Guest blogger Wendy Mewes, author of several books about Brittany and a guide in Quimper, tells us of her love for this ‘beautiful little city’:
Quimper, capital of the department of Finistère, is a beautiful little city in the far west of Brittany, at the heart of Breton-speaking territory and a bastion of Breton culture in all its forms. The name means ‘confluence’ as it rests where the Steir and the Frout meet the great Odet River...

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The great châteaux, cathedrals and abbeys of France took many years to build, sometimes centuries. Far too great an undertaking for local populations, they owe their construction to travelling bands of skilled craftsmen, Les Compagnons du Tour de France, who would go to wherever they were needed... Read the full post

Two men meet on the street. They exchange greetings and begin to talk. They’ve known each other for years. Their families are linked through marriage several generations ago. Today, the talk may be of the town council’s plans to restrict parking on market day; of the operation a friend’s wife had on her leg a week ago, and the weather – it’s unusually warm... Read the full post

The year is 1973; the place northern Brittany. It’s been a bumper year for agriculture, not just for pig farmers like Alexis Gourvennec, but for arable farmers, too. The perfect combination of sunshine and rain at exactly the right time has led to storesheds bulging with artichokes and cauliflowers – and here in Britain, we just can’t seem to get enough of them. Literally. But why not?

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Following my recent post which features the wonderfully evocative drawings of Andalucía by David Grech, I have posted some more of his sketches here – they are far too good not to share with you. David kindly sent us a sample from each of his holiday sketchbooks (at my request) and I selected one from each which you can see below.
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