At Home in Brittany

The Tragedy of the Green Tide

This sounds like the title of a good book, but it is in fact a tragic story of mans continuing desire for progress and prosperity without consideration for the effect on the environment.

 

When we arrived in Brittany in 2002 we were continually amazed at the beauty of the Breton landscape and in particular the coastline; which in our area of the Pink Granite Coast is stunning. One of the most impressive coastal areas is the Bay of St Michel en Grève, which has one of the longest continuous beaches in Brittany. In July each year it is used for harness horse racing, due mainly to the long flat beach which is available when the tide exits the bay.

 

Over the past seven years this stunning coastal tourist destination has changed into an enormous green bed of slime, emitting a pungent odour as soon as the sun starts to warm the seas. In the spring, with rising temperatures and excess nitrogen (nitrate) arriving on the coast, the algae  begin to reproduce. It is an environmental nightmare which has descended on the peaceful bay and its residents, who for their part have been trying to stimulate the authorities into action against those thought to be responsible.

 

Why do you like living in Brittany?

Over the last 7 years we have often compared day to day life in Brittany with that of our previous life in the UK and are often asked why we like living here. Yesterday some French friends asked us that very question; culminating with a request to come up with a list of the top ten reasons. So we gave it some serious thought and came up with our own list.

It is inevitable that others would consider other reasons more important and we would be pleased to have other ex-pats express their views based on their own experiences. The answer to the next question is, yes, we could probably come up with a list of things we dislike about living in Brittany, but would probably struggle to achieve ten, so we will leave that for another day. In the meantime, in no particular order here is our top ten.

 

Patience and Good Humour

We have mentioned this before in our various posts on this Blog, but it is worth repeating that the Bretagne people are extremely friendly and always have time for you. They go out of their way to make you welcome and once you have been introduced to someone they will want to develop and continue the relationship. You can always find individuals who are exceptions to the rule, but these are few and far between. Despite the fairly hard life in rural areas and low levels of income we have only ever found good humour and endless patience, especially with our French language.

 

Moving to France - Changing the Habits of a Lifetime

There is no doubt that unless you have spent a lot of time in France or Europe before you move to a new home in Brittany, you will need to be prepared to adapt to the change in pace and culture. Most people have a preconceived idea of life in France developed by the stereotype portrayed on television and in the press and general media. Oh how wrong can you be!

 

I have heard many retired ex-pats refer to life in Brittany as being like England in the Fifties. Whilst I disagree, I can see similarities in the slow pace of life and the view of many Bretons that family, relaxation and enjoying the companionship of friends and neighbours is of great importance. The average Bretons life revolves around social events within a five mile radius of their home including, work, shopping and community activities.