Neolithic tourism in Brittany (France) : 11 passage graves in the cairn of Barnenez
Posted by LN, Tuesday 12 May 2009 at 20:57 - Discover Brittany - Tags
The tumulus of Barnenez is at the end of the world, on a peninsula far north in Brittany… and it is a survivor in a way… because in 1954 it was almost leveled… and we are still lucky because one is left, but there used to be two or even more…
The others monuments are gone (they have been used, as usual, as stone quarry). And the one, we still can visit, almost subjected to the same fate when, what was at that time the heritage officials stopped the disapearance of the cairn.
It was already mapped in military documents during the XVIII th century, and soon in the touristic guides. But nobody was then aware of the importance of the this huge construction (72 meters long).
This neolithic tumulus (mound raised over a grave)is a stone mound of two different periods. It shelters 11 funeral chambers (dolmen or passage grave) with corridors open on the south east side.
Built between 5000 and 4000 years before Christ (the first cairn circa 4500 and the second circa 4200), the megalithic monument is a big pile of stones up to 8 meters high.
The place has been frequented for several centuries after its erection. The first mound (the one you see first) is composed of 5 chambers and is done with stones from the close surroundings. 2000 square meters, about 4000 tons of material. The archeologists think that 10 000 to 12 000 days of work were required tobuild the Barnenez cairn. That represents 10 workers working on it for 3 to 4 years.
That amount of workers could be feeded by a community of hundreds of people. Something that was not so incredible but quite possible…
The second one is an extension of the first one. 6 passage graves built in an other kind of stone (granite).
Probably because the other stone was exhausted. And they had much work because that material was more than one kilometer away. Specially because the second construction is two times more important than the first one and needed four to five times more work. Some chambers have stone walls weighting several tons and … what a job to carry them on the top of the hill.
The second cairn was used as a stone quarry and "thanks" to that mistake, we can see the inside structure of four chambers.
One is a megalithic room : big squares of stone are used as walls and roof.
Another is the symbol of the stone cupola using the technic of corbel arch done with stones.
Another mixes the two architectures.
Stone slabs were not often used : first of all, because they were heavy and hard to transport to the top of the hill… or because they were rare or because with the experience, the builders had noticed that the slabs did brake because of the heavy weight (tons of stones on them) they had to carry.
All these chambers were graves, individuals (important people even women) or collectives. And the people entered them thanks to a passage way…
This incredible monument is located on the top of a hill in a nowadays peninsula. At that time the sea level was different and under. But the place was choosen on purpose. The neolitic architects liked to admire the sea or … to be admired from far away.
Go and visit it. It is a fabulous monument… the French stonehenge…
Read it in French : Les dolmens de Barnenez : un tumulus du Finistère (Bretagne)
The others monuments are gone (they have been used, as usual, as stone quarry). And the one, we still can visit, almost subjected to the same fate when, what was at that time the heritage officials stopped the disapearance of the cairn.
It was already mapped in military documents during the XVIII th century, and soon in the touristic guides. But nobody was then aware of the importance of the this huge construction (72 meters long).
This neolithic tumulus (mound raised over a grave)is a stone mound of two different periods. It shelters 11 funeral chambers (dolmen or passage grave) with corridors open on the south east side.
Built between 5000 and 4000 years before Christ (the first cairn circa 4500 and the second circa 4200), the megalithic monument is a big pile of stones up to 8 meters high.
The place has been frequented for several centuries after its erection. The first mound (the one you see first) is composed of 5 chambers and is done with stones from the close surroundings. 2000 square meters, about 4000 tons of material. The archeologists think that 10 000 to 12 000 days of work were required tobuild the Barnenez cairn. That represents 10 workers working on it for 3 to 4 years.
That amount of workers could be feeded by a community of hundreds of people. Something that was not so incredible but quite possible…
The second one is an extension of the first one. 6 passage graves built in an other kind of stone (granite).
Probably because the other stone was exhausted. And they had much work because that material was more than one kilometer away. Specially because the second construction is two times more important than the first one and needed four to five times more work. Some chambers have stone walls weighting several tons and … what a job to carry them on the top of the hill.
The second cairn was used as a stone quarry and "thanks" to that mistake, we can see the inside structure of four chambers.
One is a megalithic room : big squares of stone are used as walls and roof.
Another is the symbol of the stone cupola using the technic of corbel arch done with stones.
Another mixes the two architectures.
Stone slabs were not often used : first of all, because they were heavy and hard to transport to the top of the hill… or because they were rare or because with the experience, the builders had noticed that the slabs did brake because of the heavy weight (tons of stones on them) they had to carry.
All these chambers were graves, individuals (important people even women) or collectives. And the people entered them thanks to a passage way…
This incredible monument is located on the top of a hill in a nowadays peninsula. At that time the sea level was different and under. But the place was choosen on purpose. The neolitic architects liked to admire the sea or … to be admired from far away.
Go and visit it. It is a fabulous monument… the French stonehenge…
Read it in French : Les dolmens de Barnenez : un tumulus du Finistère (Bretagne)
Read also :
Cruise in France : the island Gavrinis in Brittany
Posted by LN - Tags
In Brittany, south, you have a nice little sea called le golfe du Morbihan (Gulf of Morbihan) where it is really nice to cruise.
And if you like old stones and megaliths, you'll be amazed by the island of Gavrinis and its cairns.
Back a few centuries ago, when the cairn was erected, the landscape was quite different : the gulf and its 42 islands did not exist. No cruise in the sun... no 10 minutes boattrip from Larmor-Baden ... to reach the island of Gavrinis … Land replaced the sea. There was just a beautiful hill.
The island is today divided into two : one part is a private property (Council of Morbihan would have liked to purchased it but they had no money) ... Stars from Paris bought it : the farm and the dozen hectares of the island became the property of a ... Parisian .... The other tiny part is the cairn !
Back to the huge cairn ...
... It was probably part of a more important megalithic site ... Leaving the island, you will notice that the island in front of the cairn has standing stones (discovered when low tide). They are still standing! Even after billions of tides ! The builders of the Neolithic time were working really well !!!
The monument was built around 3500 BC: it is composed of a dolmen (stone table) covered by a mound of dry stone ... ie a long corridor with stone slabs that leads to a room ... it seems that the corridor is the longest in Brittany and the room is the smallest ...
And as always, my answers/questions are assumptions : no paper trail, no skeletons (Breton soil is too acidic), only ideas and imagination to understand those prehistoric people. We still can not explain these singularities ...
By cons, it seems that the corridor has been intentionally filled with stones at a time ... (the spirits did not want curious minds to destroy the place, they wanted to wait until humanity will be mature enough and concerned to "discover" this awesome vestige) ...
How did those heavy stones get there?
The assumptions are : a river had to pass near the hill Gavrinis ... stones weighing several tons have been brought by reverse flotation (the guide will explain) near the site and then rolled on logs. One of the stones of the dolmen, which is the "roof" ... corresponds to one of the broken menhir in Locmariaquer ...a huge stone over twenty meters broken into three parts ... (do not miss it !)
How do we know that our ancestors did use it as it is recovered ?
As the slab is turned towards the sky, we would never have known it... but fortunatly the cairn has been damaged... a crater at the summit was showing a part of this carved menhir … Therefore no seek of the missing piece of the table des marchants!
Another interesting detail : each stone is decorated with geometric patterns or designs ... A true team of professionnal sculptors and engravers have worked for hours to get this result: perfect lines, without corrections, with regular spaces between curves, precision work on a very hard stone (try to carve granite, you'll see!).
Presumably, the community that built the monument had artists among them !
In short, the history of the monument is exciting ... The site guides will reveal more secrets about the cairn.
You need to pay for the visit and it is only possible from April to November. Book before you go, it is often full... (same thing for accommodation, we had to drive far inland to find a place to sleep !).
For once, if crowds are passionate, there is nothing to complain about!
Read this article in French : Croisière dans le golfe et les îles : Gavrinis
And if you like old stones and megaliths, you'll be amazed by the island of Gavrinis and its cairns.
Back a few centuries ago, when the cairn was erected, the landscape was quite different : the gulf and its 42 islands did not exist. No cruise in the sun... no 10 minutes boattrip from Larmor-Baden ... to reach the island of Gavrinis … Land replaced the sea. There was just a beautiful hill.
The island is today divided into two : one part is a private property (Council of Morbihan would have liked to purchased it but they had no money) ... Stars from Paris bought it : the farm and the dozen hectares of the island became the property of a ... Parisian .... The other tiny part is the cairn !
Back to the huge cairn ...
... It was probably part of a more important megalithic site ... Leaving the island, you will notice that the island in front of the cairn has standing stones (discovered when low tide). They are still standing! Even after billions of tides ! The builders of the Neolithic time were working really well !!!
The monument was built around 3500 BC: it is composed of a dolmen (stone table) covered by a mound of dry stone ... ie a long corridor with stone slabs that leads to a room ... it seems that the corridor is the longest in Brittany and the room is the smallest ...
And as always, my answers/questions are assumptions : no paper trail, no skeletons (Breton soil is too acidic), only ideas and imagination to understand those prehistoric people. We still can not explain these singularities ...
By cons, it seems that the corridor has been intentionally filled with stones at a time ... (the spirits did not want curious minds to destroy the place, they wanted to wait until humanity will be mature enough and concerned to "discover" this awesome vestige) ...
How did those heavy stones get there?
The assumptions are : a river had to pass near the hill Gavrinis ... stones weighing several tons have been brought by reverse flotation (the guide will explain) near the site and then rolled on logs. One of the stones of the dolmen, which is the "roof" ... corresponds to one of the broken menhir in Locmariaquer ...a huge stone over twenty meters broken into three parts ... (do not miss it !)
How do we know that our ancestors did use it as it is recovered ?
As the slab is turned towards the sky, we would never have known it... but fortunatly the cairn has been damaged... a crater at the summit was showing a part of this carved menhir … Therefore no seek of the missing piece of the table des marchants!
Another interesting detail : each stone is decorated with geometric patterns or designs ... A true team of professionnal sculptors and engravers have worked for hours to get this result: perfect lines, without corrections, with regular spaces between curves, precision work on a very hard stone (try to carve granite, you'll see!).
Presumably, the community that built the monument had artists among them !
In short, the history of the monument is exciting ... The site guides will reveal more secrets about the cairn.
You need to pay for the visit and it is only possible from April to November. Book before you go, it is often full... (same thing for accommodation, we had to drive far inland to find a place to sleep !).
For once, if crowds are passionate, there is nothing to complain about!
Read this article in French : Croisière dans le golfe et les îles : Gavrinis
Sport and tourism in France : Tro Breizh in Brittany
Posted by LN - Tags
Destination: vacation, leisure and sports ...
Walking, cycling or horse tourism... Brittany is a nice place to tour... Tro Breizh (tour of Brittany in Breton language) is a beautiful tour of a few hundred miles ... you can do on foot, on bicycle and on horse-back ... in one go (and then some days are not enough, you need several weeks ...) or more stages (and then take the opportunity to visit some nice places), with your family or solo, in couple. .. stoping by a crêperie or a nice restaurant, a B&B or a pleasant cottage, a camping on the coast....
Since 1994, Les Chemins du Tro Breiz (The Paths of Tro Breizh) organizes walks around Small Britain. They invite you to tour for a week... every year. As there are around 700 kilometers, you'll achieve it in 7 years. It is our paths to Santiago !
Historically, the Tro Breizh connects the dioceses of the seven founding saints of Brittany. This medieval pilgrimage was a walk around Small Britain to pray the saints who evangelized the region.
The legend says that those Saints were septuplets and therefore brothers (they should have been killed at birth by their mother Domnonia ... because she believed twins were the children of sin). But fortunatly, the seven brothers (Seizh Breur) have been protected by God. For their safety, they were sent to Brittany. Once there, they evangelized Britain and created 7 bishoprics : Corentin in Quimper, Patern in Vannes, Saint Pol Aurélien at Saint Pol de Léon, Samson in Dol-de-Bretagne, Tugdual at Treguier, Brieuc and Malo in their respective cities Saint Brieuc and Saint Malo.
The pilgrims of the time did the pilgrimage in about a month (over 600 km).
All Breton Christians had to do it once ... or they had to do it once dead ... and then, even for a good Catholic, it was very long ... The legend recalls that the believer who had not performed it alive had to do it advancing a length of coffin a night ... It took quite a while.
Let's go back to our tour : Dol is one of the stages of the Tro Breizh. Saint Samson is the patron saint of the city and one of the founding saints of Brittany. He has its granite sculpture at Carnoët in the Holy Valley. Sculpted by Jacques Dumas, he is represented with a mermaid.
Jacques Dumas explains the legend of Saint Samson : his mother rescued once a mermaid who then gave to this women a son (she was too old to have one).
Samson was born in Wales (as you know now) and emigrated ...
He is a peacemaker between animals and with men too... He commands the birds that destroy crops, he hunts the serpent which occupies the cave where he wishes to move ... He also works in humans problems and rules the political conflicts between the Franks and the Britons. He created the diocese of Dol. He died in about 565 Dol. His feast day is July 28.
In West Britain, at the other end of the Tro Breizh, you'll meet Saint Pol Aurélien (David Puech is the artist). This saint is the source of many miracles in the area .... Thanks to him the island of Batz was released from the dragon ....He also comes from Wales, arrived at Ouessant and finally settled in Saint Pol de Leon, where he left his name.
Enjoy your tour... walking, cycling or riding horses...
Read this article in French : Tour de Bretagne à pied, à cheval ou à vélo : idée de vacances sportives en Bretagne
Walking, cycling or horse tourism... Brittany is a nice place to tour... Tro Breizh (tour of Brittany in Breton language) is a beautiful tour of a few hundred miles ... you can do on foot, on bicycle and on horse-back ... in one go (and then some days are not enough, you need several weeks ...) or more stages (and then take the opportunity to visit some nice places), with your family or solo, in couple. .. stoping by a crêperie or a nice restaurant, a B&B or a pleasant cottage, a camping on the coast....
Since 1994, Les Chemins du Tro Breiz (The Paths of Tro Breizh) organizes walks around Small Britain. They invite you to tour for a week... every year. As there are around 700 kilometers, you'll achieve it in 7 years. It is our paths to Santiago !
Historically, the Tro Breizh connects the dioceses of the seven founding saints of Brittany. This medieval pilgrimage was a walk around Small Britain to pray the saints who evangelized the region.
The legend says that those Saints were septuplets and therefore brothers (they should have been killed at birth by their mother Domnonia ... because she believed twins were the children of sin). But fortunatly, the seven brothers (Seizh Breur) have been protected by God. For their safety, they were sent to Brittany. Once there, they evangelized Britain and created 7 bishoprics : Corentin in Quimper, Patern in Vannes, Saint Pol Aurélien at Saint Pol de Léon, Samson in Dol-de-Bretagne, Tugdual at Treguier, Brieuc and Malo in their respective cities Saint Brieuc and Saint Malo.
The pilgrims of the time did the pilgrimage in about a month (over 600 km).
All Breton Christians had to do it once ... or they had to do it once dead ... and then, even for a good Catholic, it was very long ... The legend recalls that the believer who had not performed it alive had to do it advancing a length of coffin a night ... It took quite a while.
Let's go back to our tour : Dol is one of the stages of the Tro Breizh. Saint Samson is the patron saint of the city and one of the founding saints of Brittany. He has its granite sculpture at Carnoët in the Holy Valley. Sculpted by Jacques Dumas, he is represented with a mermaid.
Jacques Dumas explains the legend of Saint Samson : his mother rescued once a mermaid who then gave to this women a son (she was too old to have one).
Samson was born in Wales (as you know now) and emigrated ...
He is a peacemaker between animals and with men too... He commands the birds that destroy crops, he hunts the serpent which occupies the cave where he wishes to move ... He also works in humans problems and rules the political conflicts between the Franks and the Britons. He created the diocese of Dol. He died in about 565 Dol. His feast day is July 28.
In West Britain, at the other end of the Tro Breizh, you'll meet Saint Pol Aurélien (David Puech is the artist). This saint is the source of many miracles in the area .... Thanks to him the island of Batz was released from the dragon ....He also comes from Wales, arrived at Ouessant and finally settled in Saint Pol de Leon, where he left his name.
Enjoy your tour... walking, cycling or riding horses...
Read this article in French : Tour de Bretagne à pied, à cheval ou à vélo : idée de vacances sportives en Bretagne
Walks in France: the slopes of Mont Dol
Posted by LN - Tags
Welcome to a short walk of discovery: prehistory, chapel, windmill, caves ... The ascent of Mont Dol is a great adventure.
First of all : This site provides a practical course of history of relief: tens of thousands of years ago, when it was really cold, the sea was closer ... And the Mont Dol was an island.
From the summit, one can guess the terrain of the ice ages and the limit where the ocean stopped! Today the sea has receded, it was even more distant during the prehistoric times ... In short, sea is going back and forth!
Mont Dol welcomed men, prehistoric men, in caves, north of the hill. Neanderthals, lovers of big elephants, have left the remains of their feasts. At that time, people were watching the mammoths'arrival from the summit and were driving them into the swamps ... where the animals got stuck ... The hunters just had to finish their work : cut in small pieces the beast ... to preserve and enjoy it during the following months ...
You can learn more by visiting the church at the foot of Mount Dol : an exhibit explains the history of the place ... you can also admire beautiful restaured murals... polychrome ... It's unusual in churches in Brittany, the walls were whitewashed ... to disinfect after epidemics !
Today, at the top of the site, there is a tiny religious building, a monumental statue set on a tower, ancient trees, a mill ...
The site has seen many religious occupations. There is this little chapel with a stained glass window dedicated to the war 14-18. And the tower of Notre Dame de l'Espérance (1857) which dominates the landscape.
Weather permitting, you have the best panoramic view of the coast, the Mont Saint Michel, Cancale and the bay. And in very clear weather, you can even notice the Channel Islands, Jersey and Guernsey. It is not that far away...
There is also the legend ... the devil has worked here!
The mill dates from 1843 and ran until the 50s. It is open in the summer and can be visited on weekends (from Easter to September).
There is a crêperie at the top of the site open during the warm seasons. To continue the walk you can go down the other side and go around the mountain before to reach the parking lot. Choose the right side to see the caves!
Read it in French : Rando en Bretagne : les dénivelés du Mont Dol
First of all : This site provides a practical course of history of relief: tens of thousands of years ago, when it was really cold, the sea was closer ... And the Mont Dol was an island.
From the summit, one can guess the terrain of the ice ages and the limit where the ocean stopped! Today the sea has receded, it was even more distant during the prehistoric times ... In short, sea is going back and forth!
Mont Dol welcomed men, prehistoric men, in caves, north of the hill. Neanderthals, lovers of big elephants, have left the remains of their feasts. At that time, people were watching the mammoths'arrival from the summit and were driving them into the swamps ... where the animals got stuck ... The hunters just had to finish their work : cut in small pieces the beast ... to preserve and enjoy it during the following months ...
You can learn more by visiting the church at the foot of Mount Dol : an exhibit explains the history of the place ... you can also admire beautiful restaured murals... polychrome ... It's unusual in churches in Brittany, the walls were whitewashed ... to disinfect after epidemics !
Today, at the top of the site, there is a tiny religious building, a monumental statue set on a tower, ancient trees, a mill ...
The site has seen many religious occupations. There is this little chapel with a stained glass window dedicated to the war 14-18. And the tower of Notre Dame de l'Espérance (1857) which dominates the landscape.
Weather permitting, you have the best panoramic view of the coast, the Mont Saint Michel, Cancale and the bay. And in very clear weather, you can even notice the Channel Islands, Jersey and Guernsey. It is not that far away...
There is also the legend ... the devil has worked here!
Once completing his Wonder of Mont-Saint-Michel, he challenged St. Michael asking him to make another perfect masterpiece ...
The Saint chose the second hill of the bay of Mont Saint Michel and in just one night, he realized a huge and beautiful crystal palace.
The devil furious wanted to destroy it, but the Archangel Michael offered to exchange monuments. The Devil agreed. Once in front of the palace of Mont Dol, he realized the mistake... The palace was not crystal but ice... And it was a nice warm day!
Really upset, the devil tried to kill the Saint. Mickael managed to send him in a crack he had opened with his sword. And he jumped back to the Mont Saint-Michel ... And he left his impression in a granit rock on the Mont Dol. Look for traces of claws among the rocks!
The mill dates from 1843 and ran until the 50s. It is open in the summer and can be visited on weekends (from Easter to September).
There is a crêperie at the top of the site open during the warm seasons. To continue the walk you can go down the other side and go around the mountain before to reach the parking lot. Choose the right side to see the caves!
Read it in French : Rando en Bretagne : les dénivelés du Mont Dol
Tourism on salt marshes at Guérande in Brittany (France)
Posted by LN - Tags
The area around Guérande (gwen = white in Breton and rann = countries) has been known since the dawn of time, for the salt activity. For centuries even milleniums, salt has been THE mean of food preservation.
Since when?
Long before the construction of those salt marshes, we go back to the Iron Age..., another technique was used for the production of sea salt…
Sand or clay salt was collected during the summer and « washed » to extract a highly concentrated brine. It was then poured into pots and heated in clay oven until crystallization of salt. This technique was widespread throughout the Armorican coast, it even led to a deforestation.
The current saltmarshes began before the 9th century and lasted for several centuries. Around the year 1500, the marshes reached 80% of the current surface. The latest were built around 1800. In the middle of 19th century, a gradual decline started for different reasons : competition from the salt mine, lower consumption of salt as a product of conservation and improvement of transport by land.
The salt of Guérande used to be trade throughout Brittany, tax free until Napoleon. The Emperor decided to tax it and it was the beginning of the decline of salt activity. And the last attack came with the refrigerator in the 70’s.
But never say never… as we say in French. The amateurs of Guérande little by little, with energy and enthusiasm will help the activity to recover. They created a training course and a cooperative to promote quality with a label (the french Label rouge). Today around 250 workers live on the salt marshes.
Where ?
Until recently, the whole region was a large salt marsh. But the coastal villages Le Pouliguen and La Baule soon preferred buildings and tourism as the salt activity. There are still 2,000 hectares for the production.
How it works?
The principle is simple. Channels that feeds the water reservoirs with sea water using the tides. Salty water will evaporate in different dams till there are only a few centimeters of seawater left. That is the last step, where the salt crystallizes and produces the fleur de sel and coarse salt.
Natural process?
Yes, sea, sun and wind !!! And the know-how of the workers.
It is a 100% natural product from a listed site! explains Ronan Loison, director of Terre de Sel. Unlike refined salts, the one from Guérande undergoes no washing, no chemical treatment or additives. After harvest, it is just sifted, milled and packaged.
Why do we see colourful marshes?
Red micro-organisms and algae live in seawater.
Harvesting?
The harvest (12,000 tons of salt per year) takes place from June to September. Here are salt granaries from yesterday
and today ...
The rest of the time, you must maintain the marshes.
Fleur de sel and cooking salt
The cooking salt is most of the harvest. If it is gray, it still contains a hint of earthy substance. The best for chefs is the flower of salt.. These few kilo are harvested and collected separately. For 12,000 kg of gray salt, you’ll get 80 kg of fleur de sel!
Visit the salt marshes?
First of all because it is an exceptional heritage (listed since 1996). Then because it is beautiful, yes it is ! Also because you’ll discover nice animals and flora. And finally, to understand better how salt is produced.
In the village of Saillé, former village of salt, the maison des paludiers is a museum. There is also one at Batz sur Mer. At Guérande Terre de Sel, the cooperative, offers guided tours of the marsh. And in La Turballe visits are made in carriage. (00 33 //(0)6.26.45.25.58 )
Read it in French : Les marais salants (salines) de Guérande
- Since when?
- Where?
- How does it work?
- Natural Process?
- Why do we see colourful marshes?
- Harvesting
- Fleur de sel and cooking salt
- Visit the saltmarshes
Since when?
Long before the construction of those salt marshes, we go back to the Iron Age..., another technique was used for the production of sea salt…
Sand or clay salt was collected during the summer and « washed » to extract a highly concentrated brine. It was then poured into pots and heated in clay oven until crystallization of salt. This technique was widespread throughout the Armorican coast, it even led to a deforestation.
The current saltmarshes began before the 9th century and lasted for several centuries. Around the year 1500, the marshes reached 80% of the current surface. The latest were built around 1800. In the middle of 19th century, a gradual decline started for different reasons : competition from the salt mine, lower consumption of salt as a product of conservation and improvement of transport by land.
The salt of Guérande used to be trade throughout Brittany, tax free until Napoleon. The Emperor decided to tax it and it was the beginning of the decline of salt activity. And the last attack came with the refrigerator in the 70’s.
But never say never… as we say in French. The amateurs of Guérande little by little, with energy and enthusiasm will help the activity to recover. They created a training course and a cooperative to promote quality with a label (the french Label rouge). Today around 250 workers live on the salt marshes.
Where ?
Until recently, the whole region was a large salt marsh. But the coastal villages Le Pouliguen and La Baule soon preferred buildings and tourism as the salt activity. There are still 2,000 hectares for the production.
How it works?
The principle is simple. Channels that feeds the water reservoirs with sea water using the tides. Salty water will evaporate in different dams till there are only a few centimeters of seawater left. That is the last step, where the salt crystallizes and produces the fleur de sel and coarse salt.
Natural process?
Yes, sea, sun and wind !!! And the know-how of the workers.
It is a 100% natural product from a listed site! explains Ronan Loison, director of Terre de Sel. Unlike refined salts, the one from Guérande undergoes no washing, no chemical treatment or additives. After harvest, it is just sifted, milled and packaged.
Why do we see colourful marshes?
Red micro-organisms and algae live in seawater.
Harvesting?
The harvest (12,000 tons of salt per year) takes place from June to September. Here are salt granaries from yesterday
and today ...
The rest of the time, you must maintain the marshes.
Fleur de sel and cooking salt
The cooking salt is most of the harvest. If it is gray, it still contains a hint of earthy substance. The best for chefs is the flower of salt.. These few kilo are harvested and collected separately. For 12,000 kg of gray salt, you’ll get 80 kg of fleur de sel!
Visit the salt marshes?
First of all because it is an exceptional heritage (listed since 1996). Then because it is beautiful, yes it is ! Also because you’ll discover nice animals and flora. And finally, to understand better how salt is produced.
In the village of Saillé, former village of salt, the maison des paludiers is a museum. There is also one at Batz sur Mer. At Guérande Terre de Sel, the cooperative, offers guided tours of the marsh. And in La Turballe visits are made in carriage. (00 33 //(0)6.26.45.25.58 )
Read it in French : Les marais salants (salines) de Guérande
Hazels and hazelnuts : from an hedge against the wind to the nuts used in Nutella...
Posted by LN - Tags
Why should we have an hazel in our garden ? Or at least in our surroundings... Along a canal for example.... It is nice in September to go and collect the fruits.....
The hazel bushes are very useful ... Yes, yes ... and they have many advantages ... and are used to
- occupy your children during the Sunday rain
- train you to do the diviner
- enjoy the German Christmas shortbread cakes
- be a great teacher and show your children the Nutella is done, (kidding but Nutella buys tons of hazelnuts -13% of the chocolate spread ...)
Early history
The little shrub ... fine and delicate ... becomes a tree with many branches when growing. 8000 years ago, whole forests of hazels were covering Europe ... And then the climate changed and 500 years later, the trees were hunted by the oaks, elms and other limes... Briefly, our prehistoric forest has disappeared ... except in Poland where it remains in the Bialowieza National Park ...
I digress, I digress ...
It is not an endangered species...There are still hazels in our country.
Why plant a hazel tree in the garden?
- To collect hazelnuts
- To have an hedge that protects the crosps against the winds
- To know if you have dowser's gifts! (it works, my man has the "gift", just use a branch of hazel cut like a fork and wait !)
- To avoid the lightning when it is planted near a house (this was said once, but I did not try)
-To play on Sunday with your children
When will it get nuts?
Druids gave me the answer with their alphabet of trees. It's the 9th, 9 as the number of years for a tree, a hazel to bear fruits. Harvest in autumn.
Otherwise the main producers are Turkey, they dominate the market.
How to keep the nuts?
Be careful to keep them because very often someone, when you're not around, will enjoy them for you...
Harvest and dry on a dry place.
Read this article in French : Noisetiers et noisettes : de la haie contre les vents au Nutella
The hazel bushes are very useful ... Yes, yes ... and they have many advantages ... and are used to
- occupy your children during the Sunday rain
- train you to do the diviner
- enjoy the German Christmas shortbread cakes
- be a great teacher and show your children the Nutella is done, (kidding but Nutella buys tons of hazelnuts -13% of the chocolate spread ...)
Early history
The little shrub ... fine and delicate ... becomes a tree with many branches when growing. 8000 years ago, whole forests of hazels were covering Europe ... And then the climate changed and 500 years later, the trees were hunted by the oaks, elms and other limes... Briefly, our prehistoric forest has disappeared ... except in Poland where it remains in the Bialowieza National Park ...
I digress, I digress ...
It is not an endangered species...There are still hazels in our country.
Why plant a hazel tree in the garden?
- To collect hazelnuts
- To have an hedge that protects the crosps against the winds
- To know if you have dowser's gifts! (it works, my man has the "gift", just use a branch of hazel cut like a fork and wait !)
- To avoid the lightning when it is planted near a house (this was said once, but I did not try)
-To play on Sunday with your children
When will it get nuts?
Druids gave me the answer with their alphabet of trees. It's the 9th, 9 as the number of years for a tree, a hazel to bear fruits. Harvest in autumn.
Otherwise the main producers are Turkey, they dominate the market.
How to keep the nuts?
Be careful to keep them because very often someone, when you're not around, will enjoy them for you...
Harvest and dry on a dry place.
Read this article in French : Noisetiers et noisettes : de la haie contre les vents au Nutella
Triploid oysters: GMO or not?
Posted by LN - Tags
Milky oyster's lovers should hurry... They' ll soon be a testimony of the past... Why ?
Ask the oyster's farmers of Cancale, your usual market or even your favorite fishmonger online what you're eating !
Triploid oysters (also called wiht the poetic name of 4 seasons oysters), are a new variety of this mollusc. An singular oyster, born in the French laboratories (IFREMER) at the end of the 20th century... and almost invisible as it is written nowhere that you're in front of it ...
Explanation
Oysters have been a traditional meal for millenniums... Already during prehistoric times, coastal men enjoyed them ... (They were wild at the time). Romans settled in Britain loved them...10 centuries later, French King Louis XIV was fond of it.
Soon the overconsumption became a real problem... Fear of the disappearance of natural beds of oysters ... Already in the 19th century, rules were allowing the harvesting only during defined periods of the year (September to April). Then the idea of breeding... Napoleon III asked Victor Coste to study the oyster farms in Italy. He created the modern oyster farming. Today wild oysters are very rare. And in addition, they're transformed ...
The original species and the modified ones
Oysters are flat or hollow ... and... fragile ... The Belon oyster in Brittany is known abroad. Even though it has been threatened by the Portuguese oyster, rejected by a ship in the Gironde. It will be bred until an epizootic (epidemic) almost decimated it. Since then, the Japanese oyster did replace the hollow ... until the next illness ...
That's in real life...
In the lab, since the late 20th century, there is a new variety... the four seasons oyster ... Be careful not to confuse everything ... They are not Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) (but a story of chromosome!). Researchers made them sterile...
These so-called triploid oysters have two advantages: as they are sterile, they do not spawn, need less energy and therefore grow faster. You need almost 3 years to get an adult oyster, those ones need one year to be sold...
The second advantage is as they are sterile and they're never milky (too bad for my mom who loves them like that!).
If, you know the months with the letter R and the months without the letter R (May-August when most oysters are not eaten).... Well, this period corresponds to the breeding season, summer ... and during this period less oysters are eaten. With those ones, you can taste them throughout the year.
Defenders of the four seasons oysters will say that the fear of a new epidemic was the reason of this new variety. Sûrement... That' right, the Portuguese oyster have been destroyed in the 70's. And if the Japanese Oyster has the same problem... What will happen ?
And the consumer ...
As usual, we forgot to ask his opinion! Too bad for him! But never mind, research has done the same thing for the mussels! Never change a winning team!
And worse, we do not know what we eat ! No mention tell the customer if they're triploid. 15,000 to 20,000 tonnes are produced every year, 10 to 15% of the production is triploid.... (as it is explained in an article of the French newspaper Libération ).
Next time you'll buy oysters, you'll ask ? Does anyone know if they are still aphrodisiac, these new oysters ?
Read this article in French : Huitres triploides : ogm ou pas
Triploid oysters (also called wiht the poetic name of 4 seasons oysters), are a new variety of this mollusc. An singular oyster, born in the French laboratories (IFREMER) at the end of the 20th century... and almost invisible as it is written nowhere that you're in front of it ...
Explanation
Oysters have been a traditional meal for millenniums... Already during prehistoric times, coastal men enjoyed them ... (They were wild at the time). Romans settled in Britain loved them...10 centuries later, French King Louis XIV was fond of it.
Soon the overconsumption became a real problem... Fear of the disappearance of natural beds of oysters ... Already in the 19th century, rules were allowing the harvesting only during defined periods of the year (September to April). Then the idea of breeding... Napoleon III asked Victor Coste to study the oyster farms in Italy. He created the modern oyster farming. Today wild oysters are very rare. And in addition, they're transformed ...
The original species and the modified ones
Oysters are flat or hollow ... and... fragile ... The Belon oyster in Brittany is known abroad. Even though it has been threatened by the Portuguese oyster, rejected by a ship in the Gironde. It will be bred until an epizootic (epidemic) almost decimated it. Since then, the Japanese oyster did replace the hollow ... until the next illness ...
That's in real life...
In the lab, since the late 20th century, there is a new variety... the four seasons oyster ... Be careful not to confuse everything ... They are not Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) (but a story of chromosome!). Researchers made them sterile...
These so-called triploid oysters have two advantages: as they are sterile, they do not spawn, need less energy and therefore grow faster. You need almost 3 years to get an adult oyster, those ones need one year to be sold...
The second advantage is as they are sterile and they're never milky (too bad for my mom who loves them like that!).
If, you know the months with the letter R and the months without the letter R (May-August when most oysters are not eaten).... Well, this period corresponds to the breeding season, summer ... and during this period less oysters are eaten. With those ones, you can taste them throughout the year.
Defenders of the four seasons oysters will say that the fear of a new epidemic was the reason of this new variety. Sûrement... That' right, the Portuguese oyster have been destroyed in the 70's. And if the Japanese Oyster has the same problem... What will happen ?
And the consumer ...
As usual, we forgot to ask his opinion! Too bad for him! But never mind, research has done the same thing for the mussels! Never change a winning team!
And worse, we do not know what we eat ! No mention tell the customer if they're triploid. 15,000 to 20,000 tonnes are produced every year, 10 to 15% of the production is triploid.... (as it is explained in an article of the French newspaper Libération ).
Next time you'll buy oysters, you'll ask ? Does anyone know if they are still aphrodisiac, these new oysters ?
Read this article in French : Huitres triploides : ogm ou pas
The cauliflower in Brittany (France)
Posted by LN - Tags
Even if China and India share 70% of the world production, three-quarters of the French production of cauliflower are grown in the North West of France, on the breton coast ... If you arrive with the ferry at Roscoff, you'll see fields of cauliflowers everywhere... Prince de Bretagne the main supplier of vegetables of the region...
Cauliflower belongs to the very, very, large cabbage family ... that have so many different colors, shapes and even sizes. Cabbage season never stops... all year long...
Origins
Asia Minor. Cabbage is a very old food already eaten by prehistoric people ... Cauliflower disappears however in Europe after the Roman time and reappeared in Italy in the late Middle Ages. In France, it is cultivated again in the 17th C. In England, a bit earlier...
Vitamins and co
This vegetable plant has many advantages: rich in vitamin C (good for healthy bones, cartilage, teeth and gums ... It also protects against infections, promotes the absorption of iron content in plants and accelerates healing. ) It was good for sailors wishing to fight against scurvy (No fresh food on boats for days...a lack of vitamin C makes you loose your teeth!).
Studies say that cauliflower is also appreciated against cancers (lung, ovary and kidney). And good for pregnant women (contents folate (vitamin B9 used for the growth and development of the fetus ...).
It is a low calorie vegetable (high content of water: 20 calories per 100 grams).
Culture and Consumption
It is an annual plant. Thanks to the mild climate of the region of Roscoff, we can eat them September to January.
How to choose a cauliflower
A fresh one will have still green water-soaked leaves and a white heart...
But ... very often, unfortunatly, the cauliflower arriving in our plates has done a long journey before ending in a saucepan of boiling water... Leaves are all dried, the white is often spotted (these are signs of decay).
However ... It is a very good food that I recommend as a dipping appetizer
a cauliflower 800 g
Chopped parsley
Anchovies thinly cut
Juice of half a lemon
100g butter
Salt
For this recipe, the ideal is to have a cauliflower extremely fresh, white, with no trace of passing time ...
Remove leaves, divide the clumps of cabbage and soak in salted water.
In a saucepan, melt butter, add anchovies that you've previously cut into thin slices and parsley. After a few minutes, remove from heat.
Drain the cauliflower florets and arrange in a dish, pour sauce and lemon juice.
Serve as appetizer ...
Read this article in French : Le chou-fleur de Bretagne
Cauliflower belongs to the very, very, large cabbage family ... that have so many different colors, shapes and even sizes. Cabbage season never stops... all year long...
Origins
Asia Minor. Cabbage is a very old food already eaten by prehistoric people ... Cauliflower disappears however in Europe after the Roman time and reappeared in Italy in the late Middle Ages. In France, it is cultivated again in the 17th C. In England, a bit earlier...
Vitamins and co
This vegetable plant has many advantages: rich in vitamin C (good for healthy bones, cartilage, teeth and gums ... It also protects against infections, promotes the absorption of iron content in plants and accelerates healing. ) It was good for sailors wishing to fight against scurvy (No fresh food on boats for days...a lack of vitamin C makes you loose your teeth!).
Studies say that cauliflower is also appreciated against cancers (lung, ovary and kidney). And good for pregnant women (contents folate (vitamin B9 used for the growth and development of the fetus ...).
It is a low calorie vegetable (high content of water: 20 calories per 100 grams).
Culture and Consumption
It is an annual plant. Thanks to the mild climate of the region of Roscoff, we can eat them September to January.
How to choose a cauliflower
A fresh one will have still green water-soaked leaves and a white heart...
But ... very often, unfortunatly, the cauliflower arriving in our plates has done a long journey before ending in a saucepan of boiling water... Leaves are all dried, the white is often spotted (these are signs of decay).
However ... It is a very good food that I recommend as a dipping appetizer
Italian raw cauliflower recipe in spicy sauceIngredients
a cauliflower 800 g
Chopped parsley
Anchovies thinly cut
Juice of half a lemon
100g butter
Salt
For this recipe, the ideal is to have a cauliflower extremely fresh, white, with no trace of passing time ...
Remove leaves, divide the clumps of cabbage and soak in salted water.
In a saucepan, melt butter, add anchovies that you've previously cut into thin slices and parsley. After a few minutes, remove from heat.
Drain the cauliflower florets and arrange in a dish, pour sauce and lemon juice.
Serve as appetizer ...
Read this article in French : Le chou-fleur de Bretagne
Tourism in Brittany (France) : Stone Age heritage
Posted by LN - Tags
You’re visiting Britanny and specially the South Coast. You have to go to the Gulf of Morbihan, a small sea surrounded by peninsulas. The place is really unusual with its inland sea, an incredibly high number of islands... it's worth it.
And on the presqu'île de Rhuys, one of the peninsula that closes the Gulf, you’re close to an historical place the tumulus de Tumiac, where the legend says that Caesar did watch the naval battle between the most powerful tribe of Armor the Veneti and the Roman fleet.
Gallic War. Here we are, back in 56 before Christ when Caesar decided to conquer Brittany.
In 57, Roman already tried to dominate the peninsula. One year later, when they came back, they had to do it again. Veneti did resist and were known as good sailors. Ceasar decided to attack them, here on the South Coast. The legend said the Emperor watched the encounter from the top of this hill.
220 large sailing ships faced the Roman fleet, which was easy to move. And Romans had sickles tied to long poles that were quite useful to cut the sail down. The sailing ship could not move anymore and the soldiers just had to board the ship. And that ‘s how Caesar won this unexpected struggle… and the wind did not blow to help the Armor tribe.
That’s the legend… and now the truth about this little mound. It is on the main road that goes from Sarzeau to Port Navalo. Stop on the parking place and go on a small path that leads you to the top of the hill.
You can no more visit the underground… because of degradation…
86 m high, 20 m diameter of clay. Underneath, there is a grave (5000 before Christ).
A stone coffin 4 meters long and 2 meters wide where an important man from that time was burried. In 1853 excavations did reveal human bones which is rare in Brittany –acid soils do “eat” bones-.
Read it in French : La butte de César : légende historique ou site préhistorique du Golfe du Morbihan
And on the presqu'île de Rhuys, one of the peninsula that closes the Gulf, you’re close to an historical place the tumulus de Tumiac, where the legend says that Caesar did watch the naval battle between the most powerful tribe of Armor the Veneti and the Roman fleet.
Gallic War. Here we are, back in 56 before Christ when Caesar decided to conquer Brittany.
In 57, Roman already tried to dominate the peninsula. One year later, when they came back, they had to do it again. Veneti did resist and were known as good sailors. Ceasar decided to attack them, here on the South Coast. The legend said the Emperor watched the encounter from the top of this hill.
220 large sailing ships faced the Roman fleet, which was easy to move. And Romans had sickles tied to long poles that were quite useful to cut the sail down. The sailing ship could not move anymore and the soldiers just had to board the ship. And that ‘s how Caesar won this unexpected struggle… and the wind did not blow to help the Armor tribe.
That’s the legend… and now the truth about this little mound. It is on the main road that goes from Sarzeau to Port Navalo. Stop on the parking place and go on a small path that leads you to the top of the hill.
You can no more visit the underground… because of degradation…
86 m high, 20 m diameter of clay. Underneath, there is a grave (5000 before Christ).
A stone coffin 4 meters long and 2 meters wide where an important man from that time was burried. In 1853 excavations did reveal human bones which is rare in Brittany –acid soils do “eat” bones-.
Read it in French : La butte de César : légende historique ou site préhistorique du Golfe du Morbihan
Hiking on a French Island : Batz (Brittany)
Posted by LN - Tags
5 good reasons to go on this island!
As 600 inhabitants live on the island, there are ferries quite often to get there : out of season several times a day and in season every 30 minutes. Whenever you want to go there… it is possible… till 7 PM.
The island measures just over 3 kms long at high tide. Because at low tide ...the island is much bigger… One day walk, you have plenty of time to discover Batz.
And as each side is different, it is very pleasant to walk around it. One side, you’ll discover Roscoff and the mainland, opposite the ocean.
And the shore of the island itself is very various : rocks, dunes, shingle or sandy beaches of extremely fine almost white ... It's not all, depending on the tides, the landscape changes again and again.
And despite all, the island does not live only on tourism ... With its nearly 600 inhabitants, it also lives on agriculture ... And therefore has a real life ... It is the island of flowers, they grow everywhere thanks to the mild climate : flowers of the fields (wild cloves, wild gorse, poppies, camomile ...),
dunes flowers (eryngium…), or common garden flowers (hydrangeas, geraniums, ...) or even exotic flowers that have spread out from the exotic garden.
At the end of last century, Georges Delaselle installed a colonial garden on the east of the island. He grew tropical plants (the climate is very mild in Batz) ... After decolonization, the garden changed its name for the name of its founder.
The park has been abandoned for several years but since 1986 it has been rehabilitated, hosts tropical plants and trees. Cedar, eucalyptus and dracena (palms of New Zealand), agave (cactus from Mexico used to make Mezcal) echium are all around the island.
If you walk to the ocean side, you will find beautiful white sandy beaches ... you’ll disturb birds or even sometimes … seals ... Further, on the far west there is a chaos of stones called : Toul ar Sarpant, the hole of the snake. That side hosts also a swamp with its fauna and flora.
The last facet of the island is the sheltered side, which faces Roscoff. And there anjoy a crepe or a drink after your nice walk…
On your bike, with your foot, enjoy the island.
Read it in French : Randonnée sur une des îles du Ponant : l'île de Batz
Getting awayAfter 15 minutes of ferry through currents and reefs, you arrive on Kernoc’h harbor.
One day walk and break
It can be visisted most of the year (late March to All)
Enjoy flowers and sea spray !
And finally, greet a seal!
As 600 inhabitants live on the island, there are ferries quite often to get there : out of season several times a day and in season every 30 minutes. Whenever you want to go there… it is possible… till 7 PM.
The island measures just over 3 kms long at high tide. Because at low tide ...the island is much bigger… One day walk, you have plenty of time to discover Batz.
And as each side is different, it is very pleasant to walk around it. One side, you’ll discover Roscoff and the mainland, opposite the ocean.
And the shore of the island itself is very various : rocks, dunes, shingle or sandy beaches of extremely fine almost white ... It's not all, depending on the tides, the landscape changes again and again.
And despite all, the island does not live only on tourism ... With its nearly 600 inhabitants, it also lives on agriculture ... And therefore has a real life ... It is the island of flowers, they grow everywhere thanks to the mild climate : flowers of the fields (wild cloves, wild gorse, poppies, camomile ...),
dunes flowers (eryngium…), or common garden flowers (hydrangeas, geraniums, ...) or even exotic flowers that have spread out from the exotic garden.
At the end of last century, Georges Delaselle installed a colonial garden on the east of the island. He grew tropical plants (the climate is very mild in Batz) ... After decolonization, the garden changed its name for the name of its founder.
The park has been abandoned for several years but since 1986 it has been rehabilitated, hosts tropical plants and trees. Cedar, eucalyptus and dracena (palms of New Zealand), agave (cactus from Mexico used to make Mezcal) echium are all around the island.
If you walk to the ocean side, you will find beautiful white sandy beaches ... you’ll disturb birds or even sometimes … seals ... Further, on the far west there is a chaos of stones called : Toul ar Sarpant, the hole of the snake. That side hosts also a swamp with its fauna and flora.
The last facet of the island is the sheltered side, which faces Roscoff. And there anjoy a crepe or a drink after your nice walk…
On your bike, with your foot, enjoy the island.
Read it in French : Randonnée sur une des îles du Ponant : l'île de Batz
Episode of the Hundred Years War with the Knight Du Guesclin
Posted by LN - Tags
... 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
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
French