The Whole of Us

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The one country we never want to go back to… (but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go).

Look, you could be sitting on the world’s nicest beach, cold drink in hand, a gentle breeze rustling through the palm trees above, and still be having the most miserable time. The opposite is also true.

Your internal state, and that of the people around you, has a huge impact on whether a destination, moment, or experience is as enjoyable as you’d hope.

I lead with this because I don’t want to dissuade you completely from visiting this country. We were all a bit of a mess here – exhausted, sick, and a tad burnt out from the pace we had been traveling. Still, it’s worth noting, and it may surprise you, that the country we have LEAST enjoyed is France.

We found France to be incredibly overpriced, and I’m sorry to say, but the people to be a tad unwelcoming. Of course, this is a generalization as we did not meet everyone in France, but our encounters with the locals were overwhelmingly negative. From doctors to supermarket attendants, waitresses and commuters on the train it’s safe to say we were surprised at the somewhat frosty reception. One such moment was experienced at a doctors surgery when one of the girls was sick. The doctor not only refused to speak to us (in English or French) but roughly handled our daughter as if we were an incredible inconvenience.

Despite the less than pleasant experience with the locals and our own internal mess, France itself is a stunning destination with charming villages and breath-taking scenery. We spent a month exploring Brittany and I’m delighted to say that the accommodation remains one of our favourite ever (more on that later), and our hosts were incredibly welcoming.

Brittany

Did you know that Brittany is different from other parts of France? We were surprised at the strong culture and Celtic heritage of the people here, in fact while Brittany is in France, most consider themselves Breton before they do French.

Brittany lies in the northwest of France and lures travellers in with it’s rugged coastline, charming towns and rich Celtic heritage. We spent two weeks in Finistère, in the extreme west of Brittany before travelling north-east and basing ourselves at this accommodation in La Boussac.

Where we stayed

Despite our tricky time in France our accommodation happened to be in the top three we’ve ever stayed at. Think a charming restored cottage surrounded by an orchard and unspoiled nature, majestic century old oaks and hermitage breed sheep peacefully grazing in the nearby field. It was something out of a childrens storybook.

We spent our days whittling away wood, foraging, baking, and generally slowing life right down. Tom made the girls a skipping rope with hand carved handles and braided rope that he found.

As well as a fully equipped kitchen, indoor and outdoor fireplace and stunning amenities it was also a brilliant place to base ourselves and explore the area. There is of course plenty to see and do.

Things to do in Brittany

As previously mentioned most of our time in Finistère was spent simply enjoying being together in our restored cottage and exploring the surrounding grounds. We did venture out a couple of times to explore the nearby towns, Dinard, The Valley of the Saints, and Huelogoat. While staying in La Boussac we did day trips to Saint Malo and Mont Saint-Michel.

Dinard

Take a walk along the Promenade du Clair de Lune and enjoy views of the pristine beach, dramatic cliffs and crystal clear water. We enjoyed climbing the rocks and playing on the sand. Unfortunately the early May temperature did not entice us to swim- although a few brave souls were enjoying the water.

Just across the road from the beach is Parc du Port Breton, a tree-filled park where you can walk throughout the grounds, enjoy the impressive playground and view the animal park which has over 40 animal species.

The Valley of the Saints

Atop a hillside in Carnoët is a historical masterpiece and open air museum where you can discover monumental statues, with an average height of 4 meters, chiselled from a slab of Breton granite. There are currently 190 statues with the goal to erect 1000 of them!

The statues are a homage to Brittany’s founding saints, aiming to promote the cultural and spiritual heritage of Brittany. You can wander through the field at your own pace and at no cost.

Huelogoat Forest

The magical forest of Huelogoat is simply enchanting and worth exploring. One of the few remnants of the ancient forests that once covered Brittany, the forest is a place of legends and fairy tales.

I’m going to be honest, I wish I had known more about Huelogoat before we visited, unfortunately we were at the end of a fairly violent illness so we simply happened upon it when looking for a place to get some fresh air and exercise. Despite this, it’s beauty was certainly not lost on us.

It is no surprise that Huelogoat provided the inspiration necessary for many different fairytales. Enjoy wondering the trails and taking in the impressive rock formations in one of the most beautiful forests.

Saint Malo

I loved this day so much. Sure the fresh ocean air and the fact that everyone was finally in good health might have contributed, but truely Saint Malo is a sight to behold!

The history here is mind blowing and the fact that you can walk round the ramparts and take in the breathtaking panoramas from every angle is truely a delight. One side the ocean, the other, the old town, sheltered behind the stone walls since the 12th century.

Of course no day in Saint Malo would be complete without sampling some of the fresh seafood with a glass of wine. There are plenty of places to choose from but we picked a spot with a view of the water!

Mont Saint-Michel

No visit to France, especially Brittany, would be complete without a visit to Mont Saint-Michel. The benefit of slower travel and staying longer in one spot is that you can pick and choose your days to visit particular sites- in our case we waited for a day full of sunshine and my goodness was it spectacular!

Mont Saint-Michel is a real village and you can wander the ramparts and narrow streets, looking through shops and working your way through the cafes and restaurants. It truely is a sight to behold.

Perhaps my favourite part was the 2.5km walk to the Mont. There are free shuttle buses included with your paid parking ticket but walking, in my opinion, was well worth the effort, enabling us to take in the magnificence of Mont Saint-Michel from a distance, and admire it on approach.

The Mont is located in the middle of a Bay, shared by Normandy and Brittany. The area sees the largest tidal range in continental Europe where the tides in the Bay can withdrawal as far as 25km from the shore! It does come back in quick though so you most definitely don’t want to be traipsing through the quicksand (yes its an acutal thing) and get caught out! A guide is the only way to cross the sand, for everyone else the pathway across the bridge is honestly just as exciting.

Parc Des Grands Chenes (Treetop Adventure Park)

A holiday with kids can’t just be about castles and history. There has to be a balance for families; and boy did this one deliver. Not only is it set in the most stunning of locations, one of the largest forests in Brittany, the course is challenging and technical, keeping the kids entertained for hours. It’s not just for the kids though, adults can have some fun too!

It’s not all climbing trees and zipping through the forest though. There is a playground, restaurant, lake and 1000 hectares of State Forest made up of oaks and beeches to explore. Once the girls had finished on the high ropes we enjoyed meandering through the forest, admiring and playing in Eeyore houses left by previous children.

Would we travel to France again?

Am I glad we travelled through France? Yes. Would we go again? I’m not sure. One of of the things we love the most about different destinations is the people and the culture. In France we really struggled with the people and the hostile reception we at times received. Our own internal worlds created a filter to which we were seeing a lot of the world around us too, which definitely didn’t help the situation.

Thankfully most of this was experienced in Paris, so if France is on your bucket-list, I’d spend less time in the busy cities and more time in the stunning areas of Brittany and Normandy.

What we focus on, the more we see of it, so perhaps this was one of those times. The French countryside is stunning and the history and food simply delightful.

Have you ever traveled to a country that didn’t quite live up to your expectations? Do you notice the way your internal state contributes to your enjoyment?