Un voyage dans le Finistère

We recently took our Global Navigators on a weekend excursion to the western regions of Brittany known as la Finistère.  This region is the heart of Brittany's celtic heritage.   While the rennais are proud of their Bretton heritage, you feel the pride much more so in this region.  Bretton flags are found waving proudly almost everywhere to look.  Even the road signs and towns are in both French and Bretton.

Our first stop was Pont-Aven.  A small community often associated with French post-impressionist artist Paul Gauguin.  It is a charming village also known for a delicious butter cookie called pallet.  

From Pont-Aven, we continued to Quimper where we were greeted by the sounds of bagpipes and drums.  It was the annual Festival Cornouaille, a week-long celebration of Bretton pride.  The students took a tour of the city with a local guide.

We spent the evening in Concarneau at a hostel.  Students had a great time exploring this walled city and swimming in the ocean.

The next day, we continued our journey to Locronan.  This small village of 800 inhabitants is absolutely charming!  The students enjoyed wandering the streets and exploring the unique shops.

Lastly, we stopped at the Château de Trévarez.  This gorgeous estate was constructed between 1893 - 1907 by French politician James de Kerjégu.  This estate was extremely innovative for the time as it featured electricy, steel framing, and even a pool and elevators.  The estate was captured by the Nazis during WWII and bombed by the Royal Air Force, destroying the entire left side of the estate.  It was abandonded and eventually restored.  However, the surprise inside, is that the bombed out interior remains.  This estate is a classic example of la belle époque.