougeray. This village is in a region called the Marches de Bretagne (literally the doors of Britanny), the border area between France and Britain, land of many battles ...
The castle is in the hands of the English troops... In 1354 Sir Du Guesclin will reconquer it thanks to a good trick. With some soldiers, having learned that a shipment of firewood would be provided, they disguised themselves as loggers and are allowed to enter the castle (the Trojan horse is back). The English did loose their conquest ....
You understand now why the constable Bertrand Duguesclin gave its name to the dungeon ... where he played an abominable trick to the hereditary enemies of the time ... our English friends ...

The castle will be razed during the 18th century, only the tower will be kept ... It has been listed in 1913. The Grand Tour Fougeray now houses a restaurant and is surrounded by a park of several hectares.
... For fans of cycling, a tour is proposed linking several villages in the area ... Green tourism !!!

Read this article in French : Le chevalier Du Guesclin et la guerre épisode de la tour du Grand Fougeray

What are they doing, those mammoths, here in Brittany…

Well, they used to live there long long ago… when ice was everywhere and Britain and Brittany did belong to the same land...

They’re back. Because of the Parisians.Yes, the exhibition you can discover in Rennes was conceived for the National Museum of Natural History in Paris a few years ago and it is now adapted for a smaller place, l’Espace des Sciences at Rennes.

And if I do speak about it, it is because the whole expo is subtitled in English … or translated as you want…



The expo is called At the time of mammoths, it is nice ... I have just spent an hour and a half with my young nephew (6 years old).

The tour begins with all possible fantasies that existed when men discovered those huge bones. People attributed those pieces of skeleton to imaginary figures ... until a whole mammoth was found and one could imagine the disappeared animal.

The exhibition then explains the time of glaciation, the climate, and the BEAST.
You can touch things (I won’t tell you what, you’ll discover it by yourself) and it is nice to do.
Then we live the everyday life with our forebears who lived at that time…In short we become experts in the woolly mammoth.

The exhibition also shows the local history with a short film on Mont Dol (you know the mountain we have between Cancale, the oyster city and the Mont Saint Michel !) where the remains of mammoths have been found during the 19th century. It ends with a long movie whose hero is ... this big animal, which is a good resumé of everything we have learned visiting the expo.

I (we) really liked it but we were almost alone in the expo. But the problem with Champs Libres is often the same, rooms are small and sounds clink…

I needed to concentrate to hear the soundtrack for the documentary on Mount Dol, (which I found rather interesting), especially when my nephew was listening to the weather report next to me.

The children and the mammoths?

From 6 years old, indicates the brochure. My young acolyte found it nice to try the trunk or to see a baby mammoth… a real one named Dami and usually living in a Belgian Museum. He did like to touch elephant skin and to compare it to the missing pachyderm.
My young friend was really interested in the life of mammoths. So he loved the exhibition. But sometimes it is nice to help the child through : lots to read… less in English though !!
The film at the end of the exhibition sums up the entire expo and it is so real, you feel like being back some thousands years ago…

In short, the adult (I) was not bored (not at all) and my nephew either. We did enjoy it. Not in front of the same things or stands, but whatever.
At the exit, a "true woolly mammoth" is watching you...

4 € for adults and 3 for 8 years old and older.
From Tuesday to Sunday (12h - 19h on weekdays and 14-19 on weekends), 21h night until Tuesday. Until March 7, 2010.

Read it in French : Les mammouths arrivent et reviennent à Rennes, une exposition à l'Espace des Sciences aux Champs Libres

Why should you go and visit the French Côte d'Amour?

- because it is a long, long, long sand beach and a nice, nice, nice bay !
- because you are lovers !
- because we like nested Port, Pines and Promenade in Pornichet !
- because you’re lost and want to understand why there are 3 La Baule : La Baule Escoublac, La Baule Les Pins and La Baule

Located on the Atlantic coast, the beach of La Baule is known as one of the most beautiful beaches in Europe. Well, it is up to you to judge but what is sure is that it is quite long (almost 8 kms) and facing South West, which is nice as the sun is concerned! .



The bay houses 3 different cities and 3 different moods… Pornichet, La Baule or Le Pouliguen… It is on the French Côte d’Amour (love coast which runs from St. Nazaire to Le Croisic). This romantic name was given during the 19th century after a competition organized by a local newspaper : their readers had to baptize this already trendy coastline…

Let’s begin with Pornichet, the first resort to have a touristic fame during the 19th century…

It used to live from the salty marshes but that’s not something special as all the cities from the Guérande peninsula were living on salt too. Dunes and marshes were the common landscape. And it was also the problem of the area.
These mountains of sand were moving and in the middle of the XIXth century threatening the next village Escoublac. It was decided that the bay needed to be fixed by planting pine trees.

As one problem is never alone (un problème n’arrive jamais seul as we say in French)… the salt trade was going down and the port silted up… They seeked a solution ... that came from the railroad which connected Pornichet to St Nazaire in 1854.

In 1860, the success of this bathing resort began…

Soon the new wood pine was divided and sold to build villas.


The development of Pornichet continued, the salt marshes were filled up and horse races began in 1907.

During World War II, Pornichet, as the whole Atlantik coast, was part of the Atlantic Wall (defensive wall built on the coast by the Germans). It was covered with bunkers. Walking around you’ll still see plenty of them.

Pornichet is a family resort and quite different from its neighboring, La Baule, more stylish...

Known as one of the most mundane beach of Britanny like Dinard, it is a nice place to enjoy luxury… or more simple activities. You can rent bikes all year long in Pornichet (as in La Baule) or (less expensive!) use your feet.

La Baule used to be Escoublac, the village that was (as I already said) gradually invaded by dunes. End of the 18th century, the village was buried under sand by a violent storm and had to move.

La Baule, or rather Bôle as it was spelled in the 19th century, comes from the Breton language (that is one of the few places in the east Brittany where breton was still spoken) and means marshy shoreline covered by tides (the equivalent of salt marshes of Mont Saint Michel). The spelling La Baule we know today was given at the end of the 19th century.

As Pornichet, the same company seeked to stop the dunes with pine plantations.
400 hectares of pine trees (one hectare is about 100 m to 100) were planted : a magnificent pine forest grew and was called Bois d’Amour (love wood). Today a very small green spot still remains in the middle of La Baule Escoublac, close to the Parc des Dryades (nice park with 300 trees and playgrounds for children).

Soon, as in Pornichet, it was used to build villas.
The war (1939-1945) did its job too and used the wood for the implantation of bunkers, military structures or just as firewood. The ruins of a church are visible in the dunes, because it was under these trees that the old village is buried.

This wood is nice for long walks (when you want to escape the sea breeze).

The tourist boom of the station is linked with the railway (1879), 20 years after Pornichet ... Soon it became very popular and the need of a new church, the Chapel of St. Anne, to accommodate tourists was urgent (the population of La Baule increases so much during the summer time).



It is now a cultural center for concerts and expo. In the 20’s, the resort is quite successful and the erection of cottages continues. This is the beginning of a major urban development.

In the 30’s, the train station Art Deco is built at La Baule Escoublac.



There are three Baule : Escoublac the first one, La Baule Les Pins because of the wood and La Baule the international sea resort.

Today a large pedestrian walk (and road) runs along the bay, which has lost almost all its beautiful villas. Multi-storey buildings or hotels have replaced them. If you leave the waterfront, you’ll see the villas, which have made the reputation of the resort. Hundreds of them between Pornichet, La Baule and Le Pouliguen are to be discovered.
The plaza also houses luxury accommodations (this is a mundane city, do not forget it!): Hôtel Royal (built in 1896 combines British style and Belle époque)



or L'Hermitage (Anglo-Norman style)



host presidents, stars, singers and actors.

What to do

This is a very good destination for a long weekend anytime because many activities are possible throughout the year.

If you want to walk gently along the bay or enjoy cycling around the peninsula of Guérande (rentals available all year in Pornichet and La Baule).
If you love the sea and the elements : no problem for sea fishing (port Pornichet), sailing, waterskiing, kite surfing or kite flying.




Families, go to the Aquabaule (heated leisure pool).

Riding, golf or first flight, parachuting are possible if you’re bored !!!

But if you re looking for nice gastronomic restaurants or thalassotherapy centers you’re also in the good place.

The Pouliguen ends the bay .. and its wild coast await you.

A map to help you...



Read it in French : Tourisme sur la Côte d'Amour : La Baule ou Pornichet

Or how to introduce medieval life to your children and teenagers.

- Do you know what Middle Ages are ?
- Of course ! It is a period that lasted about 10 centuries : from 476 (Fall of the Western Roman Empire) to 1453 (Fall of Constantinople capital of the Byzantine Empire).
- And archaeology ?
- It’s a place (prehistoric or historic) that has been investigated… And where do you go with that ???
- In Brittany (France), in Melrand, you can visit an archaeoligical site that used to be a medieval village…



Melrand is divided into two parts : one where the historical remains are



And the other where the village has been reconstructed.

Signs as well as english guides (only summer time) help you through the site.



Lann Gouh (that is its breton name) has had a short “life”. During the Middle Ages the population of Europe increases and people are looking for new land to settle. Lots of villages, like this one, have been created in lands that were not really attractive (they were either land with poor soil or full of stones, forests or marshy land…). The only advantage of those lands was that the landlord was not too greedy then…

This place was deserted after the Black Death (1347) (one inhabitant out of three died) and the few survivors tried to gather and looked for more pleasant places… easier to exploit that are the “first“ villages in the valley…. Back to the start…

Only two houses have been excavated among the 17 (I think it is 17) found. Other researchs have been done in other villages in Brittany and thanks to those excavations, we can guess and understand better what the Medieval life in the countryside was.

The village was on a hill, surrounded by a fence : around the square were low-roofed dwellings. You can enter in the houses… and imagine…



Inside men and animals were living together (animals were the heating then), doors were low so that the warmth will not get out, and the ground was on a slope (the animal’s excrements will not run down in the living !!!). The fire was in the middle of the house… and smoke had no way out…

As the soil are acid in Brittany, you don’t find lots of useful objects… But we know that our ancestors used to eat in wood plates.

You’ll see the reconstruction of a baker’s oven and of a mantrap (wolfs were living in Brittany then).



You’ll also meet nice local breeds :
cows, sheep or goats…




Melrand is not an incredible place, it is just a medieval site that shows the modest life of countrymen. In february, it is a bit strange as nature is still asleep and as we were alone on the place. The botanic garden (100 plants of the Middle Ages) is not and is waiting for the spring to recover. It is a nice visit for a family holyday…

It is open from February to November. Winter time from 1.30 pm and from april at 10 am. 4 Euros for those who are more than 6 and 5 euros for adults.

You can drive around on the Blavet valley (you feel you’re on the mountains, it goes up and down, it ‘s incredible) and the road is really nice. You can also visit the Venus de Quinipily or Poul Fétan.



Read in in French : Site archéologique en Bretagne : le village de l'an Mil à Melrand (Morbihan)

Looking for an original and unusual getaway in Northern France ... Off season, of course, because you want it to be nice and quiet ... Try the Mont Saint Michel !
Like stones, hiking and local specialities ... Go to the Mont Saint Michel
You are a follower of marathons and want to do one in France... the Mont Saint Michel !
Or looking to retire in an outstanding place... The Mont Saint Michel!



That place is located between Brittany and Normandy ... Easy to reach from the UK... Take a Ryanair flight to Dinard and then rent a car or take the ferry to Saint Malo and drive…

Do you want to begin with the gourmet side of the place ? Or the walks in the bay or want to know everything about that marathon…

I’ll deal first with the French gastronomy… and the culinary specialties… Just to make you drool ... We can say that there are four good reasons to stop and eat in the corner.
The bay is famous for its mussel farm… and its seafood dishes…
If you scan the bay, you'll see lots of oak piles driven into the sand, covered with ropes where mussels cling. The posts are covered by the tides. Wild mussels also grow naturally on rocks. The bay provides nearly one quarter of the French production.

To stay in the molluscs'field, you can also make a stop in Cancale for its fresh oysters. This aquaculture practice is an old tradition as the oysters from Cancale were already known in Versailles, the Royal Palace during the 18th C.
You can taste and enjoy the shellfish at the port of Cancale (stands outdoor offer to try different types of oysters). You eat, seated on the front, facing the sea and smelling the spray… It’s really nice.

The lamb (agneau de pré-salé literally a lamb raised in a salted meadow) is a specialty of the bay. The young lamb tastes very special: it grazes in the field that are covered by the tides and where the vegetation is, therefore, salty... The meat has a very special flavor and is very sought because they are just to be found here in the bay ...

I can finish this gastronomical journey by a legend, that of Madame Poulard and her famous omelet ... A taste of the Mont ...
This lady was famous for her restaurant during the 19th C, with an original omelet cooked over a wood fire. Even then, the pilgrims liked to stop there and now the famous preparation is always a specialty of the rock Mont Saint Michel. Quite expensive too !

And walks

There are great walks to do in Mont Saint Michel... or rather in the bay of Mont Saint Michel ...
A nice way to discover both Normandy and Brittany as the bay homes the two regions... But be very careful and never, ever do it alone and by yourself…...

The bay of Mont Saint Michel is really dangerous and that for various reasons:
The tides have a very large amplitude. The bay is extremely flat, the sea comes in quickly on the sand and surprises the visitor. Especially since the sand is treacherous: it consists on a sediment of limestone, silt and clay (that was used as fertilizer before) ... that is solidified at low tide and which "becomes quicksand" when it is again waterlogged (my explanation is not very scientific but the danger is real). You can cross the bay at low tide but always well guided. It's really worth it. The experience is unforgettable.

Nearby, the grass meadows are also a wintering site for waders and are a classified site of national interest since 1982.

The legend says that the bay was long ago (2000 years), covered with a wood forest called Scissy ... I stopped there because it is a myth ... But I can add a bit of geophysics. The bay is over 500 m2 and there are two large rocks: Mont Saint Michel and Tombelaine. The first, granite, is a 900 meter diameter by 80 meters in height.
It houses the Marvel. Its bell tower, made by Fremiet in 1897 and renovated in 1987, represents St. Michael slaying the dragon and gave the Mount its 157 meters high.
The second, Tombelaine, was occupied and fortified by the British in the 15th C, and is today just a rock with no remains.

For those who like to run…the marathon du Mont Saint Michel is a good excuse and a great way to explore the region ... It is a tough race but that brings together thousands of joggers every year since 1997 during a weekend (May 8th). They say it is hard because you see the arrival for miles ...

Finally for those who want the rest and the contemplation, Mont Saint Michel organizes retreats in the abbey. A magnificent site to discover from the inside.

Read it in French : Gastronomie et randonnée dans la baie du Mont Saint Michel : un vrai marathon

What arrogance! And such bad taste! In a Breton news blog, daring to mention the flu!

Yes, I certainly will, but without any guarantee of success! And I wanted so badly... to tell my anecdote.

I have a friend, several and one of them is a physician acupuncturist and Chinese. Which caracteristic of him should I put first : physician … or Chinese ? Anyway, we were speaking about the influenza A H1 N1.

He told me :

In China, you know, the virus has mutated. And one have realized that people who worked in vinegar factories were not sick.

And he added :

You should inhale vinegar (1 tablespoon to a glass of water) that you have boiled, once a day for 2 minutes.

What kind of vinegar?

I asked incredulously.

The one you have at home. They all have the same properties.

It obviously interested me : I am in the at risk group: 30 / 45 years. And as I have young children, I put the magic potion on a burning smell once a day since then.
I know it's a fake scoop, vinegar has been used for ever… already against the great fever ... Yes, and then. What do I risk ? I do not know whether it will work or not but it costs almost nothing to try.

But you can keep on the precautions against the spread of the virus:

Wash hands and avoid sharing your handkerchiefs with everyone!
Do not splutter on your colleagues and avoid sneezing on your neighbour !

Some last minute informations :

In the newspaper Le Monde (a really serious one in France) this weekend, the paper explains the differences between influenza A, B and C.
The first one is very dangerous, the other two benign.
To these letters, one must add another 2: H and N.
The first comes in 16 variations, the second in 9. 144 different possibilities. A lifetime would not last to try them all, these viruses!

Normandy has its American Film Festival in Deauville at the end of summer .... Britain too!!! An international film festival ... the British Film Festival.


And where can it be ??? A place for the Franco-British friendship… Dinard.

Why Dinard ? Because in the mid 19 th century this small city used to be crowded with British people enjoying the sea. And the success was so impressive that nowadays Dinard has more than 400 villas listed.

In short, the British Film Festival could not find a better ally : and it goes on with the ferry that connects Saint Malo (just in front of Dinard) with United Kingdom.

Back to cinema. The festival takes place in early autumn for a few days. And the last ones were successfull…

Shallow Grave Friends (1994), The Full Monty (1997) Billy Elliot (2000), Bloody Sunday (2002) or The Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003). What a great reward and a great opportunity to discover original works.

Not bad for a young festival ! Here is the program for the 20th edition.

The festival has many awards but the ultimate prize is the Golden Hitchcock .... Some sessions are free, screenings are held in the prison of Saint Malo.

In september, enjoy the very pleasant open-air screening .. .

The festival is really nice, far from the summer crowds, you discover the charms of Dinard and its cinemas... And improve your French .... by reading the subtitles...

Read it in French : Festival du film britannique à Dinard

My regular readers may have noticed that my last posts have no picture ...
And yes that's the mystery of the computer system, my PC has some shortcomings, a failure ... A screen full of colored stripes... Horror, all my photos are in, in my computer (and many other things too). How to fix my computer? Calls here and there, tips but no solutions that work for now ... I dare not even imagine if I must take it to repair ....
So, I use my little one.... And I make notes without pictures!

For these two activities watch the weather forecast and be a little prepared in advance, waiting for the winter and rain in Small Britain.
You need some material ... straight branches, rather thick (1.5 cm diameter) and nuts you did harvest in September.

For the rest, wait for a good winter weather forecast and a nice rainy weekend ... Wait for THE sunday until you hear "what we do, it's raining ..." .

So what do we start with : recipe or branches?

Free activity for kids with branches of hazel : dwarfs and other colored snowmen

This DIY needs :
Secateurs
A long branch of hazel
A knife without tooth
Markers
Cotton

Cut your branch into pieces. Cut the heads and hats. Paint and draw faces.
You can also make another craft such as a family, a small dwarf with a beard, a dress ...


Hazel can also be used to make a bow, it is flexible ... but I do not know yet how to make the arrows ...



In Germany for the Christmas period, very different cakes, biscuits and shortbread cookies are made. It is a recipe from my girlfriend living in Freiburg.

This recipe has a nice taste of chocolate and are similar to gingerbread cakes topped with chocolate... The good ones for this Christmas period.



Ingredients
60 grams of dark chocolate
60 g butter
3 eggs
80 g sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
60 g flour
60g hazelnuts coarsely crushed

For the frosting
80 g chocolate
Icing sugar to sprinkle
Baking time : 30 minutes
Preheat oven to 180 ° (6).
Coarsely grind nuts.
Melt butter and chocolate.
Meanwhile, mix sugar and eggs. Add flour, cinnamon and nuts. Then the chocolate-butter mixture. Mix well.
Cover your dish (square or rectangle) of a baking sheet.
Pour your dough and spread on a regular basis (thin layer). Bake for 30 minutes.
Once baked, melt chocolate and pour over the square cake and spread. Sprinkle with icing sugar. Wait to cool and cut into small pieces.
Read this article in French : Activités pour les jours de pluie