A Fest Noz, or night festival, is a traditional festival in Brittany, centered around dancing and music. Just about every very town in Brittany holds its own festival, so especially if you're visiting the region in the summer, it's hard to find a single evening when...
Tomorrow I am starting my 1,000 mile hike! There. It's out there, so now I have to follow through. The GR34 in the Morbihan No, I'm not doing all 1,000 miles at once. Little by little. One day or one weekend at a time. It may take a year, though more likely three to...
Every summer, the town of La Gacilly on the border of Brittany's Morbihan and Ile-et-Vilaine departments hosts the "Festival Photo", the largest outdoor photo festival in France. I've visited La Gacilly's photo festival the last two summers. What is great about this...
Kayaking in the Gulf of Morbihan is not for the faint of heart, but a great activity for those who are up for a bit of adventure. Why is kayaking in this seemingly tranquil "little sea" (mor-bihan in Breton) of southern Brittany a challenge? The reason is that the...
For some time now, I've been wanting to cycle the full length of the Nantes-Brest Canal. Technically, the classic cycling route actually runs from L'écluse de Quihex, about 25km north of the city of Nantes, along the canal to Carhaix, then parts from the canal and...
Travel by train is my favorite type of travel in Europe. The trains are generally on time, very organized, clean and comfortable. Gare de Lyon, Paris Compared to air travel, you do not have luggage and carry-on restrictions and you do not have to arrive in advance for...
Last summer, my family and I made a 4-night excursion to The Marais Poitevin, La Rochelle & Île de Ré as a detour on the way from Paris out to Brittany. Top: the Marais Poitevin; bottom left: Brouage; bottom right: La Rochelle Combining the Marais Poitevin, La...
One thing I've learned in France, I will always be perplexed by local festivals. This Sunday, friends and I were strolling into Auray, in Brittany's Morbihan department, and encountered a huge crowd of people hovering at the edge of the river. A DJ added to the...
In honor of the 70th anniversary of D-Day, I have posted a new weekend itinerary detailing my visit to the Normandy beaches last summer. Click here to be sent directly to the PDF itinerary. From top left, clockwise: Calves at Château de Vouilly, exploring the grounds...
About a 35 minutes' drive north of CDG Airport or a 40 minutes' train ride from Gare du Nord lies Compiègne, a pleasant city in Picardie and the site of the Armistice between Germany and the Allies that took effect at 11:00am on November 11, 1918 and ended World War...
