Bretagne (France)

The French call Great Britain 'La Grande Bretagne'. Brittany is known as 'La Bretagne'. I guess we could say this is little Britain. However apart from a name I must stop any comparaisons there.

Ninety-two miles across the sea(from Plymouth to Roscoff), lies the most beautiful land of endless yellow beaches, undiscoverd villages and a countryside untouched, leading you to believe you might just one day bump into a druid or even Asterix!

My first experience of Northern Brittany began as a child and I have returned every year since. I ventured out of the naval and slightly industrial Brest and headed North to the villages of Porspoder, St Pabu and Portsall.

These villages are what I describe as the authentic Brittany. They do not have any museums, galleries or even interesting historical landmarks to visit, but oh, the beauty of the place, surrounded by beaches and so stereotypical.

Yes, that old fisherman you imagine dressed in blue overalls, smoking a pipe whilst sipping a glass of red at a ridiculously small counter in a village bar, really exists. He will undoubtedly greet you with open arms, buy you a drink, tell you all about his life even if you don't speak eachothers' languages! He will then set about telling you about all these weird and wonderful places to visit...

First up is the village of PLouguin. This has the patron saint Gwen. She had three breasts. The local mayor wanted to honour her by buliding a fountain by the church. This outraged the priest who found Gwen somewhat disgraceful. However, on unveiling night, guess who was selling Gwen keyrings at 3 euros a pop? Yes I proudly have one. This village is well worth a visit for Gwen and also proudly boasts a Menhir stone which maybe you might have seen on Obelisks back!!!

Next if you venture towards Le Conquet and La Pointe St Matthieu, you will discover an Abbey(barely standing) of the 16th century. What's so special is its location. It overlooks the most magnificent stretch of coastline that some Bretons may call the end of the world. It is true that you do somewhat feel you've reached the end of something, like some sort of paradise.

After these breathtaking views, a spot of lunch in the Conquet is highly recommended. Don't be fooled by all these restaurants desperate to attract tourists. Take the risk and go to a restaurant ouvrier(workers restaurant). The place might look poky from the outside, yet inside will be welcoming, offer you a hearty three course meal, including a bottle of cheap red for as little as 10euros(approx £6). If anything you might get to meet the local workers, whom you might be grateful to bump into again in the local bar!

All this about what you can do during the day, but what about the bar life? This part of Brittany likes its habits and traditions. To give you an example of how much I love the social life, I missed my own graduation to go to a Fest Noz(night fete). A Fest Noz reunites a whole village and everyone lends a hand. It involves food, drink, singing and dancing. What you might have possibly seen in a film once is really how these village gatherings are. If you are lucky enough to be at one of these on a bank holiday, youi'll find that the bars are open all night. Its not really about drinking, its about people being together. Imagine Dublin in the old days without the hype and the tourists, this is northern Brittany now!

There is so much more to write about, but three villages alone would result in a a novel!
All I recommend is for you to go to Northern Brittany, veer off the tourist path and become a local for the duration of your holiday(language not an issue!!)