GIBBERISH

  What a fantastic, wonderful, perfect trip!  We saw wondrous things and met warm and friendly people. We drove 2,400 km/1500 mi.  to many lovely villages and medieval streets and ancient houses. Fantastic beautiful seaside's, streamside's, countryside's.  And dozens of  magical castles and chateaus. Most of the time we had big smiles on our faces. We will fill out this last blog with some final advice for friends and family who intend to make a similar trip.  Again this blog is for DJ and me and our close friends and family who asked us to do this.  Some are planning a similar trip soon, so this is all in hopes that there is some grain among the chafe that may help. OK so in our experience here's some things we do that might help you: If your going out of country be sure and get your Global entry.  Worth it.  We laughed Ha Ha! at the poor shmucks waiting in the cattle pen line for ever as we breezed through the Global entry line like grease ...

Up and a typical hotel breakfast and our last French Croissants. We will miss those. Then a race to get packed and the car returned. Tried to get gas but after waiting in line the pump was out of diesel. Maddening! So we had to return it half empty and pay their ridiculous fee. Looking at the gps map to the car return was like looking at a bowl of spaghetti. Somehow with the help of my trusty navigator/ copilot, we made it back to the Sixt car rental. Wandered around the terminal for a while trying to find American check in. Their computer was down but they got us checked in. I am writing this from the plane which has wifi! My first flight was on a tail dragging DC3. With twenty passengers From Simla to Kathmandu in 1955. The pilot just yelled back from the cockpit. But the food was better! Here I am writing a blog from 40,000 feet! Incredible! I’ll finish this someday if we make it home… Well...we made it.  Flight back uneventful. Great seats helped.  Left Paris at 11:30 am b...

Packed up and headed out towards Paris. Went thru Antes and passed the Black Castle that we visited with grandson T. Stopped in Le Mans to do the 24 hr race. But we didn’t have time and my Bimmer was worn out. Instead we had lunch at the Madeline and walked thru the Cite de Plaginetes. (The walled middle ages part).  We’ve seen a lot of wonderful old half timbered houses but this beat them all.  There were hundreds.  Wish we had more time to explore. Next stop was Chartres. You’ve probably heard of the famous cathedral there. It is enormous with twin spires. One of the first to use flying buttresses which allowed them to build the incredible high soaring  interiors. Perhaps most famous for the stained glass windows. Perhaps the oldest original high quality stained glass in the world. We then fought our way past Paris (saw the Eiffel Tower in the distance. (We have been to Paris several times and plan another trip back there if we last long enough) And hours later got...

 As I walked the medieval streets of Bretagne thinking about the life back then, I first thought life must have been brutal and hard.  But also it seemed somehow familiar.  Like I had maybe lived back then.  And then it dawned on me that in a way I had.  When we went to Nepal in 1955 it was a medieval kingdom.  There was no electricity to the average person.  Only one short paved road in all of Nepal.  There were Chateaus (Palaces), and common homes much like the medieval homes, dirt and cobblestone roads.  Magnificent Cathedrals (Temples).  Bullock carts, horses and largely agrarian.  Women washed their clothes in the streams and there was no indoor plumbing or indoor toilets except in the palaces of the aristocracy and a few special buildings. There was no modern medicine.  The people were largely illiterate.  They were generally well fed. And...mostly happy. I mention that because I was thinking that life must have been...

Breakfast in the Chateau And off to the Chateau La Groulais in Blaine. They were having a A flea market on the grounds of the castle!!! We couldn’t understand why there were so much traffic going into the castle when we got there. It was a big flea market, but the same old crap you see in our flea markets, mostly junk. The castle was impressive. even though most of it had disappeared over the centuries. Probably into the houses of the town of Blaine. The main Château or Ansay was still intact with one of the towers as were the one of the gate towers and joining rooms. It must’ve been a huge castle when it was at its height . Curiously, there is a really fabulous museum of printing in the building with early printing presses and apparatus. The castle had some bizarre art exhibits, not our taste…. we then hauled gas to Nantes (pronounced Nahnts) for our last night on the road. Our boutique hotel is well situated across from the fairy tale castle of the Dukes of Britany . We toured the mu...

On the road to Questembert. Yet another charming Middle Ages village. This one with the largest existing Covered market space in France. From the 15th century, amazing to stand im a supermarket built in 1552! Wish we had caught it on market day! Then on to Rochefort-En-terre. A city of “Special “Character”. High on a rocky bluff it had this chateau with fortified wall around. Visited a “ washing space where the women washed the clothes in a stream with the canal and rocks to beat the clothes on. It was in use from the 1400s into the 1900s early 1900s. DJ washed some socks out for me while we were there. Fortunate because they were about to walk off on their own. 1:00 Had lunch at La Ardoiseres. Below me with my Cidre in a cup. 3:00 THEN on to Malestroite where there was a medieval fete. Great fun. Jousting, wenches! Next La Gacily. Some wine and cider in the Jules Vernes Bistro’s

  10:39 Our first visit today was to the The Fortres de Largoet a Ruined castle was down a very long path through a wild wood. I was grumbling and DJ was delighted with the hundred mile hike.  But it was worth it. It was as classic and romantic a ruined castle as you could ask for.  Can you spot the ghost in the lower pictures? 3:00 Along the way to coast we stopped at this beautiful "narrow base" windmill. 3:30 Then to the port town of  4:00Beautiful drive along the coast  5;00 to the ancient walled town of Saint-Michel a fortified town built in the 1400s. 7:30 Back to La Roche Barnard for dinner at the port. 

Off to Vannes - CASTLE DAY 11:17  Our first stop in the lovely city of Vannes .  A walled city and inland port.  Its old town filled with half timbered houses and quaint shops.  Its port on the Vanne R. that flow into the Gulf of Morbihan is full of boats of every description.  12:20 Suscino Castle One of the most important castles of Dukes of Brittany.   2:30 Stopped at a Cidre Place for lunch.  Had a crepe and some cidre.  Delicious. 3:15 Found an unexpected ruined castle along the way to Largoet.  Josselin This Josselin Castle was a beautiful castle above the river.  Most of the castles are on rivers which were major means of transportation and commerce.  Our stay for the next three days is at the Chateau De Codouzan.  This wonderful old manor homes has origins back to the 12th century.  Apparently it has been rebuilt five times.  The current owner claims some kinship to the originals through his wife's family...

Late start.. off like a herd of turtles. Dorian. Tiny sea side port. On to another tiny port. Not as beautiful. Then to Quimperle. Ancient town where three rivers meet. Lunch in a perfect Timber Frame house for pizza. Our 1400s Half Timbered Pizza Parlor Drove thru Lorent. So France does have some ugly cities… Ploneau for dinner. Looking out on the Atlantic and island Fort. Mussels Roquefort for me and fish and chips w potato pan cakes for D. o Along the way we found this wonderful group of menhirs or standing stones. I placed hands upon one to feel a message from the ancients. D asked what I received. The message was “get your grubby hands off my stone!”.

 Wonderful town of CONCARNEAU. At. The port and fortified old town. Lunch at L’Amiral.  Parking meter nightmare. They have a parking system where you pay at this machine called a horror something. It is a horror. $35 fine if you don’t pay. I was ready to lay down and cry. Could not figure it out. D figured it out. Saving an embarrassing scene. Museum of commercial fishing. I was ready to pull out my fly rod and snag a couple of cods. Yes I brought a fly rod. Wha t a wonderful place.  Next the The little village of Nevez. Thatched roof cottages! Then on to Pont Avon. The village of impressionist fame. Absolutely magical. The Avon river runs through it. Once home to many small mills but in houses and small workshops on the river. Center of cottage fabric making. finally to Quimper for dinner . Bigger town with a river running down the middle. Great meal. Best sweetbreads I have ever had. D had sea bass.